Order in the Senate and in Committee

(1) The President or the Chairman, after having called the attention of the Senate, or of the Committee, to the conduct of a Senator who persists in irrelevance, or tedious repetition either of his own arguments or of the arguments used by other Senators in debate, may direct him to discontinue his speech and to resume his seat. (2) Any Senator may, after the President or Chairman, as the case may be, has under paragraph (1) of this Standing Order once called the attention of the Senate or Committee to the conduct of a Senator who persists in irrelevance or tedious repetition of his own arguments or of the arguments used by other Senators in the debate, move that the Senator be no longer heard and such Motion shall be put forthwith without amendment or debate. (3) The President or the Chairman shall order any Senator to withdraw immediately from the Senate during the remainder of the day’s sitting and may direct such steps to be taken, as are required, to enforce such order– (a) where the conduct of such Senator is grossly disorderly; or (b) where such Senator has used objectionable, abusive, insulting or offensive words or language or unparliamentary expressions, and, on being called to order, has refused to withdraw such words or language or expressions, and has not offered an apology for the use thereof to the satisfaction of the (4) If an order under paragraph (3) of this Standing Order be not complied with at once, or if, on any occasion, the President Belize Constitution 133 or the Chairman considers that his powers under that paragraph are inadequate, he may name such Senator in pursuance of paragraph (5) or paragraph (6) of this Standing (5) If a Senator disregards the authority of the Chair, or abuses the rules of the Senate by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business of the Senate or otherwise, the President shall direct the attention of the Senate thereto, mentioning by name the Senator concerned. The President shall then call upon a Minister, and if no Minister be present any other Senator to move “That Mr..……………………………… be suspended from the service of the Senate”, and the President shall forthwith put the question, no seconder being required and no amendment, adjournment or debate being allowed. (6) If the offence specified in paragraph (5) of this Standing Order has been committed in a Committee of the whole Senate, the Chairman shall forthwith suspend the proceedings of the Committee and, as soon as the Senate has resumed, shall report the circumstances to the Senate, whereupon the procedure provided for in the preceding paragraph shall be followed. (7) If a Senator is suspended under any provisions of this Standing Order, his suspension shall continue until it is terminated by resolution of the Senate or if no such resolution is come to, until the end of the session. (8) Not more than one Senator shall be named at the same time, unless several Senators present together have jointly disregarded the authority of the Chair. (9) A Senator who is ordered to withdraw under the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Standing Order, or who is suspended under the provisions of paragraphs (5) to (7) of this Order, shall forthwith leave the Senate and its precincts. A Senator who is suspended shall not be entitled to attend any sitting of the Senate, or enter the Senate or its precincts, until the termination of his suspension. 134 Belize Constitution (10) If any Senator, who has been ordered to withdraw or who has been suspended under this Standing Order, refuses at any time to obey the direction of the President to withdraw from the Senate and its precincts, the President shall call the attention of the Senate to the fact that recourse to force is necessary in order to compel obedience to his direction, and the Senator named by him as having so refused to obey his direction shall thereupon without further question be suspended from the service of the Senate during the remainder of the Session. (11) If resort to force is necessary, the President may suspend the sitting during the removal of the Senator and invoke the assistance of any police officer in ejecting the offending Senator and such officer shall, for the purpose of this Order, be deemed to be an officer of the Senate. (12) A Senator, who is directed to withdraw or who is suspended under this Standing Order, shall not be entitled to attend the sitting from which he was directed to withdraw or in a case of suspension to attend any sitting or enter the precincts of the Senate until the termination of his suspension. (13) In the case of grave disorder arising in the Senate, the President may, if he thinks it necessary to do so, adjourn the Senate without question put, or suspend the sitting for a time to be named by him. (14) Any remuneration to which a Senator is entitled as a Senator shall cease for the period of his suspension. (15) Nothing in this Standing Order shall be taken to deprive the Senate of the power of proceeding against any Senator according to any resolution of the Senate. CAP. 4.