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Rules of the Senate

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Last Updated: September 2024

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Rule
Description
1-1. (1)
Primacy of Rules
1-1. (2)
Unprovided cases
1-1. (3)
Accessibility
1-2.
Privileges unaffected
1-3. (1)
Suspension of a rule
1-3. (2)
Explanation of suspension
Rule
Description
The Speaker
2-1. (1)
Speaker’s duties
2-1. (2)
Ethics and Conflict of Interest Code for Senators
2-2.
Speech from the Throne reported
2-3.
Participation of Speaker in debate
2-4. (1)
Election of the Speaker pro tempore
2-4. (2)
Process of election
2-4. (3)
Term of office of Speaker pro tempore
2-4. (4)
Subsequent sessions
2-4. (5)
When Speaker leaves the chair
2-4. (6)
Absence of Speaker
2-4. (7)
Acts valid
Speaker’s Rulings
2-5. (1)
Arguments
2-5. (2)
Explanation of rulings
2-5. (3)
Appeals of rulings
Order and Decorum
2-6. (1)
Interruption of proceedings
2-6. (2)
Suspension of sitting
2-7. (1)
When Speaker in the chair
2-7. (2)
When Speaker rises
2-7. (3)
When Speaker addresses the Senate
2-7. (4)
Senator called to order
2-7. (5)
When Speaker leaves the chamber
2-7. (6)
Speaker may leave the chair
2-8.
Disruption during sitting
2-9. (1)
Disputes between Senators
2-9. (2)
Redress of grievance
Distinguished Visitors, Invited Persons and Strangers
2-10.
Former Senators and current members of House of Commons
2-11.
Distinguished visitors
2-12. (1)
Participation of ministers in chamber
2-12. (2)
Rules and practices apply
2-13. (1)
Strangers ordered to withdraw
2-13. (2)
Prior motion not required
2-13. (3)
Clearing of galleries
Rule
Description
Sittings
3-1. (1)
Ordinary time of meeting
3-1. (2)
Adjournment Friday to Monday
3-2. (1)
Speaker enters chamber
3-2. (2)
Bells ring before meeting
3-2. (3)
Lack of quorum at time of meeting
Interrupted Business
3-3. (1)
Evening suspension at 7 p.m.
3-3. (2)
Voting at 7 p.m.
3-4.
Ordinary time of adjournment
3-5. (1)
Item under debate at adjournment
3-5. (2)
Orders of the Day not disposed of at adjournment
Adjournment Periods
3-6. (1)
Recall of Senate during adjournment
3-6. (2)
Adjournment extended
3-6. (3)
Notification of recall or extension
3-6. (4)
Non-receipt of notification
3-6. (5)
Recall or extension if Speaker absent
Quorum
3-7. (1)
Quorum of 15
3-7. (2)
Bells for quorum call
3-7. (3)
Lack of quorum during sitting
3-7. (4)
Business adjourned if lack of quorum
Rule
Description
Prayers
4-1.
Prayers
Senators' Statements and Tributes
4-2. (1)
Senators’ Statements
4-2. (2)
18 minutes for Senators’ Statements
4-2. (3)
Senators’ Statements limited to three minutes each
4-2. (4)
Priority to oral notice of question of privilege
4-2. (5)(a)
Subject matter of Senators’ Statements
4-2. (5)(b)
Limitations on Senators’ Statements
4-2. (6)
No debate on Senators’ Statements
4-2. (7)
No motions during Senators’ Statements
4-2. (8)(a)
Extending time for Senators’ Statements
4-2. (8)(b)
Evening suspension delayed when Senators’ Statements extended
4-3. (1)
Tributes
4-3. (2)
Tributes limited to three minutes each
4-3. (3)
No leave to extend tributes
4-3. (4)
Acknowledgements of tributes
4-3. (5)
Tributes in publications
4-3. (6)
No bar to other tributes
4-4. (1)
Emergency debate request instead of Senators’ Statements
4-4. (2)
When tributes or notice of a question of privilege
Routine Proceedings
4-5.
