Parliamentary Privilege Australia Canada United Kingdom

The publication of Parliamentary Privilege in Australia in 1966 established Enid Campbell as the country's leading scholar in the area. Now Professor Campbell has written a successor which, while drawing on parts of the earlier work, focusses on issues and problems which have arisen in recent years, particularly since the enactment of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987. Topics specifically examined in the book include - the scope of the central privilege of freedom of speech and debate in parliament; measures adopted by houses of parliaments to regulate exercise of that freedom; restrictions on the uses which may be made of evidence of what has been said and done in the course of parliamentary proceedings; immunities accorded to MPs in respect of various legal processes, such as ones which require them to appear before a court to give evidence; the powers of houses of parliaments to make inquiries and to delegate investigatory powers to committee of their members; the power of houses of parliaments to impose penalties of a criminal character and to discipline their members. This book, like its predecessor, will be the standard reference on the laws concerning the powers, privileges and immunities of Australian parliaments, their members and committees for the next generation.

"Examines the history of parliamentary privilege and contempt of parliament ... The focus of the book relates to common law jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Ireland, India, and other Commonwealth countries"--Page 4 of cover.

Joseph Maingot describes the parameters of the principal immunity enjoyed by Members of Parliament, that of freedom of speech, which is restricted to the context of a parliamentary proceeding and not beyond. He points out protections afforded members other than parliamentary privilege and the view of both the courts and the legislatures concerning parliamentary debates and proceedings as evidence in court. He also sets out in detail what the House of Commons considers to be and not to be a matter of privilege, as well as the corporate powers of the Houses of Parliament.

Is it necessary and just that parliamentarians are immune from legal action? If so, to what extent is such immunity justified and which purpose does it serve? These questions touch the very core of constitutional law. This book contains a comprehensive study of parliamentary immunity in the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands.

Undersøgelse af parlamentsmandatet baseret på svar på IPU-spørgeskema fra 134 parlamenter. Svarene er sammenlignet systematisk med de respektive forfatninger, lovgivning og parlamentsforretningsordener.

This reference book is primarily a procedural work which examines the many forms, customs, and practices which have been developed and established for the House of Commons since Confederation in 1867. It provides a distinctive Canadian perspective in describing procedure in the House up to the end of the first session of the 36th Parliament in Sept. 1999. The material is presented with full commentary on the historical circumstances which have shaped the current approach to parliamentary business. Key Speaker's rulings and statements are also documented and the considerable body of practice, interpretation, and precedents unique to the Canadian House of Commons is amply illustrated. Chapters of the book cover the following: parliamentary institutions; parliaments and ministries; privileges and immunities; the House and its Members; parliamentary procedure; the physical & administrative setting; the Speaker & other presiding officers; the parliamentary cycle; sittings of the House; the daily program; oral & written questions; the process of debate; rules of order & decorum; the curtailment of debate; special debates; the legislative process; delegated legislation; financial procedures; committees of the whole House; committees; private Members' business; public petitions; private bills practice; and the parliamentary record. Includes index.

This first edition of New South Wales Legislative Council Practice brings together the history, practice and procedure of the New South Wales Legislative Council - the Upper House of the New South Wales Parliament, and the first and oldest legislative body in Australia.Since the advent of responsible government in New South Wales in 1856, the New South Wales Legislative Council has been the focus of continuous struggle regarding its composition, powers, role and very existence. However, from its tumultuous history, the Council has in recent years emerged as a democratically elected, powerful and effective upper house, in many ways mirroring the development of the Australian Senate. Today the Council performs key functions within the New South Wales system of government including representing the people and scrutinising the executive government as a 'House of Review'.The rich history of the New South Wales Legislative Council has brought with it a wealth of parliamentary precedent with which to guide modern practice and procedures in the House. While practitioners of parliamentary law and practice in New South Wales have long had access to authorities such as Erskine May's Parliamentary Practice and Odgers' Australian Senate Practice, the publication of New South Wales Legislative Council Practice will provide an essential reference book to understanding parliamentary privilege, practice and procedure in the New South Wales Upper House.