Woolsack in 1346. From the Middle Ages until 2006, the presiding officer in the House of Lords was the Lord Chancellor and the Woolsack was usually mentioned in association with the office of Lord Chancellor. In July 2006, the function of Lord Speaker was split from that of Lord Chancellor pursuant to the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Woolsack is a large, wool-stuffed cushion or seat covered with red cloth; it has neither a back nor arms, though in the centre of the Woolsack there is a back-rest. The Lords' Mace is placed on the rear part of the Woolsack. In
Members of the House of Lords and the Bishop of Sodor and Man). Under the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015, female bishops take precedence over men until May 2025 to become new Lords Spiritual for the 21 seats allocated by seniority. Lords Temporal include life peers, excepted hereditary peers elected under the House of Lords Act 1999, and remaining law life peers. There are also peers who remain members of the House, but are currently ineligible to sit and vote. Under section 23 of the Standing Orders of the House of Lords, peers may obtain a leave of absence for the remainder of a parliament. The