Question of Privilege
April 29, 1971
Impeding a Member
Hon. Lucien Lamoureux
Speaker of the House
Ruling Text
"... parliamentary privilege does not go much beyond the right of free speech in the House of Commons and the right of a Member to discharge his duties in the House as a Member of the House of Commons." If visiting penitentiaries had been a parliamentary right, it would not have been necessary to make it a statutory provision, as it had been before 1961. If there is cause for complaint, it ought to be taken up in the form of a grievance against the Minister or the Government. "... the matter might be looked into not under the guise or cover of a question of privilege but perhaps by or as a result of a substantive motion."
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Holding
"A Member being impeded from visiting a penitentiary is not a breach of parliamentary privilege, as this access is a statutory right, not a parliamentary one, and should be addressed as a grievance or through a substantive motion."
AI Summary
A Speaker's ruling clarifies that access to penitentiaries is a statutory right, not a matter of parliamentary privilege.
AI Analysis
- Outcome
- Denied
- Tone
- Educational
- Significance
Low
High