What is the meaning of a life peer?

Word forms: plural life peers. countable noun. In Britain, a life peer is a person who is given a title such as ‘ Lord’ or ‘ Lady’ which they can use for the rest of their life but which they cannot pass on when they die. He was made a life peer in 1991.

What is a life peer title for life?

A life peer is an honour given to individuals which cannot be inherited by the recipient’s children (in contrast to a hereditary peer). In the UK, life peerages are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle holders to sit in the House of Lords under the style and dignity of Baron (male) or Baroness (female).

What is the wife of a life peer called?

The wife of a substantive peer is legally entitled to the privileges of peerage: she is said to have a “life estate” in her husband’s dignity. Thus a duke’s wife is titled a “duchess”, a marquess’s wife a “marchioness”, an earl’s wife a “countess”, a viscount’s wife a “viscountess” and a baron’s wife a “baroness”.

What is an peer?

(Entry 1 of 3) 1 : one that is of equal standing with another : equal The band mates welcomed the new member as a peer. especially : one belonging to the same societal group especially based on age, grade, or status teenagers spending time with their peers.

Who can become a life peer?

Life peers were to be chosen from senior judges, civil servants, senior officers of the British Army or Royal Navy, members of the House of Commons who had served for at least ten years, scientists, writers, artists, peers of Scotland, and peers of Ireland.

What is a government peer?

P. Members of the House of Lords are sometimes referred to as peers. Most members are Life Peers although 92 sit by virtue of hereditary title. Life Peers are appointed by the monarch on the advice of the Prime Minister to serve for their life; the title is not transferable.

Do life peers serve for life?

The Peerage Act 1963 allows the holder of an hereditary peerage to disclaim their title for life. There is no such provision for life peers.

Can a peerage be revoked?

Only an act of parliament that has received royal assent can revoke a peerage permanently. Peers are appointed for life and their summons to attend the House of Lords renewed by letters patent sent out by the monarch at the beginning of each new parliament.

Are life peers paid?

Life baronies under the Life Peerages Act are created by the Sovereign but, in practice, are only granted when proposed by the Prime Minister. Life peers created under the Life Peerages Act do not, unless they also hold ministerial positions, receive salaries.

Can a peerage be removed?

Only an act of parliament that has received royal assent can revoke a peerage permanently. The last time this punishment was enforced was during the first world war on the grounds of treason when two lords fought “for the king’s enemies”.

Is a peer a friend?

Who are the people with whom you spend time? They probably fall into two categories-peers (classmates you may or may not know very well) and friends (those you choose to spend time with). Your peers are people like you in age or grade level.

What is peer example?

The definition of a peer is an equal in age, skill or another category. An example of a peer is someone who graduated in the same year as a fellow student. To peer is defined as to look closely or intently at something that may difficult to see. Peer is to wake in the night and try to see in the darkness.

Which is the best definition of a life peer?

Definition of life peer : a British peer whose title is not hereditary : a British peer (sense 2) who has the title “Lord” or “Lady” for life but cannot pass it on to another person after death

How are life peers created under the Life Peerages Act?

Life baronies under the Life Peerages Act are created by the Sovereign but, in practice, none are granted except upon the proposition of the Prime Minister . Life peers created under the Life Peerages Act do not, unless they also hold ministerial positions, receive salaries.

How old do you have to be to be a peer in the UK?

A peer created under the Life Peerages Act has the right to sit in the House of Lords, provided that he or she is at least 21 years of age, is not suffering punishment upon conviction for treason, and is a citizen of the United Kingdom, or of a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and is resident in the UK for tax purposes.

How did the Lords of Appeal become life peers?

Finally, the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1887 allowed senior judges to sit in the House of Lords as life peers, known as Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. Those appointees who were not already members of the House of Lords were created life peers by the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 (for their titles, see the list of law life peerages ).