Terminology

Several recurring terms and phrases associated with the parliamentary cycle require explanation for the purpose of clarity.

Parliament

A Parliament is a period of time during which the institution of Parliament (comprising the Sovereign, the Senate and the House of Commons) exercises its powers. The process of starting a Parliament begins with the proclamation of the Governor General calling for the formation of a new Parliament and setting the date for a general election. A Parliament ends with its dissolution. A Parliament has a constitutionally determined maximum lifespan of five years.7

Session

A session is one of the fundamental time periods into which a Parliament is divided, and usually consists of a number of separate sittings. A session begins with a Speech from the Throne when Parliament is summoned by proclamation of the Governor General; it ends with the prorogation or dissolution of Parliament.8 There is no set length for a session, and the number of sessions in a Parliament can vary widely. In the past, Parliaments have had anywhere from one to seven sessions.9

Sitting

A sitting is a meeting of the House of Commons within a session. The Standing Orders provide times and days for the sittings of the House.10 A sitting is not necessarily synonymous with a calendar day. Some sittings are very brief; some have extended over more than one calendar day.11 In some cases, there have been two sittings in one calendar day.12

Adjournment

An adjournment is the termination of a sitting of the House (pursuant to Standing or Special Order, or by motion). An adjournment covers the period between the end of one sitting and the beginning of the next. It can be of varying duration—a few hours, overnight, over a weekend, a week or longer.13 While prorogation and dissolution are prerogative acts of the Crown, the power to adjourn rests solely with the House.

House of Commons Calendar

The House calendar is set out in the Standing Orders.14 Once a session begins, the calendar alternates sitting periods with adjournments at set points throughout the year.

Prorogation

Prorogation is the formal ending of a session of Parliament, either by a special ceremony held in the Senate Chamber15 or by a Governor General’s proclamation to that effect. Prorogation also refers to the period of time a Parliament stands prorogued.

Recess

The time between the ending of one session and the opening of the next is called a recess. In practice, the term “recess” is also used in reference to a lengthy adjournment.

Dissolution

Dissolution is the formal ending of a Parliament by proclamation of the Governor General. A general election must follow dissolution.