Everything about Prorogation totally explained
A
parliamentary session is a period of time where the
legislature in a
parliamentary government is sitting.
In
Commonwealth Realms, each
session begins with a
speech from the throne and a
pro forma bill to allow the Parliament to deviate from that speech. Sessions can thereafter last from a few weeks to over a year. Between two
elections, there are usually anywhere from one to six sessions of parliament.
Bills are numbered within each session and they expire if they don't become law by the time the session ends. In Canada, for example, each session's government House bills are numbered from C-2 to C-200 and when a new session starts, the first new bill is numbered C-2 again.
Historically, sessions would run for several months continuously and be followed by a prorogation of several months when members of parliament would spend time in their home constituencies. This pattern has become less necessary in modern times; transportation and communication technology make it easy for members to return home for short visits throughout each session. It isn't uncommon for a session of parliament to be put into recess during holidays and then resumed a few weeks later exactly where it left off. Governments today end sessions whenever it's most convenient, and often, a new session will begin on the same day that the previous session ended.
The term "
session" also has implications within the realm of
parliamentary procedure as it applies to private organizations.
Legislatures plan their business using a
legislative calendar.
Prorogation
A
prorogation is the period between two sessions of a legislative body. When a
legislature or
parliament is prorogued, it's still constituted (that is, all members remain as members and a
general election isn't necessary), but all orders of the body (
bills,
motions, etc.) are expunged. (In the British parliament, this has now changed somewhat in that Public Bills can be carried over from one session to another.)
In the
British and
Canadian parliamentary systems, this is usually due to the completion of the agenda set forth in the
Speech from the Throne. Legislatures and parliaments, once prorogued, remain in recess until summoned again by the
Queen,
Governor General, or
Lieutenant Governor, and a new session is begun with the
State Opening of Parliament and the
Speech from the Throne.
In the parliament of the United Kingdom, prorogation is immediately preceded by the
prorogation speech. Prior to the speech, the
House of Commons is summoned by the
Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod to the
House of Lords. The speech is approved by
The Queen but is rarely delivered by the sovereign in person (
Queen Victoria being the last sovereign to attend prorogation in person); instead it's presented by the
Lords Commissioners and read by the
Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain. This speech looks back at the legislative session, noting major bills passed and other actions of the government
(External Link
). The Lord Chancellor wears a
tricorn hat for the occasion and the Lords commissioners wear
bicorn hats.
When King
Charles I of England dissolved Parliament in
1628 after the
Petition of Right, he gave a prorogation speech that effectively cancelled all future meetings of Parliament, at least until he once again required finances.
In
Australia, the
Parliament is prorogued before an election to prevent the Senate from sitting during the campaign and to expunge all existing senate business before the start of the next parliament. Prorogations not related to the conduct of an election are unusual.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Prorogation'.
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