Standing Rules of the Senate

The Senate administers itself through the adoption of a body of rules of operation. This page provides a full list of adopted rules with commentary, in addition to any floor or committee action on them. Rule proposals that have not been adopted, even if the Rules Committee has already approved them, are not listed.

The creation of new Rules and the operation of the Rules Committee are governed by Lex.H.21.

Rule 1 | Terms

Rule 1 provides a clear beginning and end to each term of the Senate: once all races are over and certified, or the First Clark begins, all new Senators are officially seated. This means that a term will typically begin on the 15th day of the month preceding the First Clark, barring any exceptional events.

1. Each new term of the Senate shall commence upon the publication by the Chancery and/or the respective provincial conducting officers of final results for all of the seats up for elections, or the beginning of a First Clark, whichever comes first.
2. Senators of the previous Senate who did not seek or lost reelection shall remain into office until the beginning of the next term.

Rule 2 | Lord President (Mençei)

Rule 2 codifies the process of electing a Mençei, what to do if there's no Mençei, and provides tools to the Senate to continue operation should the Mençei be unavailable for a certain period.

1. At the beginning of each new term, and whenever the position is vacant, the Senate shall choose a Lord President (Mençei) from among its members to perform the duties of the Chair.
2. Pending the election of a Mençei, the Dean of the Senate shall perform the duties of the Chair as Acting Mençei. Should the Dean of the Senate be absent or unwilling, seniority will be followed to select a replacement.
3. The Acting Mençei shall allow for nominations to be lodged for a period of at least a week from the beginning of a term. Should a Senator receive nominations from a majority of Senators, the nomination period shall end and the Senator be considered duly elected; otherwise, a ballot shall be held using Instant Runoff Voting. Seniority shall resolve any ties that may occur during any stage of elimination.
4. The Mençei shall have the right to name a Senator to perform the duties of the Chair as Deputy Mençei, should he or she be absent for a protracted period of time, and to name a Senator to represent him in any particular function he or she may hold by right of law.
5. Should the Mençei be absent without having named a replacement, the Senate shall be empowered to select a Senator to perform the duties of the Chair as Deputy Mençei, until such a time as the Mençei returns to the floor.