Ceremonial maces in the United Kingdom carried by the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod and placed behind the Lord Speaker on the Woolsack before the House sits. All members are required to bow their heads to the mace upon entering the chamber. It is absent when the monarch delivers his or her speech from the throne at State Openings of Parliament. The other mace accompanies the Lord Chancellor on official duties outside the House of Lords. Mace A was made in the reign of Charles II , is long and weighs . Mace B was made in the reign of William III and Mary II
Judicial functions of the House of Lords Appointments Commission established in 2006). Only individuals who had held high judicial office for a minimum of two years or barristers who had been practicing for fifteen years were to be appointed Lords of Appeal in Ordinary. By convention, at least two of the Lords of Appeal in Ordinary were Scottish and at least one from Northern Ireland. Lords of Appeal in Ordinary held the rank of Baron and seats in the House for life. Under the Judicial Pensions and Retirement Act 1993 they ceased to be Lords of Appeal in Ordinary at the age of seventy, but could be