Routine Proceedings
4-6. (1)
Standing votes deferred during Routine Proceedings
4-6. (2)
Dilatory and procedural motions during Routine Proceedings
Question Period
4-7.
Start of Question Period and limit of 30 minutes
4-8. (1)
Oral questions
4-8. (2)
No debate during Question Period
4-8. (3)
Supplementary questions
Delayed Answers and Written Questions
4-9. (1)
Delayed answers to oral questions
4-9. (2)
Written questions
4-9. (3)
Publication of written questions
4-9. (4)
Withdrawal of a written question
4-9. (5)
Limit on number of written questions
4-9. (6)
Answer within 60 days
4-9. (7)
Tabling
4-9. (8)
Failure to respond or provide explanation
Points of Order and Questions of Privilege
4-10. (1)
Points of order relating to Routine Proceedings or Question Period
4-10. (2)
Questions of privilege relating to Routine Proceedings or Question Period
4-10. (3)
Points of order and questions of privilege not allowed during Routine Proceedings or Question Period
Orders of the Day and Notices
4-11.
Orders and notices called after Question Period
4-12. (1)
Priority of Government Business
4-12. (2)
Consideration of Government Business
4-12. (3)
Ordering of Government Business
4-13.
Consideration of Other Business
4-14. (1)
Item not disposed of
4-14. (2)
Items dropped after 15 sitting days without being considered
4-14. (3)
Limit on adjourning debate in own name after speech started
4-15. (1)
Orders of the Day to be called at 8 p.m. or noon
4-15. (2)
Possible interruption at 8 p.m. or noon
Rule
Description
Giving Notice
5-1.
Notice given orally and in writing
5-2.
Subject of inquiry – restriction
5-3.
Notice for absent Senator
5-4.
Objectionable notice
Notice Periods
5-5.
One day’s notice for certain motions
5-6. (1)
Two days’ notice for certain motions
5-6. (2)
Two days’ notice for inquiries
5-7.
No notice required
Motions and Inquiries
5-8. (1)
Debatable motions
5-8. (2)
Inquiries debatable
5-8. (3)
Non-debatable motions
5-9.
Preambles – restriction
5-10. (1)
Withdrawal or modification of a motion or an inquiry
5-10. (2)
Withdrawal of notice of a motion or of an inquiry
5-11.
Motions to be seconded
5-12.
No motions on resolved questions, five days’ notice for rescission
Motions to Adjourn the Senate
5-13. (1)
Motion to adjourn always in order
5-13. (2)
Who may move motion to adjourn
5-13. (3)
Motion to adjourn put immediately
5-13. (4)
Standing vote on motion to adjourn
5-13. (5)
More than one motion – restriction
Rule
Description
Recognition in Debate
6-1.
Recognition by the Speaker
6-2. (1)
Senators to speak only once
6-2. (2)
Clarification in case of misunderstanding
Speaking Time
6-3. (1)
Time limits for speakers
6-3. (1)(a)
Certain Leaders and Facilitators
6-3. (1)(b)
Other Leaders and Facilitators
6-3. (1)(c)
Sponsor of bill
6-3. (1)(d)
Critic of bill
6-3. (1)(e)
Designated Senators
6-3. (1)(f)
Others
6-3. (2)
Speeches to be timed by Clerk
Process of Debate
6-4. (1)
One Senator to speak at a time
6-4. (2)
Motion to hear another Senator
6-4. (3)
If motion to hear another Senator adopted
6-5. (1)
Yielding to another Senator for debate
6-5. (2)
Yielding for debate counts as speaking
6-5. (3)
Yielding to another Senator for questions
6-6.
Quoting Commons speeches
6-7.
Reading the question
6-8.
