Define: Act Of Settlement 1700

The Act of Settlement of 1700 is a significant piece of legislation in British constitutional history. It was passed by the Parliament of England to address the succession to the English and Irish crowns, following the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The Act established the Protestant succession to the throne, excluding Catholics and those married to Catholics from the line of succession. It also confirmed the independence of the judiciary and provided for the creation of a parliamentary commission to oversee the royal succession. The Act of Settlement helped to establish the principle of parliamentary supremacy and contributed to the stability of the British monarchy by providing a clear and lawful line of succession.

The Act of Settlement extended the earlier Bill of Rights by providing further separation of the roles of the Crown, House of Commons and the Judiciary, and also by making the monarch’s powers conditional on the approval of Parliament. An important provision that is still in effect in the higher courts provides that judges, once appointed, hold office ‘during good behaviour’; that is, their posts do not have to be renewed subject to the approval of either parliament or the Crown. The Act also provided that holders of posts appointed by the monarch could not sit in the Commons. The name of the Act derives from the fact that it gives Parliament the right to intervene in the ‘settlement’ (or inheritance) of the Crown.

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This glossary post was last updated: 29th March 2024.