House of Commons procedure : its reform / prepared by: James R. Robertson.: YM32-1/82-15-2002E-PDF

"Parliamentary procedure is the set of rules governing the activities of a legislative assembly. These rules can be in the form of provisions in the Constitution or Acts of Parliament. For example, section 48 of the Constitution Act, 1867, sets the quorum in the House of Commons at 20 Members, while sections 42 to 44 of the Parliament of Canada Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. P-1, as amended, outline the procedure to be followed when the Speaker of the House is absent. Most of the rules, however, are set out in the Standing Orders of the House of Commons, with any omissions or shortcomings supplemented by reference to past procedure or practices in the House of Commons and to Speakers’ rulings. Guidance can also be obtained from procedural texts, such as House of Commons Procedure and Practice by Robert Marleau and Camille Montpetit. Far from being a series of unchanging rules, procedure (particularly as set out in the Standing Orders) is constantly evolving in an attempt to adapt the capacities of Parliament to a changing environment. This paper identifies recent trends and developments in parliamentary procedure, and assesses their impact on the evolving role of Parliament"--Issue definition, page [2].

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