The Privilege of Peerage is the body of special privileges belonging to
members of the British Peerage. It is distinct from Parliamentary
privilege, which applies to those peers serving in the House of Lords,
and members of the House of Commons, during and forty days before and
after a Parliamentary session. The privileges have been lost and eroded
over time. Only three survived into the 20th century: the right to be
tried by other peers of the realm instead of juries of commoners,
freedom from arrest in civil (but not criminal) cases, and access to
the Sovereign to advise him or her on matters of state. The right to be
tried by other peers was abolished in 1948. Legal opinion considers the
right of freedom from arrest as obsolete. The remaining privilege was
recommended for formal abolition in 1999, and may be retained,
arguably, by peers whether members of the House of Lords or not. Peers
have other rights that do not formally comprise the Privilege of
Peerage. For example, they are entitled to use coronets and supporters
on their achievements of arms.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privilege_of_Peerage>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1409:
In an attempt to end the Western Schism, during which Gregory XII in
Rome and Benedict XIII in Avignon simultaneously claimed to be the true
pope, the Council of Pisa instead ended up electing a third one,
Alexander V.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Schism>
1541:
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro was assassinated in Lima by
supporters of his rival Diego de Almagro's son.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Pizarro>
1918:
World War I: The 26-day Battle of Belleau Wood near the Marne River in
France ended with American forces finally clearing that forest of
German troops.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Belleau_Wood>
1945:
At a conference in San Francisco, delegates from 50 nations signed a
charter establishing the United Nations.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_member_states%23Original_members>
2003:
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered its decision in District of Columbia
v. Heller, ruling that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms for private use in
Washington, D.C., and other federal enclaves.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_of_Columbia_v._Heller>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
reprobate (adj):
1. Rejected by God; damned, sinful.
2. Immoral, having no religious or principled character
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/reprobate>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Heal the world, make it a better place,
For you and for me and the entire human race,
There are people
dying, but if you care enough for the living,
Make a better place for you and for me.
--Michael Jackson
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Michael_Jackson>