1. Home
  2. Resources
  3. Procedure
  4. Legislative Council
  5. Standing Orders
Contact Print this page Reduce font size Increase font size

Chapter 34 - Standing Order No 203 - Reference to committee


Standing Order No. 203



Reference to committee

(1) Where a submission is referred to the Privileges Committee, the committee may decide not to consider a submission referred to it if, in the opinion of the committee, the subject matter of the submission is not sufficiently serious or is frivolous, vexatious or offensive in character. The committee must report its decision to the House.
      (2) Where the committee decides to consider a submission, the committee may confer with, but not take evidence from any person, including:
        (a) the person who made the submission, and
        (b) any member who referred to the person in the House.

      (3) In considering any submission, the committee:
        (a) must meet in private,
        (b) must not consider or judge the truth of any statements made in the House or in the submission,
        (c) must not make public:
            (i) any minutes of proceedings,
            (ii) any evidence, or
            (iii) any submissions, either in whole or in part, except in its report to the House.
      (4) In reporting to the House on a submission, the committee may recommend:
        (a) that no further action be taken by the House or by the committee in relation to the submission, or
        (b) that a response by the person who made the submission, in a form of words agreed to by the person and the committee and specified in the report of the committee, be published in the Minutes of the Proceedings or incorporated in Hansard, and must not make any other recommendation.

      (5) Any response by a person who made a submission and which is included in a report to the House:
        (a) must be succinct and strictly relevant to the questions in issue,
        (b) must not contain anything offensive in character,
        (c) must not contain any matter where publication would have the effect of:
            (i) unreasonably adversely affecting or injuring a person, or unreasonably invading a person’s privacy, in the manner referred to in paragraph 1, or
            (ii) unreasonably adding to or aggravating any adverse effect, injury or invasion of privacy suffered by a person.
      (6) In this order, person includes an unincorporated association, a corporation and a body corporate.

      (7) A notice of motion to adopt a report from the Privileges Committee on a citizen’s right of reply:

        (a) is to be placed on the Notice Paper as business of the House for six sitting days following the giving of the notice of motion,
(b) if not dealt with within the six sitting days, the motion will be placed on the Notice Paper as general business.


« Index of Standing Orders



Last modified 04/09/2007 10:47:40   :   Update this page