Appendix 4: Rules of debate
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Much of the business in the courts of the Church is conducted in the form of Conversation. Therefore the Rules of Debate should be applied only when necessary, and then in such a way as not to impair the spirit of the meeting. The following Rules of Debate, while primarily of application to Conference, may be applied to all formal Church meetings.
1 Any Member wishing to address Conference shall rise and address the Presiding Bishop, and shall not proceed until called on.
2 All speeches shall be directed to the Presiding Bishop.
3 No Member shall remain standing during a discussion except the Member recognised by the Presiding Bishop.
4 No Member shall speak more than once on the same matter without the leave of Conference, except that the proposer of a resolution has the right to speak last in reply to the debate. The seconder of a motion may either speak in support when seconding or reserve the right to speak later. The proposer and seconder of an amendment have no right of reply.
5 The Presiding Bishop shall rule out of order any Member who violates the rules of debate or the regulations of Conference.
6 Where the formal business is not conducted by answer to Questions, it proceeds by way of proposing or moving a resolution which is then seconded, debated and voted upon. Only one motion shall be before Conference at a time.
7 No major matter may be brought before a Church meeting unless due notice has been given to the Members by including it in the notice of the meeting. In Synod or Conference notice of motion shall be given at the commencement of the meeting or, if the meeting agrees, one day’s notice shall be required. Notice is not required for matters introduced by any Department or Committee when dealing with its business. Where there are several notices of motion dealing with the same subject, Synod or Conference may draw them together in a single motion which seeks to capture the spirit of all the notices of motion.
8 No proposal shall be considered which is in conflict with an existing regulation or previous decision unless the existing regulation or previous decision is first considered and amended or rescinded.
9 Once a resolution has been moved and seconded it shall not be withdrawn without the consent of Conference.
10 The report of a Committee is received without motion but its adoption shall be moved and seconded.
11 During the debate, any Member may move an amendment to the motion. The amendment should not simply be a negative of the motion. When an amendment has been proposed and seconded, debate on the substantive motion ceases in favour of debate on the amended motion. The Presiding Bishop should ensure that Conference understands the entire motion, as amended, before debate on the amended motion begins.
12 The Presiding Bishop should not allow more than one amendment to be before Conference at a time.
13 If the amended motion is not agreed to by Conference, debate resumes on the original motion. If the amended motion is agreed to by Conference it becomes the substantive motion and may be further amended. If there is no further amendment or debate the amended motion, which is now the substantive motion, is voted on (again).
14 A Member may ask a question at the conclusion of any speech, thereby interrupting the proceedings.
15 A Member may interrupt the proceedings at any time by raising a Point of Order, which means that the Member believes that the rules of debate or the regulations of Conference have been violated. The Member who was addressing Conference shall be seated until the Presiding Bishop has decided the Point of Order.
16 At any time between speeches, a Member may propose closure of the debate. This shall be put to Conference without debate and if it is carried by a majority of two-thirds the Presiding Bishop shall allow the Member to speak who has the right of reply and shall then immediately put the motion to Conference.
17 At any point between speeches, a Member may propose that ‘the motion be not put’. If this is carried by Conference, with or without debate, the motion or amendment before Conference cannot be put and Conference proceeds to the next item of business.
18 The Presiding Bishop may decide when to close the debate, and unless Conference decides otherwise the vote shall then be taken. At the close of the debate (and after the proposer has had the right of reply) the motion or the motion as amended shall be read to Conference and the vote taken. No one should thereafter speak on the motion.
19 Voting may be by voice, show of hands, or ballot. If, after a vote by voice, the Presiding Bishop declares the result and no one challenges the decision then the result becomes final.
20 Members may abstain from voting but should do so only for good reason and not simply to avoid the duty to make a decision.
21 Reports submitted to Conference may be adopted if Conference approves them, or received if Conference wishes to include them in its records without approving or rejecting them, or merely noted when no further action is taken.
22 The proposer of a resolution or, where it is amended, the proposer of an amendment, should reduce the resolution to writing and submit it to the Secretary.
23 Conference may appoint Committees to deal with matters brought before it. Conference should decide the members of the Committee, its convener, powers of co-option if any, terms of reference and power to act. Committees shall report as required by Conference.
24 When an election is made, except where otherwise provided, each nominee should be nominated and seconded before the next nomination is taken. Before voting takes place the Presiding Bishop should announce the position to be filled, the names of the persons nominated and the number of votes each Member has (when more than one position has to be filled from the same list of nominations). After the vote the Presiding Bishop shall announce the result.
25 Unless otherwise specified, a quorum for any meeting is one more than half the Members. Decisions taken at a meeting when no quorum is present could be set aside if challenged in a court of law.
