Parliament Building

Day 2: Coffee and hot chocolate from across the street and a heaping bowl of Special K helped us get adjusted to the new day, hopefully fooling us into accepting local time at 7am. We were picked up at 8:30 by our guide for our legal tour of London – first stop: Parliament.

Upon entering the iconic Houses of Parliament, we were met by David Stollery, who is the Senior Doorkeeper for the House of Lords. As a Doorkeeper, he helps keep the House running smoothly. This includes tracking attendance (which allows the Lords to get reimbursed for their expenses!), managing the flow of messages while the House is in session and general organization and security. Mr. Stollery spent almost two hours with us, walking us through the chambers of the House of Lords and House of Commons while explaining how the Parliament of British Government operates and the role of the two Houses. He also participates in many of the ceremonies, and entertained us with very rich descriptions of the traditions behind them.

In Parliament with David Stollery and our tour guide, Oola

Mr. Stollery also explained the process to observe the Houses in session – something we’re planning to return to do on Wednesday.

Entrance to the Supreme Court

In 2009, the United Kingdom created a Supreme Court, replacing the Appellate Committee from the House of Lords as a separate and independent court. We visited their new facilities in the Middlesex Guildhall, across the street from Parliament. Since they weren’t in session we were able to enter the court rooms (when they are in session you can observe the court from behind a glass wall).

Kevin in the Supreme Court Chambers