Legislative assembly
Legislative assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its houses.
The name is used by a number of countries, including member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations and other countries. It is also used by their sub-national divisions, such as the Indian states and union territories, Australian states and Canadian provinces.
Legislative assemblies in the Commonwealth
Legislative assemblies in modern-day Commonwealth countries, either as national or sub-national parliaments, are in most cases an evolution of one of the legislative chambers of the previous colonial parliaments, whether the full legislature or a lower house. In a number of jurisdictions, the name House of Assembly is used instead. It is one of the main names used in everyday speech for parliament in many countries.
Here are some Examples of legislative assemblies in Commonwealth countries
In India, the lower house or only house of each constituent state legislature is called the State Legislative Assembly, or Vidhan Sabha. The same name is also used for the only house of the legislatures for three of the Union territories, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry. The upper house in the six states with a bicameral legislature is called the State Legislative Council, or Vidhan Parishad. Members of the former are called MLAs, and those of the latter MLCs.
The lower houses of the parliaments of the Australian states of New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia are called the legislative assemblies. In contrast, the state of Queensland has abolished the former upper house of its parliament, leaving the legislative assembly as the sole chamber. The sole house of parliament in the Australian Capital Territory is the legislative assembly.
In Canada, seven of the ten provinces and all three of the territories style their legislatures as legislative assembly. All are unicameral.
In Malaysia, the unicameral parliaments of the 13 individual states are known as Dewan Undangan Negeri ("state legislative assembly").
Former legislative assemblies
In Quebec, the legislative assembly was renamed the National Assembly, as part of the abolition of the legislative council on December 31, 1968.
In Mauritius, the unicameral Parliament was known as the legislative assembly until 1992, when, following the establishment of a republic, it was renamed the National Assembly.
Legislative assemblies outside the Commonwealth
Legislative Assembly is the name given to the national legislatures (or one of the houses of the national legislature) of the sovereign nations of Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Samoa, and Tonga as well as formerly of Thailand, South Sudan, Kyrzygstan and Revolutionary France. It is also the name of the legislative bodies of the U.S. state of Oregon and U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. The legislatures of the States of Brazil are called "legislative assembly", as are the legislatures of the two insular autonomous regions of Portugal, Azores and Madeira, respectively the Legislative Assembly of the Azores and the Legislative Assembly of Madeira.