The
House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, historically also had a
judicial function. It functioned as a court of first instance for the trials of peers, for
impeachment cases, and as a
court of last resort within the
United Kingdom. In the latter case the House's jurisdiction was essentially limited to the hearing of appeals from the lower courts. Appeals were technically not to the House of Lords, but rather to the
Queen-in-Parliament. By
constitutional convention, only those lords who were legally qualified (
Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, or
Law Lords) heard the appeals, since
World War II usually in what was known as the
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords rather than in the chamber of the House.