Privilege motion
Topic: Parliamentary Procedure, Committees and Privileges · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A privilege motion is a notice given by a member saying that someone has breached the privileges of the House or its members. That someone may be a minister, another member or an outsider. A common charge is that a minister misled the House by hiding or twisting facts. The motion goes ahead only if the presiding officer (Speaker or Chairman) consents. It is then referred to the Committee of Privileges. The House decides any punishment on the committee's report.
Example
An opposition MP may say a minister gave the House false figures. The MP then gives a privilege motion. If the Speaker agrees, the case goes to the Committee of Privileges for inquiry.
Don't confuse with
- Censure motion: this criticises the government or a minister for a policy or action, and the government need not resign if it passes. A privilege motion alleges a breach of the House's privileges and leads to an inquiry.
Related concepts
- Parliamentary privileges
- Individual privileges
- Collective privileges
- Bar on courts inquiring into parliamentary proceedings
- Breach of privilege
- Contempt of the House
- Committee of Privileges
- Ethics Committee
- Keshav Singh case
- Raja Ram Pal case