PART XVIII - ORDER IN THE ASSEMBLY AND IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE

Maintenance of order

108. Order shall be maintained in the Assembly by the Speaker and in a Committee of the whole Assembly by the Chairperson of such Committee but disorder in Committee may be censured only by the Assembly on receiving a report thereof.

Security checks

109. A Member shall be subjected to a security check or screening before entering the Chamber.

Firearms and other offensive weapons

110. No Member shall bring a firearm or any offensive weapon into the Chamber and any such weapon must be deposited with the Serjeant-at-Arms for safe custody before entering the Chamber, and collected at the time of leaving the Chamber.

Lady Members’ handbags

111. A lady Member may be allowed into the Chamber with a handbag of reasonable size.

When the Speaker rises Members to be silent

112. Whenever the Speaker or the Chairperson of Committees rises, any Member then

speaking, or offering to speak, shall resume his or her seat and the Assembly or the Committee shall be silent, so that the Speaker or the Chairperson of Committees may be heard without interruption.

Members and the Chair

113. 1) Every Member shall bow to the Chair in passing to or from his or her seat or across

the Floor of the Assembly, but a Member may show respect in any other manner consistent with the Member’s faith and with the dignity of the Assembly.

(2) No Member shall pass between the Chair and any Member who is speaking or between the Chair and the Table except in so far as it is necessary for the purpose of the Administration of Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance.

Members to be seated

114. Except when passing to and from his or her seat or when speaking, every Member when in the Chamber shall be seated, and shall not at any time stand in any of the passages and gangways.

Members to remain in their places until the Speaker has left the Chamber

115. When the Assembly adjourns, Members shall stand in their places until the Speaker has left the Chamber.

Irrelevance or repetition

116. The Speaker or the Chairperson of Committees, after having called attention to the

conduct of a Member who persists in irrelevance or tedious repetition either of the Member’s own arguments or the arguments used by other Members in debate, may, after having first warned him or her direct that the Member discontinue his or her speech.

Grossly disorderly conduct

117. (1) Conduct is grossly disorderly if the Member concerned-

(a) creates actual disorder;

(b) knowingly raises a false point of order;

(c) uses or threatens violence against a Member or other person;

(d) persists in making serious allegations without, in the Speaker’s opinion, adequate substantiation;

(e) otherwise abuses his or her privileges;

(f) deliberately gives false information to the Assembly;

(g) votes more than once in breach of these Standing Orders;

(h) commits any serious breach of these Standing Orders;

(i) acts in any other way to the serious detriment of the dignity or orderly procedure of the Assembly; or

(j) fails to disclose a proprietary or pecuniary interest in a matter.

(2) The Speaker or the Chairperson of Committees shall order any Member whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the precincts of the Assembly-

(a) on the first occasion, for the remainder of that day’s sitting;

(b) on the second or subsequent occasion during the same session, for not less than three sitting days including the day of suspension,

(3) If on any occasion the Speaker or the Chairperson deems that his or her powers under this Standing Order are inadequate, the Speaker or the Chairperson may name such Member or Members, in which event the procedure specified in Standing Order 118 (Member may be suspended after being named) shall be followed.

Member may be suspended after being named

118. (1) Any Member may at any time, on a point of order, invite the Speaker or the

Chairperson of Committees to name another Member for grossly disorderly conduct, but the decision whether or not to do so shall remain with the Speaker or Chairperson.

(2) Whenever a Member shall have been named by the Speaker or by the Chairperson, then –

(a) if the breach has been committed by such Member in the Assembly, a Motion shall be made by any other Member present “That, such Member (naming the Member) be suspended from the service of the Assembly”, and the Speaker shall forthwith put the Question thereon, no amendment, adjournment, or debate being allowed;

(b) if the breach has been committed in a Committee of the whole Assembly, the Chairperson shall forthwith leave the Chair and report the circumstances to the Assembly; and the Speaker shall on a Motion as aforesaid being made, forthwith put the Question, no amendment, adjournment or debate being allowed, as if the offence had been committed in the Assembly itself.

Member suspended to withdraw from precincts of Assembly

119. (1) Whenever a Member has been named in accordance with Standing Order 118

(Member may be suspended after being named), the Speaker shall order the Member to withdraw from the Chamber and the precincts of the Assembly.

(2) Any Member who is ordered to withdraw under Standing Order 117 (Grossly

disorderly conduct) or who is suspended from the service of the Assembly under Standing Order 118 (Member may be suspended after being named) shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts of Assembly and shall during the period of such withdrawal or suspension (except during a recess) forfeit the right of access thereto and shall forfeit all allowances payable during the period of such suspension.

(3) Any Member who demonstrates or makes disruptive utterances against the suspension of a named Member shall be deemed to be disorderly in accordance with Standing Order 117 (Grossly disorderly conduct).

Duration of suspension of a Member

120.(1) If any Member is suspended under Standing Order 118 (Member may be suspended

after being named) the suspension on the first occasion shall be for not less than four sitting days including the day of suspension; on the second occasion during the same Session for not less than eight sitting days, including the day of suspension; and on the third or any subsequent occasion during the same Session for twenty-eight sitting days, including the day of suspension.

(2) A Member who is ordered to withdraw under Standing Order 117 (Grossly disorderly conduct) or who is suspended from the service of the Assembly under Standing Order 117(Member may be suspended after being named) shall forfeit all allowances payable during the period of such suspension.

Action to be taken on refusal to withdraw

121. If any Member shall refuse to withdraw when required to do so, by or under these Standing Orders, the Speaker or the Chairperson of Committees as the case may be, having called the attention of the Assembly or Committee to the fact that recourse to force is necessary in order to compel such Member to withdraw, shall order such Member to be removed and such Member shall thereupon without Question put be suspended from the service of the Assembly for a maximum of ninety days and shall during such suspension, forfeit the right of access to the precincts of Assembly and the Serjeant-at-arms shall take necessary action to enforce the order.

Grave disorder in the Assembly

122. (1) In the event of grave disorder arising in the Assembly, the Speaker may, adjourn

the Assembly forthwith or suspend any sitting for a period to be determined by him or her.

(2) In the event of grave disorder arising in the Committee of the whole Assembly, the Speaker shall resume the Chair forthwith.