Motions allowed during debate
6-9. (1)
Previous question
6-9. (2)
Application of previous question
6-9. (3)
No previous question in committee
6-9. (4)
Speaking after previous question moved
6-9. (5)
Adopting previous question
6-9. (6)
Defeating previous question
6-10. (1)
Motion to adjourn Government Business
6-10. (2)
Motion to adjourn Other Business
6-11.
Mover or seconder may speak later
6-12. (1)
Right of final reply
6-12. (2)
Exception to right of final reply
6-12. (3)
Closing debate
Unparliamentary language
6-13. (1)
Objectionable speech
6-13. (2)
Unparliamentary language
6-13. (3)
Retractions and apologies
Rule
Description
With Agreement
7-1. (1)
Agreement to allocate time
7-1. (2)
Motion on agreement to allocate time
7-1. (3)
Question on agreement to allocate time put immediately
Without Agreement
7-2. (1)
No agreement to allocate time
7-2. (2)
Notice of motion to allocate time
7-2. (3)
Motion to allocate time made an order of the day
7-2. (4)
Only one stage of a bill
7-2. (5)
Content of motion to allocate time
Debate on Motions to Allocate Time
7-3. (1)
Procedure for debate on motion to allocate time
7-3. (2)
Resuming debate on motion to allocate time after evening suspension
Time-Allocated Government Order of the Day
7-4. (1)
Government order to which time is allocated
7-4. (2)
Debate to continue beyond ordinary time of adjournment and no evening suspension
7-4. (3)
Debate on time-allocated government item resumes if interrupted for deferred vote
7-4. (4)
Debate on time-allocated government item resumes if interrupted for other items of business
7-4. (5)
Question put on time-allocated order
7-4. (6)
Automatic adjournment in certain cases
Rule
Description
Request for Emergency Debate
8-1. (1)
Raising a matter of urgent public interest
8-1. (2)
Giving notice for emergency debate
8-2. (1)
Content of notice
8-2. (2)
Translation and distribution
8-2. (3)
Non-receipt
8-3. (1)
Order of debate
8-3. (2)
Reasons for debate
8-3. (3)
Time limit for request for emergency debate
8-3. (4)
No motions during request for emergency debate
8-3. (5)
Urgency decided by Speaker
Process for Emergency Debate
8-4. (1)
Adjournment motion for emergency debate
8-4. (2)
Emergency debate after case of privilege
8-4. (3)
Speaking times
8-4. (4)
Limitations on motions
8-4. (5)
Maximum duration of emergency debate
8-4. (6)
Where Orders of the Day completed before emergency debate
8-4. (7)
Where Orders of the Day not completed before emergency debate
8-4. (8)
Extension of sitting if required
8-5.
Only one emergency debate per sitting
Rule
Description
General Principle
9-1.
Questions decided by majority of voices
Voice Votes
9-2(1)
Procedure for voice vote
9-2. (2)
If no standing vote requested
Standing Votes
9-3.
Request of two Senators
9-4.
No debate after vote called
9-5.
Ordinary procedure for determining the duration of bells
9-6.
15 minute bells for scheduled vote
9-7. (1)
Procedure for a standing vote
9-7. (2)
Withdrawal or change of vote
9-8. (1)
While a vote is in progress
9-8. (2)
Public galleries
9-9.
Adjournment suspended during vote
Deferred Standing Votes
9-10. (1)
Deferral of standing vote
9-10. (2)
Time for deferred vote
9-10. (3)
Vote deferred only once
9-10. (4)
Vote deferred to Friday
9-10. (5)
No deferral in relation to consequential business
9-10. (6)
Bells to be rung once for a series of votes
9-10. (7)
No adjournment until after deferred vote
Rule
Description
Stages of the Legislative Process
10-1.
Pro forma bill
10-2.
Right to introduce a bill
10-3.
Introduction, first reading and publishing
10-4.
Second reading
10-5.
Reconsideration of clauses of a bill
10-6.
Third reading
Supply Bills
10-7.
Royal Recommendation
10-8.
No extraneous clauses
Senate Bills
10-9.
