Inside The Legislative Process

This reference book is primarily a procedural work which examines the many forms, customs, and practices which have been developed and established for the House of Commons since Confederation in 1867. It provides a distinctive Canadian perspective in describing procedure in the House up to the end of the first session of the 36th Parliament in Sept. 1999. The material is presented with full commentary on the historical circumstances which have shaped the current approach to parliamentary business. Key Speaker's rulings and statements are also documented and the considerable body of practice, interpretation, and precedents unique to the Canadian House of Commons is amply illustrated. Chapters of the book cover the following: parliamentary institutions; parliaments and ministries; privileges and immunities; the House and its Members; parliamentary procedure; the physical & administrative setting; the Speaker & other presiding officers; the parliamentary cycle; sittings of the House; the daily program; oral & written questions; the process of debate; rules of order & decorum; the curtailment of debate; special debates; the legislative process; delegated legislation; financial procedures; committees of the whole House; committees; private Members' business; public petitions; private bills practice; and the parliamentary record. Includes index.

Parliament and the legislative Process : 14th report of session 2003-04, Vol. 2: Evidence

Beyond the popular notion that Congress is always engaged in high-level national policymaking and classic drama lies an important reality: the bulk of congressional activity is the protracted, grinding work of developing and enacting complex, detailed legislation vital to our nation's operation but often ignored by the public. This book illuminates the inner workings of legislative and executive interaction by focusing on one example of "low profile" legislation--the Foreign Service Act of 1980. Bacchus traces the making of this extremely complex law through its nine months of development in the Department of State and a further sixteen months in Congress from introduction to enactment. The act promises to be a key element of the U.S. foreign policy apparatus and of major importance in providing a sound basis for future operations of the Foreign Service; yet, the biggest danger its proponents faced was not opposition, but rather inattention and lack of interest. Beyond providing an accurate picture of the workings of Congress, Bacchus points to the risks to the public interest that are encountered when important legislation is enacted almost in private, influenced only by those who have direct stakes in the outcome.

People are generally aware that legislation is introduced through Bills that are sent to the legislature, usually by the executive, and then passed into law. Few, however, are familiar with the processes that precede the submission of a Bill to the legislature. In fact, what eventually comes to the legislature is the product of long, often laborious processes, which go on for weeks, months and even years. To ensure that the civil servants and others who may be involved in shaping proposals are able to candidly express their views on policies that are being developed and refined, the deliberations on the executive side of government traditionally take place in secrecy. Mainly for that reason, the processes are not well known to the general public and even to some activists who lobby for or against legislation. This book, written by a lawyer who has long experience participating in these processes, gives rare insight into how legislative proposals are conceived, developed and finally written into the law. It also contains easy-to- understand technical information that explains the significance of certain features of statutes. Further, it deals with other matters that follow after enactment including publication, entry into force, application and much more.