Question of Privilege
May 16, 1986
Conflict-of-interest inquiry
Hon. John Bosley
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
No court or inquiry may call into question or pass judgement on statements made by Members in the House, although it must remain possible to investigate the substance of an allegation once it has been made in the House. However, it is difficult for the Chair to determine whether the purposes of an inquiry are improper in advance of the inquiry being created since a breach of privilege cannot be hypothetical. The Chair could not find an expressed intention to be a breach unless it were of itself a threat. No threat, real or implied, that Members may be called to account for anything they have said in the House has been made..
References Debates, May 12, 1986, pp. 13171-2; May 13, 1986, p. 13225; May 14, 1986, pp. 13270-3.
Edit Metadata
Holding
"A potential future inquiry does not constitute a breach of privilege because a breach cannot be hypothetical, and no actual threat has been made to call Members to account for their statements in the House."
AI Summary
The Speaker ruled that a hypothetical future inquiry does not constitute a breach of parliamentary privilege regarding statements made in the House.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Denied
- Tone
- Educational
- Procedural Stage
- Question of Privilege
- Significance
Low
High