House of Assembly facts for kids

A House of Assembly is a special name for a group of people who make laws. This group is often called a legislature. In some countries, it's the main law-making body. In others, it's the "lower house" of a bicameral parliament, which means the parliament has two main groups or houses. Sometimes, a House of Assembly makes laws for a smaller part of a country, like a state or province.

Long ago, in British colonies, a House of Assembly was created as the colony started to govern itself more. It took over from an older group, often called a Legislative Council, which usually wasn't chosen by the people. The House of Assembly then became the main law-making group for the colony.

What is a House of Assembly?

A House of Assembly is where elected representatives meet to discuss and create laws. These representatives are chosen by the people they represent. Their job is to make sure the laws help the country or region run smoothly and fairly.

How Does it Work?

In countries with a "bicameral" parliament, there are two main groups that make laws. The House of Assembly is usually the "lower house." This means it's often the group where new laws are first suggested and debated. The other group, or "upper house," then reviews these laws. If a country has a "unicameral" parliament, the House of Assembly is the only law-making group.

Why is it Important?

The House of Assembly plays a big role in how a country or region is governed. It gives citizens a voice through their elected representatives. These representatives work to solve problems, manage money, and create rules that affect everyone's daily lives.

Where are Houses of Assembly Found?

Many countries and regions around the world use the name "House of Assembly" for their law-making bodies. These can be national groups that make laws for the whole country, or sub-national groups that make laws for a specific state, province, or territory.

National Houses of Assembly

These are law-making bodies that serve an entire country. Here are some examples:

Country	Body	Type	Established	Notes
Anguilla	House of Assembly	Unicameral
Bahamas	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1729
Barbados	House of Assembly	Lower House	1639
Bermuda	House of Assembly	Lower House	1620	Bicameral since 1968
British Virgin Islands	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1773
Dominica	House of Assembly	Unicameral
Kiribati	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1979
Saint Lucia	House of Assembly	Lower House
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	House of Assembly	Unicameral
Swaziland	House of Assembly	Lower House
Turks and Caicos	House of Assembly	Unicameral	2006
Zimbabwe	House of Assembly	Lower House	1965

Sub-national Houses of Assembly

These Houses of Assembly make laws for a specific part of a country, like a state or province.

Country	Region	Body	Type	Established	Notes
Australia	South Australia	House of Assembly	Lower House	1857
Australia	Tasmania	House of Assembly	Lower House	1857
Canada	Nova Scotia	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1758	Lower House until 1928
Canada	Newfoundland and Labrador	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1832	Lower House until 1934
Nigeria	Kano State	House of Assembly	Unicameral
Nigeria	Lagos State	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1979
Nigeria	Oyo State	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1976
Nigeria	Ondo State	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1976
Nigeria	Rivers State	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1979
Trinidad and Tobago	Tobago	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1980

Houses of Assembly That No Longer Exist

Over time, some Houses of Assembly have changed their names or stopped existing as countries evolved.

Past National Houses of Assembly

Here are some examples of national Houses of Assembly that are no longer active:

Country	Body	Type	Established	Disestablished	Notes
Cape Colony	House of Assembly	Lower House	1853	1910
Gibraltar	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1969	2006
Jamaica	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1664	1865
Papua New Guinea	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1964	1975
South Africa	House of Assembly	Lower House	1910	1994	Lower House until 1981, unicameral 1981–84, White house in the Tricameral Parliament 1984–94

Past Sub-national Houses of Assembly

This is an example of a sub-national House of Assembly that no longer exists:

Country	Region	Body	Type	Established	Disestablished	Notes
Australia	Australian Capital Territory	House of Assembly	Unicameral	1979	1986