The Petitions to Parliament (Procedure) (Amendment) Bill, 2022
Status Timeline
Proposed
Active now
Public Review
Pending
Debate
Pending
Executive
Pending
Final
Pending
Petitioners Must Provide Emails and Phone Numbers
Amends Section 3 of the principal Act to require petitioners to provide detailed contact information—including physical addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers—instead of just standard addresses. This change aims to facilitate tracing and electronic communication for requests for clarification and replies.
New Requirements for Supporting Evidence
Introduces a new Section 3(2) requiring petitioners to attach documentary evidence of:
- Efforts made to have the matters raised in the petition addressed by a relevant body.
- Active court proceedings or judgments if the subject matter of the petition is pending before a court.
Committees Empowered to Reject Non-Compliant Petitions
Amends Section 4 of the principal Act to allow the parliamentary committee reviewing a petition to reject it under specific conditions:
- If the issues raised are pending before a court of law or other constitutional or legal body.
- If the petitioner fails to comply with committee directions to amend the petition to make it compliant with the Act.
Bill No.
No. 51 of 2022
Gazette No.
Supplement No. 181
Sponsor
Gladys Boss
Background
The Petitions to Parliament (Procedure) (Amendment) Bill, 2022 seeks to amend the Petitions to Parliament (Procedure) Act, 2012 (No. 22 of 2012). The primary objective of the Bill is to implement resolutions made by the 12th Parliament in its approval of the 5th Report of the Procedure and House Rules Committee on Amendments to the Standing Orders. By tightening petition submission guidelines, the Bill aims to streamline how public grievances are addressed and prevent Parliament from duplicating matters already active in the judicial system.
Key Amendments
Form of Petition (Section 3)
- Contact Information: Replaces the generic term "addresses" with "contact information, including physical addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers" to enable modern electronic communication with petitioners.
- Minors: Inserts provisions allowing minors to sign petitions.
- Substantiating Documents: Mandates that petitioners attach concrete evidence of their prior attempts to resolve the issue with relevant executive or regulatory bodies, as well as evidence of any court proceedings.
Review and Rejection Process (Section 4)
- Clerk's Role: The Clerk of the relevant House must convey each petition to the committee responsible for verifying compliance with the Act.
- Direction to Amend: If a petition is non-compliant, the committee may issue directions to the petitioner to amend it.
- Rejection Powers: The committee is formally empowered to reject a petition if the petitioner fails to comply with amendment directions, or if the subject matter is currently pending before a court or other legal/constitutional body.
Consideration and Notification (Section 5)
- Automatic Referral: Every petition, upon tabling, stands referred to the relevant committee in accordance with the House's Standing Orders.
- Mandatory Notification: The committee is required to notify the petitioner in writing of the final decision of the House.
New Obligations
- Petitioners must ensure that their submissions contain complete contact details, including active phone numbers and email addresses.
- Petitioners must attach evidence of prior dispute resolution attempts or relevant court records.
- Committees must issue written notifications to petitioners regarding parliamentary decisions on their petitions.
No updates tracked yet
Updates will be visible here once they are approved and applied to this bill.