Chapter Seven - Standing Orders

A substantive motion refers to business which does not arise from the report of any committee. It shall be written and handed to the business convener normally at least one sitting before it is considered by the Assembly. A substantive motion may, by leave of the Assembly, be moved without notice (leave must be unanimous, see rule 7.1(e)).

Motions may be amended:

1. by leaving out certain words;
2. by leaving out certain words in order to insert or add other words;
3. by inserting or adding certain words.

A direct negative to a motion is an incompetent amendment.

An amendment may be moved to an amendment that has been moved and seconded as if the first amendment were an original motion.

When members have received the White Book, proposed notices of motion shall be sent to the business convener, preferably at least one week prior to the opening of the Assembly but not later than noon on the opening day of Assembly, so that they may be presented as an Assembly paper and issued to members when the Assembly meets.

Copies of proposed amendments should also be sent to the convener of the committee whose deliverance is affected by the proposed amendment as a matter of courtesy.

During the Assembly, notices of motion shall be received and dealt with in the manner following:

1. notices of motion shall be written and handed to the business convener at least thirty minutes before the close of the sitting prior to that in which the matter of the notice is to be dealt with;
2. nefore the close of a sitting the business convener shall read to the members of Assembly all notices of motion handed in as described in (a) above, and subject to the consideration and approval of the Business Committee they shall be distributed to members in an Assembly paper;
3. nhe clerk shall see that motions or amendments are in proper form and, if alteration is required, notify the mover of the fact.

An amendment may be moved without notice if in the opinion of the moderator:

1. it arises in the course of the debate; and
2. it does not alter the substance of the motion.

If the moderator is of the opinion that the proposed amendment has arisen in the course of the debate, but alters the substance of the motion, the amendment cannot be moved unless leave of the Assembly is granted (see rule 7.1(e)).

Except in committee of the whole, a motion or amendment must be seconded before it can be debated or put to the vote.

No member who moves or seconds a motion or amendment shall have the right to defer his speech to a later stage of the debate.

If, when a motion of which notice has been given is called for by the moderator, and the member who gave notice is absent, another member may move the motion, or the court may reschedule the motion. Otherwise the motion lapses.

When a motion or an amendment is moved, it is then seconded. If there is no seconder, it lapses and shall not be recorded in the minutes.

If a member withdraws a notice of motion, he shall do so without remark, and such motion shall not be recorded in the minutes.

A motion or amendment, duly moved and seconded, shall not be withdrawn except at the request of the mover, with the consent of the seconder, and by leave of the Assembly (see rule 7.1(e)). Any amendment to the motion must first be withdrawn.

A motion or amendment ruled incompetent shall not be recorded in the minutes, except when the ruling of the moderator has been challenged and voted on.

No change shall be made in the terms of a notice of motion after it is given in, except by leave of the Assembly. A member has the right to alter his motion, provided notice of the alteration is given at least one sitting before it comes before the Assembly.

After a motion or amendment has been moved no change shall be made in its terms without leave of the Assembly.

Amendments shall be put before the motions to which they refer.

When an amendment is before the Assembly, the debate shall be strictly confined to the amendment.