Legislative Council | |
|---|---|
| 55th Parliament | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1836 |
| Leadership | |
Leader of the Opposition | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 22 |
 | |
Political groups | Government (9)
Labor (9)
Opposition (8) Liberal (8)
Crossbench (5) Greens (2)
|
Length of term | 8 years |
| Elections | |
| Single transferable vote | |
First election | 21 February 1851 as unicameral 9 March 1857 as bicameral |
Last election | 19 March 2022 |
Next election | 21 March 2026 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Legislative Council Chamber Parliament House, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | |
| Website | |
| SA Legislative Council | |
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.
The upper house has 22 members elected for eight-year terms by proportional representation, with 11 members facing re-election every four years. It is elected in a similar manner to its federal counterpart, the Australian Senate. Casual vacancies—where a member resigns or dies—are filled by a joint sitting of both houses, who then elect a replacement.