New legislation ends the Hereditary Peers’ role and removes the Lords’ power over title claims
Parliament has passed the House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026, marking a significant constitutional change by removing the remaining link between hereditary peerage and membership of the House of Lords.
The Act, which received Royal Assent on 18 March 2026, formally abolishes the system that allowed a limited number of hereditary peers to sit in the upper chamber. It achieves this by repealing section 2 of the House of Lords Act 1999, which had previously preserved an exception enabling certain hereditary peers to remain as members following earlier reforms.
The legislation also introduces new provisions concerning resignation from the House of Lords. It amends the House of Lords Reform Act 2014 to clarify that, where a peer lacks the capacity to resign independently, a notice may be submitted and signed on their behalf. Such action must comply with the Standing Orders of the House.
In addition, the Act removes the House of Lords’ jurisdiction over claims to hereditary peerages. This includes claims relating to titles that are in abeyance, effectively ending the chamber’s role in adjudicating disputes or questions concerning hereditary honours.
A series of consequential amendments accompany these changes. The Act modifies or repeals provisions across several statutes, including the Peerage Act 1963, the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, and the House of Lords Reform Act 2014. These amendments remove references to hereditary peerage rights and align existing legislation with the new legal position.
The Act also addresses the practical implications for current parliamentary arrangements. It specifies that any writ of summons issued to hereditary peers for the present Parliament will cease to have effect at the end of the current parliamentary session. This ensures a clear transition to the revised framework.
In terms of territorial extent, the provisions relating to claims to hereditary peerages apply across England and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Certain procedural elements, including resignation provisions, came into force immediately upon the Act’s passage, while the remaining substantive changes will take effect at the conclusion of the current parliamentary session.
The legislation represents a further step in the long-running reform of the House of Lords. By removing the last formal mechanism through which hereditary status could confer legislative authority, the Act establishes a fully non-hereditary basis for membership of the chamber.