No duplication of Senate bills
10-10. (1)
Non-substantive corrections to a bill
10-10. (2)
Report of corrections
Pre-Study of Commons Bills
10-11. (1)
Referral of subject matter of bill to committee
10-11. (2)
Notice of motion to refer the subject matter of a bill
Rule
Description
Petitions
11-1. (1)
Petitions from individuals
11-1. (2)
Petitions from corporations
11-1. (3)
Petitions on behalf of public meetings
Petitions for Private Bills
11-2. (1)
Private bill introduced after petition and examination
11-2. (2)
Suspension of rules
Examiner of Petitions for Private Bills
11-3. (1)
Appointment of Examiner
11-3. (2)
Examination of petitions
11-3. (3)
If petition is in order
11-3. (4)
If petition is defective
Notice and Publication
11-4. (1)
Publication in the Canada Gazette
11-4. (2)
Content of notice
11-4. (3)
Company name
11-4. (4)
Notice in newspapers
11-4. (5)
Frequency and language of notice
11-4. (6)
Notice to government departments
11-4. (7)
Statutory declaration
Fees
11-5.
Deposit of bill and fees
Procedures
11-6.
Public bill rules to apply generally
11-7.
Obligatory referral of a private bill to a committee
11-8.
No referral to Committee of the Whole
11-9.
Minimum time before committee study
11-10.
Questions about provincial jurisdiction
11-11.
Private bill from the Commons
11-12.
Private Bill Register
11-13.
Notice of committee meetings
11-14.
Interested persons
11-15.
Notice of substantive amendments to private bills
11-16.
Commons amendments referred to committee before consideration by Senate
11-17.
Reference of private bill to Supreme Court
Rule
Description
Committee of Selection
12-1.
Appointment of Committee of Selection
12-2. (1)
Nomination of standing or standing joint committee members
12-2. (2)
Term of appointment of members of committees
12-2. (3)
Powers of the Committee of Selection
12-2. (4)
Committee of Selection is neither a standing nor special committee
12-2. (5)
Quorum of Committee of Selection
Membership of Committees
12-3. (1)
Committee membership – general
12-3. (2)
Committee membership – certain committees
12-3. (3)
Ex officio members
12-3. (4)
Ex officio members voting
12-3. (5)
Restriction on membership
12-4.
Standing joint committees
12-5.
Membership changes
12-6. (1)
Quorum of standing committees
12-6. (2)
Audit and Oversight
Standing Committees of the Senate
12-7.
Appointment and general mandates
12-7. (1)
Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
12-7. (2)
Rules, Procedures and the Rights of Parliament
12-7. (3)
Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senators
12-7. (4)
Audit and Oversight
12-7. (5)
Official Languages
12-7. (6)
Foreign Affairs and International Trade
12-7. (7)
National Finance
12-7. (8)
Transport and Communications
12-7. (9)
Legal and Constitutional Affairs
12-7. (10)
Banking, Commerce and the Economy
12-7. (11)
Social Affairs, Science and Technology
12-7. (12)
Agriculture and Forestry
12-7. (13)
Fisheries and Oceans
12-7. (14)
Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources
12-7. (15)
Indigenous Peoples
12-7. (16)
Human Rights
12-7. (17)
National Security, Defence and Veterans Affairs
Orders of Reference to Committees
12-8. (1)
Referral of a matter to any committee
12-8. (2)
Service fee proposals
Powers of Standing Committees and Standing Joint Committees
12-9. (1)
Power to conduct inquiries and report
12-9. (2)
Power to send for persons and papers and to publish papers
12-9. (3)
Audit and Oversight — access to information
Special and Legislative Committees
12-10. (1)
Special committees
12-10. (2)
Special committees – mover of motion as member
12-11.
