House Speaker Champions Modern, Simpler Parliamentary Rules

Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Most Hon. Juliet Holness, says the modernisation of parliamentary standing orders across the region must focus on making the rules simpler so that members of the public can also understand them.

She was participating in a panel discussion during the recent 48th Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic (CAA) Region at the Moon Palace Jamaica Hotel in St. Ann.

Parliamentary standing orders are the permanent written rules adopted by a legislative body to govern the regulation, procedure, and conduct of its proceedings and members.

Panellists contended that the formal legislative language of the standing orders often alienates the public from the lawmaking process.

Mrs. Holness, who Chairs the CPA-CAA Region, said that parliamentary rulebooks must be accessible to ordinary citizens, noting that this is key to fortifying democratic systems.

“As we clarify, as we improve our Standing Orders not just for digital transformation; it is also important that as a part of strengthening our democracy, we ensure that our Standing Orders are easier to follow, easier to understand and not just for the benefit of parliamentarians,” she said.

“The citizens of our countries should be able to take up our Standing Orders, read them and understand them, and they should not need a law degree to do it,” she posited.

Also raised was the matter of members of parliament across the region not familiarising themselves with the standing orders of their legislative bodies, leading to friction over textual interpretations and turning simple debates into prolonged arguments over a single sentence or paragraph.

Mrs. Holness, in her response, commended the growing culture of adherence to the Standing Orders of Parliament among local lawmakers.

“For the first time, I can tell you, I see many members finally taking up that book, having it on their desk, making an effort and coming to the Chamber to understand what is happening,” she pointed out.

She expressed the hope that this positive trend would serve as an example for Speakers and legislative bodies across the wider Caribbean.