The Meeting of Parliament Act 1797 (37 Geo. 3. c. 127) is an act of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1797.

Section 1 of the act originally established that Parliament could be summoned fourteen days after the issuing of a proclamation recalling it to meet, notwithstanding any prorogation or law that would have stopped Parliament meeting earlier than this.^[1] This was amended by the Parliament (Elections and Meeting) Act 1943 (6 & 7 Geo. 6. c. 48) and now refers to any day after the date of the proclamation. The rest of the act has been repealed.

Section 3 of the act enacted that in case of the demise of the monarch after one parliament had been dissolved, but before the day indicated by the writ of summons for electing a new parliament, then the previous parliament (i.e. that which had been dissolved) was to be recalled immediately to Westminster. It would there sit as a parliament for the next six months, to all intents and purposes as though it had not been previously dissolved; it could, however, be dissolved or prorogued at any point during this time by the new monarch. A new writ would be issued, and the election would take place. This replaced the less detailed section 6 of the Succession to the Crown Act 1707 (6 Ann. c. 41).^[1]

Section 5 of the act provided that if the monarch died after the date of the election, then the newly elected parliament would meet as normal.^[1]

• Parliament Act 1911
• Prorogation Act 1867
• Representation of the People Act 1918
• Succession to the Crown Act 1707

• Costin, W. C. and Watson, Steven J. (ed.). The Law & Working of the Constitution: Documents 1660-1914. A & C Black, 1952. Vol. II (1784-1914), p. 16.

• Text of the Meeting of Parliament Act 1797 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.