The existing Standing Orders, which have been in effect since the year 2000, are currently undergoing a comprehensive revision thanks to the actions made by Parliament.
It is a response to a growing public demand for openness and accountability, as well as a need for Parliament to improve its oversight of the executive and other constitutional entities. Additionally, it comes as a result of a desire for greater scrutiny of the executive by Parliament.
In response to the report of the Standing Orders Committee on the review of the Standing Orders, members of parliament (MPs) stated that Parliament, as a representative of the people, is therefore obligated to respond to the call by adopting new rules to provide structural and procedural arrangements to deliver on its mandate effectively and efficiently. These MPs were speaking to the report on the review of the Standing Orders.
Article 110(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana, 1992 states that "subject to the provisions of this Constitution, Parliament may, by standing orders, regulate its own procedure." This article states that Parliament has the ability to govern its own procedure.
The Standing Orders of the Parliament of Ghana were drafted and enacted by the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic of Ghana. These orders regulated the procedures of the House and its Committees, as well as the privileges and immunities of the House and its Members, until the amendment of these orders in November of 2000.
According to the Members of Parliament (MPs), a comprehensive review of the current Standing Orders is required since the borders of democracy and good governance are expanding in many parts of the world, and shifting trends in legislative practises and processes are also contributing factors.
In response to an increase in the public's demand for Parliament to properly carry out its constitutional duties, previous Parliaments started the process of revising the Standing Orders to remedy structural and procedural flaws in the current Orders. This was done in an effort to improve the current Orders.
According to the report that was put together by the committee, "Unfortunately, these Parliaments were unable to complete the review process before the expiration of their respective terms."
According to the report, immediately after the inauguration of the Eighth Parliament, Speaker Alban Bagbin, along with the Leadership of Parliament, constituted a Technical Committee to investigate the Draught Orders and provide their findings to the Standing Orders Committee.
"Among other things, the Committee was expected to finish the job that was started by the Parliaments that came before it. The Technical Committee carried out a thorough analysis of the Draught Orders and has held multiple meetings to convey its findings to the Standing Orders Committee.
According to the study, "the review of the Standing Orders coincided with the review of the existing Strategic Plan (2020-2024) of Parliament," which went into effect in January of 2020.
According to the report, the provisions are therefore consistent with Parliament's efforts to achieve the medium-term goals, which include improving Parliament's ability to exercise legislative power, enhancing Parliament's oversight and accountability role, and enhancing Parliament's capacity and productivity to effectively respond to shifting trends in democratic governance. The report also pointed out that the medium-term goals include improving Parliament's ability to exercise legislative power, enhancing Parliament's oversight and accountability role, and improving Parliament's ability to exercise legislative power.
"Having reviewed the work of the Technical Committee within the framework of the Corporate Strategic Plan (2020-2024) of Parliament, the Standing Orders Committee, is pleased to present to the House its report on the review of the Standing Orders," the report stated. "Having reviewed the work of the Technical Committee within the framework of the Corporate Strategic Plan (2020-2024) of Parliament," the report stated.
Important Aspects Regarding
The suggestions and recommendations contained in the paper that was examined lean towards enhancing the language used in the currently available text and introducing new and vital provisions on a variety of different topic matters.
They contain subjects pertaining to the judicial procedure and arrest, sanctions for contempt of Parliament or breach of Parliamentary privilege, and the position of the Clerk to Parliament. In addition, they include interpretation, the role of the Speaker, the Order of Precedence of major functionaries in Parliament, and other related topics.
The remaining topics include the summoning of Parliament and the suspension of Meeting, the attendance of Members of Parliament, requests for leaves of absence, official communication to and from Parliament, the Order of Business, the backbenchers' time, the quorum of the House, voting in the House, the procedure for secret voting, an address by the President, and Parliamentary Questions.
The other ones are the presentation of papers, the admissibility of motions and half-hour motions, the audience to heads of independent constitutional bodies, the vote of censure on the Minister (refer to article 82 of the Constitution for more information), disorderly conduct, voting in Parliament, disclosure of interest, fiscal impact analysis in respect to a bill, short explanatory statement on a bill, winnowing, and the consideration stage of bills, which incorporates amendments prior to Third Reading.
The ones that are left are the Authentication and Certification of Bills, the Private Member's Bill and Private Member's Motion, and the Strengthening of Parliament's Committee System.
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