▁in ▁the ▁trial . ▁The ▁accused ▁may ▁defend ▁by ▁coun sel . ▁ ▁The ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁he ars ▁the ▁case . ▁The ▁procedure ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁that ▁the ▁Lord ▁Chan cell or ▁pres ided ▁( or ▁the ▁Lord ▁High ▁Ste ward ▁if ▁the ▁def endant ▁was ▁a ▁peer ); ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁when ▁the ▁Lord ▁Chan cell or ▁was ▁both ▁the ▁L ords ' ▁pres iding ▁officer ▁and ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁jud ici ary ▁of ▁England ▁and ▁Wales . ▁Since ▁both ▁these ▁roles ▁were ▁removed ▁from ▁that ▁office ▁by ▁the ▁Constitution al ▁Reform ▁Act ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁which ▁created ▁the ▁Lord ▁Spe aker ▁to ▁pres ide ▁over ▁the ▁L ords ▁and ▁made ▁the ▁Lord ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁jud ici ary , ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁certain ▁who ▁would ▁pres ide ▁over ▁an ▁im pe achment ▁trial ▁today . ▁If ▁parliament ▁is ▁not ▁in ▁session , ▁then ▁the ▁trial ▁is ▁conducted ▁by ▁a ▁" C ourt ▁of ▁the ▁Lord ▁High ▁Ste ward " ▁instead ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁( even ▁if ▁the ▁def endant ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁peer ). ▁The ▁differences ▁between ▁this ▁court ▁and ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁are ▁that ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁pe ers ▁are ▁jud ges ▁of ▁both ▁law ▁and ▁fact , ▁whereas ▁in ▁the ▁Court ▁the ▁Lord ▁High ▁Ste ward ▁is ▁the ▁sole ▁judge ▁of ▁law ▁and ▁the ▁pe ers ▁decide ▁the ▁facts ▁only ; ▁and ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁are ▁not ▁entitled ▁to ▁sit ▁and ▁vote ▁in