Rules of Debate / Miscellaneous

Point of order; following the adjournment of the House

Debates p. 21640

Background

On December 15, following Question Period, Mr. Nielsen (Yukon) rose on a point of order and claimed that the adjournment of the House on December 14 should not have taken place immediately because he had tried to obtain the floor and rise on a point of order, just prior to the adjournment of the House. The Speaker took the matter under consideration and ruled the next day.

Issue

Can a Member take the floor to raise a point of order after the House has been adjourned?

Decision

No. He cannot do so, unless the House gives him the permission with unanimous consent, which it refused to do.

Reasons given by the Speaker

A point of order must be raised as soon as possible when the House sits. However, the House had been adjourned until the next day, before the Speaker knew that the Member was trying to raise a point of order. After the House was adjourned, the Chair asked the House to allow the Member to take the floor, but permission was refused. Consequently, there was nothing more that the Chair could do and therefore, the point of order had to be heard the next day.

Sources cited

Standing Order 54.

Debates, March 24, 1981, p. 8568.

References

Debates, December 14, 1982, pp. 21587-8; December 15, 1982, pp. 21615-7.