Days of Meeting

(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this Standing Order the House shall meet on Fridays, and every adjournment of the House shall be to the next Friday unless the House upon a Motion moved by a Minister or a member of the Constitution and Foreign Affairs, Privileges, Standing Orders, House and Regulations Committee otherwise decides. Notice of such a Motion shall not be required, and the question thereon shall be put without amendment or debate, provided that in every year there shall be three periods of six weeks each, the first commencing from the Saturday preceding Holy Week, the second from the first day of August and the third from the seventeenth day of December, during which the House shall not meet except in pursuance of a summons issued under paragraph (2) of this Standing Order. (2) If at any time when the House stands adjourned pursuant to its own order it is represented to the Speaker by a Minister or by a resolution of the Constitution and Foreign Affairs, Privileges, Standing Orders, House and Regulations Committee that there is urgent necessity for the House to meet upon a day 24 Belize Constitution earlier than the day to which the House stands adjourned, the Speaker may, if he is satisfied that such urgent necessity exists, direct the Clerk to summon a meeting of the House for such time on such day, whether Friday or otherwise, as the Speaker may determine. (3) Every direction under paragraph (2) of this Standing Order shall be in writing and shall be signed by the Speaker and shall bear the date upon which it is given to the Clerk and shall specify the business to be transacted at such meeting. (4) Forthwith upon receipt of any direction under paragraph (3) of this Standing Order, the Clerk shall inform every Member, as expeditiously as possible and personally if practicable, of the day and hour appointed by the Speaker for the holding of the special meeting of the House and of the business to be transacted at such meeting. (5) Except by leave of the House, no business other than the business specified in the directive under paragraph (2) of this Standing Order shall be transacted at any special meeting of the House under the said paragraph.