Prorogatio

Prorogation ceremony 9 September 2019

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Westminster system, Legislative session, Political terminology, Prorogation, Government, Legislatures, Political systems, Prorogatio, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament of Singapore, House of Lords, Prorogation Act

Atat the end of business on 9 September a prorogation ceremony took place.

Key Points: 
  • Atat the end of business on 9 September a prorogation ceremony took place.
  • The Supreme Court judgment of 24 September 2019 found this prorogation to be unlawful meaning that the 2017-19 parliamentary session will resume on 25 September 2019.
  • Prorogation marks the formal end of the Parliamentary session.
  • It usually takes the form of an announcement, read on behalf of the Queen, in the House of Lords chamber.

Prorogation ceremony 9 September 2019

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Westminster system, Legislative session, Political terminology, Prorogation, Government, Legislatures, Political systems, Prorogatio, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament of Singapore, House of Lords, Prorogation Act

Atat the end of business on 9 September a prorogation ceremony took place.

Key Points: 
  • Atat the end of business on 9 September a prorogation ceremony took place.
  • The Supreme Court judgment of 24 September 2019 found this prorogation to be unlawful meaning that the 2017-19 parliamentary session will resume on 25 September 2019.
  • Prorogation marks the formal end of the Parliamentary session.
  • It usually takes the form of an announcement, read on behalf of the Queen, in the House of Lords chamber.

Urgent question on Northern Ireland

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Countries, Military of ancient Rome, Prorogatio, Roman Republic, Roman law, Islands, Parliament of Singapore, IRELAND, Ancient Rome

The Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tony Lloydhas asked an urgentquestion on the impact of prorogation (suspension of Parliament) on governance in Northern Ireland.

Key Points: 
  • The Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tony Lloydhas asked an urgentquestion on the impact of prorogation (suspension of Parliament) on governance in Northern Ireland.
  • The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Julian Smith,told MPs,
    "I will publish a report on or before the 9th of October to update on progress.
  • Democratically elected politicians in Northern Ireland are best placed to take the decisions needed to support hospitals, schools and the police.
  • But can I ask the Secretary of State very specifically, does he accept that there are real dangers during the period of prorogation in terms of governance of Northern Ireland?"

Urgent question on Northern Ireland

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Countries, Military of ancient Rome, Prorogatio, Roman Republic, Roman law, Islands, Parliament of Singapore, IRELAND, Ancient Rome

The Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tony Lloydhas asked an urgentquestion on the impact of prorogation (suspension of Parliament) on governance in Northern Ireland.

Key Points: 
  • The Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Tony Lloydhas asked an urgentquestion on the impact of prorogation (suspension of Parliament) on governance in Northern Ireland.
  • The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Julian Smith,told MPs,
    "I will publish a report on or before the 9th of October to update on progress.
  • Democratically elected politicians in Northern Ireland are best placed to take the decisions needed to support hospitals, schools and the police.
  • But can I ask the Secretary of State very specifically, does he accept that there are real dangers during the period of prorogation in terms of governance of Northern Ireland?"

Prorogation of Parliament

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
Westminster system, Prorogation, Government, Legislatures, Legislative session, Political systems, Prorogatio, Parliament of the United Kingdom, Parliament of Singapore, Prorogation in Canada, Section 5 of the Constitution of Australia

Tuesday, June 11, 2019This briefing paper explains what it means to "prorogue" Parliament, under what authority it is done, and what its consequences are. It also provides historical and international context for prorogation, and explains its relevance to the Brexit process.

Key Points: 


Prorogation is the means (otherwise than by dissolution) by which a Parliamentary session is brought to an end.

Prerogative power

  • It is a prerogative power exercised by the Crown on the advice of the Privy Council.
  • The less immediate effects typically take on a greater significance when the period of prorogation is longer.

Immediate effects of prorogation

  • Prorogation brings to an end the proceedings in both Houses for the current Parliamentary session.
  • Select committee inquiries continue, though no committee may meet during Prorogation; statutory periods for Parliamentary consideration of secondary legislation are suspended over Prorogation, but the legislation itself does not fall.

Wider effects of prorogation

  • A prolonged prorogation reduces the influence of Parliament over the way the country is governed.
  • The main limitations on what the Government can do during prorogation are that it cannot pass primary legislation and it cannot secure approval for further supply (i.e.

Length of prorogation in the UK


    The typical recent duration of a UK Parliament’s prorogation has been very short. Since the 1980s prorogation has rarely lasted longer than two weeks (and, between sessions during a Parliament, has typically lasted less than a week). It has always led either to the dissolution of the current Parliament (prior to a General Election) or the start of a new Parliamentary session.

International examples of prorogation

  • In other Westminster systems and in recent years, prorogation has occasionally been a more controversial issue.
  • While the answer to this question has depended in part on the specific constitutional arrangements of the country in question, international examples have nevertheless illustrated the competing constitutional interests at stake in all Westminster systems, including that of the UK.

Prorogation and Brexit

  • Secondly, a long prorogation has been mooted as an option to deliver a “no-deal” Brexit. The premise of such an idea is that MPs opposed to leaving without a deal could not then use Parliamentary procedure or legislation to frustrate that outcome if it were to become Government policy. This is possible because the default position in EU law is that the UK leaves the EU on 31 October 2019 without a deal unless:
    • a Withdrawal Agreement is ratified;
    • a further extension of Article 50 is secured (which requires both the European Council and the UK Government to agree to it); or
    • the United Kingdom revokes its notification of intent to withdraw.
  • Prorogation has been raised in two specific contexts in the Brexit debate.
  • A long prorogation has been defended by its advocates as a means of honouring the referendum result from June 2016.