Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to its federal counterpart, the Australian Senate. Although, it is possible for legislation to be first introduced in the Council, most bills receive their first hearing in the Legislative Assembly.
The Convicts' Protection Act, an act of the first legislative council, overriden by royal prerogative. The image depicts Sir Charles Hotham, bound with ropes 'manufactured in Downing Street', being threatened by Sir William Denison with a pistol marked 'Royal Prerogative'.
Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single group. As of 2022, roughly 40% of the world's national legislatures are bicameral, while unicameralism represents 60% nationally and much more at the subnational level.
The Palace of Westminster, seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
The United States Capitol, seat of the United States Congress
The New Sansad Bhavan, seat of the Parliament of India
The National Congress of Brazil, seat of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate