National Assembly’s Rule 78 sets out 22 conditions that a question must meet. A question must not exceed 150 words, must not contain arguments or ironical expressions, must not concern Cabinet discussions or advice to the President, must not relate to sub-judice matters, and must not ask for information already accessible in public documents. Questions failing these conditions are disallowed by the Speaker.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
The admissibility rules reflect the purpose of Question Hour as it is for obtaining factual information about governmental actions, and not only for making speeches. The sub-judice prohibition prevents the House and members from interfering with ongoing court proceedings.
What is in it for citizens?
When a member’s question is disallowed, citizens should not automatically assume the decision was politically motivated. The 22 admissibility conditions are specific and detailed — and members regularly file questions that fail one or more of them.
Source: Rule 78, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007
The proceedings of the National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 21 times, most recently on 22 October 2024.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here.