Legislative committees
Subcommittees
12-12. (1)
Appointment
12-12. (2)
Membership
12-12. (3)
Quorum
12-12. (4)
Procedure
12-12. (5)
In camera meetings
12-12. (6)
Reports
Meetings
12-13.(1)
Organization meeting
12-13.(2)
Audit and Oversight — organization meeting
12-13.(3)
Chair of Audit and Oversight
12-13.(4)
Audit and Oversight — nomination of external members
12-14. (1)
Participation of non-members
12-14. (2)
Audit and Oversight
12-15. (1)
Notice of meetings
12-15. (2)
Meetings public
12-16. (1)
In camera meetings
12-16. (2)
Audit and Oversight — in camera
12-16. (3)
In camera meetings of joint committees
12-17.
Meetings without quorum
12-18. (1)
Meetings on days Senate sits
12-18. (2)
Meetings on days the Senate is adjourned
12-18. (3)
Audit and Oversight
12-19. (1)
Power to adjourn
12-19. (2)
Meetings outside the parliamentary precinct
Committee Procedures
12-20. (1)
Proceedings in committee
(a)
Addressing chair
(b)
Seconder not required
(c)
Motion defeated when votes equal
(d)
Notice not required
12-20. (2)
Vote in Audit and Oversight Committee
12-20. (3)
Before recorded vote
12-20. (4)
Clause-by-clause consideration of bills
12-20. (5)
Inconsistency with the Rules and practices of the Senate
Committee Reports
12-21. (1)
Majority conclusions
12-21. (2)
Presentation or tabling
12-21. (3)
Tabled for information only
12-21. (4)
No debate when report presented or tabled
12-21. (5)
Approval of service fees
12-21. (6)
Debate on a tabled report
12-21. (7)
Reports of Audit and Oversight committee — content
12-21. (8)
Audit and Oversight — report deposited with the Clerk
12-22. (1)
Obligation to report bill
12-22. (2)
Report on bill without amendment
12-22. (3)
Reporting bill with amendments
12-22. (4)
Amendments to be explained
12-22. (5)
Reporting against bill
Government Responses to Reports
12-23. (1)
Request for government response
12-23. (2)
Communication of request
12-23. (3)
Tabling response
12-23. (4)
Response or explanation deemed referred to committee
12-23. (5)
Absence of response and explanation deemed referred to committee
Committee Expenditures
12-24.
Payment of witnesses’ expenses
12-25.
Financial operations
Standing Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest for Senators
12-26. (1)
Appointment of committee
12-26. (2)
Quorum of committee
12-27. (1)
In camera meetings
12-27. (2)
Participation of non-members
12-28.
Adjournment of the Senate
12-29. (1)
Motion deemed made
12-29. (2)
Minimum period for consideration of report
12-29. (3)
Referral back to the committee
12-29. (4)
Former senator
12-29. (5)
Maximum period for consideration of report
12-29. (6)
Voting
12-29. (7)
Deferred vote on report
12-30.
Report deposited with the Clerk
Committee of the Whole
12-31. (1)
No notice required for Committee of the Whole
12-31. (2)
Proceedings recorded
12-31. (3)
Procedure in Committee of the Whole
12-31. (4)
Participation of ministers in Committee of the Whole
12-31. (5)
Witnesses in Committee of the Whole
12-32. (1)
Motion to leave chair or report progress
12-32. (2)
Adoption of motion to leave chair
Rule
Description
Breach of Privilege
13-1.
Duty to preserve privileges
13-2. (1)
Criteria for priority
13-2. (2)
Substantive motion
Giving Notice
13-3. (1)
Written notice of question of privilege
13-3. (2)
Translation and distribution
13-3. (3)
Non-receipt of notice
13-3. (4)
Oral notice of question of privilege
13-4.
