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July 11, 1980
The interventions heard during this debate on the alleged question of privilege clearly established that the question was in no way founded on a breach of our rules but rather one of the common...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, confirming that a Minister's procedure for tabling a Ways and Means motion was in order and an accompanying statement was optional.
May 15, 1978
While the civil suit has caused the Member certain difficulties, it cannot be said to constitute obstruction or harassment in the narrow sense in which one must construe the privilege of freedom...
The Speaker ruled that a civil suit and radio show appearance do not breach parliamentary privilege as they are not extensions of proceedings in Parliament.
June 23, 1977
Under the umbrella of privilege, a Member has raised a matter of grievance and expressed a personal statement. This is a practice which is allowed under certain circumstances even though it does...
The Speaker ruled that a Minister acting through a solicitor to address critical material does not constitute a breach of privilege but is a matter for debate.
April 9, 1976
It must be understood that questions of privilege are not confined to incidents which take place in the House; they can arise from elsewhere as well, including committees. This specific case,...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, clarifying that committee disagreements are points of order and press criticism does not breach privilege.
October 22, 1975
Although "the House guards the confidentiality of draft reports at this stage of a committee's proceedings and the publication of such a report would raise the strongest suggestion that some act...
The Speaker denied a motion for one committee to investigate a joint committee's leaked report, ruling it procedurally irregular and lacking a specific allegation of misconduct.
June 18, 1975
Nothing that anyone says about the conduct or performance, the speech or contribution of any Member could in general terms be taken as interference with his right to speak or to operate as a...
The Speaker ruled that external criticism and commentary on a Member's performance do not constitute a breach of privilege or interference with their parliamentary duties.
February 27, 1975
There is nothing either in the precedents or the Standing Orders which bears directly on the point of a Member of this House voluntarily appearing before a Senate committee. The Chair can find no...
The Speaker ruled that while Members can appear before Senate committees, they are strictly warned not to reflect on or criticize decisions made by the House of Commons.
September 4, 1973
There is no doubt that Members should not be placed in a position where, in their absence from their offices, representatives of the police without any authority could enter the offices and...
In a landmark 1973 ruling, the Speaker established that unauthorized police entry into an MP's office constitutes a prima facie breach of parliamentary privilege.
March 2, 1973
The actual words used in the newspaper article are "purveyor of hatred against the Government". This puts a somewhat different slant on the news story, and on the offending statement itself. It is...
The Speaker denied a question of privilege, ruling that a public servant's derogatory remarks about a Member were improper but not a prima facie breach.
March 16, 1972
A matter of this kind cannot be brought before the House byway of a breach of parliamentary privilege. It is doubtful that the Member can successfully claim that his parliamentary privileges have...
The Speaker denied a Member's question of privilege, ruling it was a substantive motion improperly framed as a breach of privilege.