An ornamental club representing the authority of Parliament and the Speaker.¹² Upon the election of the Speaker, the mace is brought to lie on the Table of the House and rests on the upper brackets. It remains on the upper brackets whenever the Speaker is in the Chair of the House and is removed to the lower brackets beneath the Table when the House sits in Committee. During the Speaker’s procession, it is carried by the Serjeant-at-Arms on his right shoulder as he leads the way when the Speaker enters and leaves the Chamber. Except on occasions when the President addresses Parliament, the House cannot be constituted and no proceedings can take place without the mace.¹³

(See Estimates of Expenditure)

All questions proposed for decisions in Parliament shall be carried by a simple majority, that is, more than half of the Members present during voting, unless otherwise required by law. Art 57 of the CRS.

The Member responsible for a matter, for example, a motion or a Bill, before the House. He moves the motion and makes the opening speech to begin debate and the reply to round it up. In the case of a Government Bill, he would normally be the Minister holding the relevant portfolio.

An elected Member of Parliament represents a constituency and gains his seat in the House by winning at a general election or by-election in that constituency. The Constitution also provides for Non-Constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament. Back bench Members are allowed to continue with their own careers or run their own businesses while serving their term. (See also Nominated Member of Parliament, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament and Tenure of Office)

A formal written communication from the President, delivered to the Speaker and addressed to Parliament. The message is usually read out to the House by the Speaker. The President’s message may also be presented by a Minister. Art 62 of the CRS and S.O. 16.

Ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister, usually from among the Members of Parliament belonging to the political party commanding the majority of seats in the House. Together with the Prime Minister, they form the Cabinet. Each Minister will usually head a ministry and he will be accountable to Parliament for the policies and programmes of that ministry. A Minister may be appointed for some special work outside the work of the ministries and he is sometimes described as the Minister without Portfolio. (See also Cabinet, Front Bench, Minister of State and Parliamentary Secretary) Arts 25 and 30 of the CRS.

An appointment made by the President which ranks below a Minister and above a Parliamentary Secretary. The Minister of State is generally appointed to assist the Minister in his work. (See also Minister and Parliamentary Secretary)

Ministers are responsible to Parliament for their ministries’ policies, programmes and work. In addition, Ministers are collectively responsible for all Government statements of public policy. Art 24 of the CRS.

A statement made in Parliament by a Minister regarding the Government’s policy and decision. Notice is not required for such statements. (See also Notice) S.Os. 10 and 23.

A Government department that deals with all functions under a particular portfolio assigned to a Minister. Its administrative head is the Permanent Secretary, who is responsible to the Minister.

The time stipulated in the Standing Orders at which the day’s sitting ends.¹⁴ At that moment, whatever business is in progress, unless exempted, is interrupted and deferred to the next sitting day or to a date named by the Member in charge of that business. All items remaining on the Order Paper are similarly postponed. When the House is in Committee at the moment of interruption, the Chairman leaves the Chair and the Member in charge of the interrupted business reports to Parliament that “the Committee has made progress on the matter and asks leave to sit again”. (See also Exempted Business and Extension of a Sitting) S.O.2.

A Bill which contains only provisions dealing with matters such as the imposition or regulation of taxation, the imposition or variation of charges on the Consolidated Fund or any public fund, grant of money to the Government, appropriation and investment of public money, and the raising or guarantee of any loan. Money Bills are not sent to the Presidential Council for Minority Rights for its consideration. (See also Passage of a Bill) Arts 68 and 78 of the CRS.

A proposal for the House to do something, to order something to be done or to express an opinion on a matter. All questions which come before Parliament or Committee for decision originate from a motion. Before a motion can be introduced in Parliament, at least two clear days’ notice is required for motions standing in the name of a Minister and seven clear days for motions in the name of a private Member. Support for a private Member’s motion must be signified by at least one other Member. A motion is moved by the Member in charge, who makes the opening speech to explain the rationale and objectives behind his proposal. Debate on the motion is open to the floor after the Speaker proposes the terms of the motion in the form of a question. At the end of debate, after the reply by the Member in charge, the question is put before the House for its decision. The motion may be agreed to as it stands or with amendments (which themselves require a separate motion to be made) or defeated. (See also Debate, Right of Reply, Subsidiary Motion and Substantive Motion) S.Os. 33 - 45.

(See Vote of Confidence and Vote of No Confidence)