Business before any Standing Committee of the National Assembly does not lapse on the prorogation of a session. Committee work continues from session to session throughout the life of an Assembly. Business lapses absolutely only on completion of the Assembly’s term or its dissolution.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
The no-lapse rule reflects that the committee work such as inquiries, evidence-gathering, and bill scrutiny take time and cannot be compressed into session boundaries. The continuity provision protects the integrity of the committee work.
What is in it for citizens?
For citizens following a specific committee, knowing that prorogation does not end the inquiry is important. The work carries forward. Whether the committee is actively pursuing it after prorogation ends is a question of political will, not procedural constraint.
Source: Rule 243, 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.