26 Conference may resolve ‘to meet in Committee’ whereupon only members of Conference may be present. Conference shall resume after adoption of the motion that ‘Conference now resumes, and the acts and decisions of Conference in committee be the acts and decisions of Conference’.
| << Appendix 3 | Table of Contents | Appendix 5 >> |
Much of the business in the courts of the Church is conducted in the form of Conversation. Therefore the Rules of Debate should be applied only when necessary, and then in such a way as not to impair the spirit of the meeting. The following Rules of Debate, while primarily of application to Conference, may be applied to all formal Church meetings.
1 Any Member wishing to address Conference shall rise and address the Presiding Bishop, and shall not proceed until called on.
2 All speeches shall be directed to the Presiding Bishop.
3 No Member shall remain standing during a discussion except the Member recognised by the Presiding Bishop.
4 No Member shall speak more than once on the same matter without the leave of Conference, except that the proposer of a resolution has the right to speak last in reply to the debate. The seconder of a motion may either speak in support when seconding or reserve the right to speak later. The proposer and seconder of an amendment have no right of reply.
5 The Presiding Bishop shall rule out of order any Member who violates the rules of debate or the regulations of Conference.
6 Where the formal business is not conducted by answer to Questions, it proceeds by way of proposing or moving a resolution which is then seconded, debated and voted upon. Only one motion shall be before Conference at a time.
7 No major matter may be brought before a Church meeting unless due notice has been given to the Members by including it in the notice of the meeting. In Synod or Conference notice of motion shall be given at the commencement of the meeting or, if the meeting agrees, one day’s notice shall be required. Notice is not required for matters introduced by any Department or Committee when dealing with its business. Where there are several notices of motion dealing with the same subject, Synod or Conference may draw them together in a single motion which seeks to capture the spirit of all the notices of motion.
8 No proposal shall be considered which is in conflict with an existing regulation or previous decision unless the existing regulation or previous decision is first considered and amended or rescinded.
9 Once a resolution has been moved and seconded it shall not be withdrawn without the consent of Conference.
10 The report of a Committee is received without motion but its adoption shall be moved and seconded.
11 During the debate, any Member may move an amendment to the motion. The amendment should not simply be a negative of the motion. When an amendment has been proposed and seconded, debate on the substantive motion ceases in favour of debate on the amended motion. The Presiding Bishop should ensure that Conference understands the entire motion, as amended, before debate on the amended motion begins.
12 The Presiding Bishop should not allow more than one amendment to be before Conference at a time.
13 If the amended motion is not agreed to by Conference, debate resumes on the original motion. If the amended motion is agreed to by Conference it becomes the substantive motion and may be further amended. If there is no further amendment or debate the amended motion, which is now the substantive motion, is voted on (again).
14 A Member may ask a question at the conclusion of any speech, thereby interrupting the proceedings.
15 A Member may interrupt the proceedings at any time by raising a Point of Order, which means that the Member believes that the rules of debate or the regulations of Conference have been violated. The Member who was addressing Conference shall be seated until the Presiding Bishop has decided the Point of Order.
16 At any time between speeches, a Member may propose closure of the debate. This shall be put to Conference without debate and if it is carried by a majority of two-thirds the Presiding Bishop shall allow the Member to speak who has the right of reply and shall then immediately put the motion to Conference.
17 At any point between speeches, a Member may propose that ‘the motion be not put’. If this is carried by Conference, with or without debate, the motion or amendment before Conference cannot be put and Conference proceeds to the next item of business.
18 The Presiding Bishop may decide when to close the debate, and unless Conference decides otherwise the vote shall then be taken. At the close of the debate (and after the proposer has had the right of reply) the motion or the motion as amended shall be read to Conference and the vote taken. No one should thereafter speak on the motion.
19 Voting may be by voice, show of hands, or ballot. If, after a vote by voice, the Presiding Bishop declares the result and no one challenges the decision then the result becomes final.
20 Members may abstain from voting but should do so only for good reason and not simply to avoid the duty to make a decision.
21 Reports submitted to Conference may be adopted if Conference approves them, or received if Conference wishes to include them in its records without approving or rejecting them, or merely noted when no further action is taken.
22 The proposer of a resolution or, where it is amended, the proposer of an amendment, should reduce the resolution to writing and submit it to the Secretary.
23 Conference may appoint Committees to deal with matters brought before it. Conference should decide the members of the Committee, its convener, powers of co-option if any, terms of reference and power to act. Committees shall report as required by Conference.
24 When an election is made, except where otherwise provided, each nominee should be nominated and seconded before the next nomination is taken. Before voting takes place the Presiding Bishop should announce the position to be filled, the names of the persons nominated and the number of votes each Member has (when more than one position has to be filled from the same list of nominations). After the vote the Presiding Bishop shall announce the result.
25 Unless otherwise specified, a quorum for any meeting is one more than half the Members. Decisions taken at a meeting when no quorum is present could be set aside if challenged in a court of law.
26 Conference may resolve ‘to meet in Committee’ whereupon only members of Conference may be present. Conference shall resume after adoption of the motion that ‘Conference now resumes, and the acts and decisions of Conference in committee be the acts and decisions of Conference’.
| << Appendix 3 | Table of Contents | Appendix 5 >> |