Wizengamot

The Wizengamot is the premiere legislative and judicial body in Magical Britain. It is made of two houses, the House of Lords and the House of Peers. The House of Lords' membership is based both on hereditary aristocracy (Noble House) and 'Legacy Houses', which are given to Order of Merlin holders as well as the families of former Ministers for Magic, if they do not already have representation. The House of Peers however is an elected body that serves at the leisure of the House of Lords.

History
The first institution known as Wizengamot was formed alongside the Witan (or Witanagemot) in the 7th Century, and served as the magical council to the Anglo-Saxon kings. Similar bodies existed in other kingdoms as well as in Ireland. The Chief Warlock served as an important advisor to the king and was elected by the Wizengamot to serve in that capacity. After the Norman Conquest, the Norman Wizard's Council was also thrown into the mix, with the Chief Warlock now appointed by the monarch. The Wizard's Council served as an inquisition of sorts for magical Britain, uprooting Anglo-Saxon magical families that refused to submit to Norman rule. After the signing of the Magna Carta and the creation of the Muggle House of Lords, both the Wizengamot and Wizard's Council were combined and served at the leisure of the English monarch. The council was known only as the Wizengamot and contained Briton, Anglo-Saxon, Welsh, and Norman houses.

Later, the Tudor monarch would combine the Wizengamot with the Irish Comhairleoir Sióg, giving equal representation of Irish magical lords in the system in 1583.

The Wizengamot, serving as representative of the English, Welsh, and Irish peoples, joined the International Confederation of Wizards in 1649 to aid in creating and ratifying the later International Statute of Secrecy in 1692, which was considered a lenient measure compared to the existing climate, due to Cromwell's purge of the Wizengamot. During Cromwell's reign, he also imposed the creation of the House of Peers, which acted as a check against the reigning House of Lords.

Later still, once the Muggle monarchies of England and Scotland had combined in 1707, the Wizengamot absorbed the Scottish Comhairle nan Draoidhean. A year later, the Ministry of Magic was formed from the disparate duties of the Chief Warlock.

As membership waned due to lack of suitable heirs, several measures were taken in the late 18th and 19th centuries to preserve the House of Lords, including the ability of cadet houses to take over the representative duties of a parent house, for Houses to designate non-relative heirs, and in 1900 for the creation of Legacy Houses created for the families of former Ministers of Magic. Order of Merlin recipients also gain the equivalent of Muggle life peerages.

Today, the Chief Warlock remains the elected head of the Wizengamot, typically chosen from the majority party. The current Chief Warlock, serving since 1948, is Albus Dumbledore.

House of Lords
The older and more powerful body, the House of Lords serves as the primary legislative branch of the Wizengamot.

Structure
The majority of the House of Lords are hereditary aristocrats, known also as the Noble Houses. They represent the different traditional counties of Great Britain in the legislature, with a few coming from the remaining vassal houses that nevertheless have representation in the House. A smaller number are the recipients of the Order of Merlin, either First or Second Class. These representations only last for the span of the recipient's lifetime.

An even smaller number are the families of former Ministers for Magic, known as the Legacy Houses. If the Minister for Magic resigns, is elected out of office, or dies, they or their families gain a permanent seat in the House of Lords.

Due to a quirk in the legislative code, the Department Heads are given an advisory seat on the House of Lords, and the Headmaster of Hogwarts a full voting seat. No political will exists currently to change this.

If a house has multiple votes from these sources, they must delegate any secondary roles to members of their own family or to a chosen representative. If no member is available to serve but is still an active family, their vote is forfeited. If a family becomes extinct according to its own rules, it is the duty of the Chief Warlock to advise the Monarch. The family seat is 'returned to the floor' and a new Noble House can be created to represent the county.

Duties
The primary purpose of the House of Lords is to prepare, review, and vote on matters of public policy and expenditures, such as St. Mungo's or the Department of Mysteries, as well as to form a government.

The House of Lords is organized into political parties. As the HoL is hereditary, the parties shift rarely, but can during the lifetime of a representative or if a new representative inherits. If a party’s membership is more than 50% of the body’s votes, it can call for a vote to create a new government.

If successful, the Minister for Magic and thus the cabinet is chosen from their numbers. This also works if a group of parties agrees to cooperate in a coalition.

The Chief Warlock has the power to break a tie, veto a motion for the common interest, and sets up the day-to-day running of the meeting.

Privileges
Each Lord and their family has ancient privileges and duties that set them apart from the rabble. For one thing, they and all their property are exempt from taxation. A House Head can give any citizen of Magical or Muggle Britain sanctuary.

House of Peers
The House of Peers is a body elected by British wizarding citizens every 7 years or if the House of Lords dissolves the body and is led nominally by the Minister for Magic, but usually by a representative of their choice. The body is made of representatives of different traditional counties in Great Britain and Ireland proportionate to the number of wizards in different constituencies. For example, there's a single MP for Godric's Hollow, but ten MPs for different districts of London.

Duties
The primary legislative duty of the House of Peers is to allocate resources to enact House of Lords policy, as well as to advise the HoL on magical law. The House of Peers serves as the criminal and civil court of Magical Britain, with a rotating list of MPs serving as judges. Typically three judges hear the case. There is no jury of peers in the magical court system. In cases of high crimes and treason, the House of Lords can coopt the judicial duties of the House of Peers, and do so particularly for their own members.

Political Parties
See Wizengamot Parties