The House of Lords is the upper House of Parliament in Britain. Members of the House of Commons are elected by the public, but members of the House of Lords are mainly chosen by the British Monarch. In general, any decision made by one house of parliament must be approved by the other. The House of Lords acts as the supreme court of appeal, and a group of judges known as Law Lords does this work.

The Irish equivalent to the House of Lords is Seanad Éireann (the Senate), although it differs from the House of Lords in some important ways. For example, because Ireland is not a monarchy, the members of Seanad Éireann are elected mainly by other politicians.