An Act of Parliament, also known as a statute, is a law made by the legislative body of a jurisdiction, such as a parliament or council. In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, an Act of Parliament begins as a bill, which is a proposed law that needs to be discussed in the parliament before it can become a law. Once a bill has been approved by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, it becomes an Act of Parliament. The process of passing a bill into law involves several stages, including first reading, second reading, committee stage, report stage, and third reading. Once both houses of parliament have passed the bill, it must receive Royal Assent, which is the final approval from the monarch or their representative, before it can become an Act of Parliament. An Act of Parliament creates a new law or changes an existing law, and it is enforced in all the jurisdictions of the country.