Question of privilege without notice
Consideration of a Question of Privilege
13-5. (1)
Consideration of question of privilege
13-5. (2)
When question of privilege without notice considered
13-5. (3)
Order of consideration
13-5. (4)
Debates to be in succession
13-5. (5)
Prima facie determination by Speaker
13-6. (1)
Motion relating to a case of privilege
13-6. (2)
Debate on motion on case of privilege
13-6. (3)
Time limits on speaking on motion on case of privilege
13-6. (4)
Limit of three hours
13-6. (5)
Debate may be adjourned
13-6. (6)
Continuation of debate on motion on case of privilege beyond ordinary time of adjournment on first day of debate
13-6. (7)
Vote deferred
13-6. (8)
Vote on case of privilege automatically deferred in certain circumstances
13-6. (9)
Where Orders of the Day completed
13-6. (10)
Where Orders of the Day not completed
13-6. (11)
Where emergency debate or question of privilege follows motion on case of privilege
Rule
Description
Tabling Documents and Accounts
14-1. (1)
Tabling by Government
14-1. (2)
Tabling ordered by Senate
14-1. (3)
Tabling by other Senators
14-1. (4)
Tabling during debate
14-1. (5)
Record of tabling in Journals and Debates
14-1. (6)
Tabling through the Clerk
14-1. (7)
Record of tabling in Journals
14-2.
Royal prerogative
Journals of the Senate
14-3.
Copies to Governor General
14-4.
Searching of Journals
14-5.
Publishing
14-6.
Binding
Broadcasting of the Senate and Committee Proceedings
14-7. (1)
Broadcast of Senate proceedings
14-7. (2)
Permission to broadcast
14-7. (3)
Alternative arrangements
Rule
Description
Attendance
15-1. (1)
Duty to attend the Senate
15-1. (2)
Failure to attend two sessions
15-1. (3)
Deductions from sessional allowance
Leaves of Absence and Suspensions
15-2. (1)
Authorized leaves and suspensions
15-2. (2)
Leaves of absence – preventive measure
15-2. (3)
Absence obligatory
15-2. (4)
Avoiding disqualification
15-3. (1)
Deduction if suspended
15-3. (2)
Access to resources
15-3. (3)
Deductions restored
15-3. (4)
Suspension of Allowances
15-4. (1)
Notice of charge
15-4. (2)
Leave of absence for accused Senator
15-4. (3)
Duration of leave of absence
15-4. (4)
Leave of absence reinstated
15-4. (5)
Presumption of innocence
15-4. (6)
Senate resources in case of leave of absence
15-5. (1)
Suspension of Senator
15-5. (2)
Duration of suspension
15-5. (3)
Report of conviction
Declarations
15-6. (1)
Renewal of Declaration of Qualification
15-6. (2)
Tabling of declarations by Clerk
15-7. (1)
Declaration of private interest
15-7. (2)
Restrictions if declaration of interest
15-7. (3)
If declaration made in camera
Rule
Description
Messages from the Crown
16-1. (1)
Access to Senate Chamber
16-1. (2)
Fixing time for event
16-1. (3)(a)
Reading of messages
16-1. (3)(b)
If vote underway
16-1. (4)
Adjournment delayed after receipt of message
16-1. (5)
Suspension of sitting after receipt of message
16-1. (6)
Standing vote may be postponed if in conflict with message
16-1. (7)
Interruption of debate
16-1. (8)
Message on Royal Assent
Messages Between the Houses and Conferences
16-2. (1)
Sending and receiving messages
16-2. (2)
Messages from Commons read
16-3. (1)
Senate disagreement with Commons amendments
16-3. (2)
Commons disagreement with Senate amendments
16-3. (3)
Preparing reasons
16-3. (4)
Messages relating to bills on which the houses disagree
16-3. (5)
Free conference
16-3. (6)
Speaking at conferences
16-4. (1)
Senators attending before the Commons
16-4. (2)
Voluntary attendance
16-4. (3)
Senate officers and employees attending before Commons
16-4. (4)
Penalty
Appendix I: Terminology
Appendix II: Provincial Representations to Senate Committees
Appendix III: Cabinet Ministers Being Members of Senate Committees
Appendix IV: Procedure for Dealing with Unauthorized Disclosure of Confidential Committee Reports and Other Documents or Proceedings
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