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Sittings
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Ordinary time of meeting |
3-1. (1) Except as otherwise ordered by the Senate, the Senate shall meet at 2 p.m. on Mondays through Thursdays and at 9 a.m. on Fridays. |
Adjournment Friday to Monday |
3-1. (2) Except as otherwise ordered by the Senate, when the Senate adjourns on a Friday, it shall stand adjourned to the following Monday. |
Speaker enters chamber |
3-2. (1) The Speaker shall enter the chamber at the time the Senate is scheduled to meet. |
Bells ring before meeting |
3-2. (2) The bells to call in the Senators shall begin ringing no later than 15 minutes before the time the Senate is scheduled to meet and shall stop when the Speaker sees that a quorum is present. |
Lack of quorum at time of meeting |
3-2. (3) If a quorum is not present within two hours after the time the Senate is scheduled to meet, the Speaker shall declare that the Senate is unable to sit due to a lack of quorum and shall leave the chair until the next sitting day.
REFERENCE Constitution Act, 1867, section 35
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Interrupted Business
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Evening suspension at 6 p.m. |
3-3. (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) and elsewhere in these Rules, if the Senate or a Committee of the Whole has not concluded its business at 6 p.m., the Speaker or the chair shall suspend the sitting until 8 p.m. During this suspension, the mace shall remain on or under the table as the circumstances warrant.
EXCEPTIONS Rule 4-2(8)(b): Evening suspension delayed when Senators’ Statements extended Rule 7-4(2): Debate to continue beyond ordinary time of adjournment and no evening suspension Rule 16-1(4): Adjournment delayed after receipt of message Rule 16-1(8): Message on Royal Assent
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Voting at 6 p.m. |
3-3. (2) If a standing vote is scheduled for, or in progress at, 6 p.m., the sitting shall not be suspended until the vote has been taken and any consequential business has been concluded. |
Ordinary time of adjournment |
3-4. Except as otherwise provided or ordered by the Senate, if the Senate is sitting at 4 p.m. on a Friday or at midnight on another sitting day, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings and declare the Senate adjourned until the next sitting day without the question being put.
EXCEPTIONS Rule 7-3(1)(c): Procedure for debate on motion to allocate time Rule 7-4(2): Debate to continue beyond ordinary time of adjournment and no evening suspension Rule 8-4(8): Extension of sitting if required Rule 9-9: Adjournment suspended during vote Rule 9-10(7): No adjournment until after deferred vote Rule 13-6(6): Continuation of debate on motion on case of privilege beyond ordinary time of adjournment on first day of debate Rule 13-6(10): Where Orders of the Day not completed Rule 16-1(4): Adjournment delayed after receipt of message Rule 16-1(8): Message on Royal Assent
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Item under debate at adjournment |
3-5. (1) Any item of business under consideration at the ordinary time of adjournment shall be an order of the day for the next sitting. |
Orders of the Day not disposed of at adjournment |
3-5. (2) When the Senate is adjourned, any order of the day not then disposed of shall be an order of the day for the next sitting. |
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Adjournment Periods
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Recall of Senate during adjournment |
3-6. (1) Whenever the Senate stands adjourned, the Speaker may, if satisfied that the public interest so requires, recall it to meet earlier than the date and time stipulated in the adjournment order. |
Adjournment extended |
3-6. (2) Whenever the Senate stands adjourned, if the Speaker is satisfied that the public interest does not require the Senate to meet at the date and time stipulated in the adjournment order, the Speaker shall, after consulting the Leader of the Government, the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of any other recognized party, or their designates, determine an appropriate later date or time for the next sitting. |
Notification of recall or extension |
3-6. (3) When the Senate is recalled or an adjournment period is extended, the Speaker shall cause each Senator to be notified by the most effective means available of the date and time of the next sitting and, in the case of a recall, the reason. |
Non-receipt of notification |
3-6. (4) The non-receipt by any Senator of notification of the revised date and time of the next sitting does not affect its validity. |
Recall or extension if Speaker absent |
3-6. (5) In the absence of the Speaker, or when the office of Speaker is vacant, the Clerk may act for the purposes of this rule. |
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Quorum
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Quorum of 15 |
3-7. (1) A quorum of 15 Senators, including the Speaker, is required for the Senate to sit and conduct business.
REFERENCE Constitution Act, 1867, section 35
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Bells for quorum call |
3-7. (2) A Senator may at any time draw the attention of the Senate to a possible lack of quorum. The Speaker shall then cause any Senators nearby to be summoned and, if a quorum is not found within five minutes, the Speaker shall order the bells to ring for no more than 15 minutes. |
Lack of quorum during sitting |
3-7. (3) If a quorum has not been found after the bells have rung for 15 minutes, the Speaker shall adjourn the Senate until the next sitting day without the question being put. |
Business adjourned if lack of quorum |
3-7. (4) When the Senate adjourns for lack of a quorum, any item of business then under consideration, except an emergency debate, shall be an order of the day for the next sitting. |