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Simple English definitions for legal terms
Act of Settlement
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A quick definition of Act of Settlement:
The Act of Settlement was a law passed by the British government in 1701. It decided who could become the king or queen of England after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. The law said that only a Protestant member of the House of Hanover could be the monarch. It also said that the monarch had to be a member of the Church of England. The law also changed how judges were chosen, so they would keep their jobs as long as they did a good job, instead of being chosen by the monarch.
A more thorough explanation:
The Act of Settlement is a law passed by the British Parliament in 1701. It was created to solve the problem of who would become the next king or queen of England after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
The Act of Settlement stated that only Protestant members of the House of Hanover could become king or queen. It also required that the monarch be a member of the Church of England. This law helped to ensure that the English monarchy would remain Protestant and that the Church of England would remain the official religion of the country.
In addition, the Act of Settlement established that judges would hold office during good behavior, rather than at the will of the monarch. This helped to ensure that the judiciary would be independent and impartial.
For example, if a Catholic member of the royal family were to become next in line for the throne, they would be skipped over in favor of a Protestant member of the House of Hanover. This law helped to prevent a Catholic monarch from taking the throne and potentially changing the official religion of England.