Ruling
June 16, 1982
Use of term "mendacities"
Hon. Jeanne Sauvé
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
Any word that is a synonym of a word that is unparliamentary cannot be substituted for the unparliamentary expression, and from now on the word "mendacity" will be considered unparliamentary as well as "mendacator" and all other terms or expressions which mean the same thing. Therefore, a Member cannot accuse another Member of not telling the truth by substituting words which mean the same thing. Moreover, since this involves the use of an unparliamentary term, a Member must rise on a point of order and not on a question of privilege.
Edit Metadata
Holding
"The word 'mendacity' and its synonyms are unparliamentary, and objections to their use must be raised on a point of order, not a question of privilege."
AI Summary
The Speaker ruled that using synonyms for unparliamentary words, such as 'mendacity' for lying, is also unparliamentary and must be challenged via a point of order.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Sustained
- Tone
- Stern
- Procedural Stage
- Not specified
- Significance
Low
High