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► Document D: Section 4
SECTION FOUR:
STANDING ORDERS
4.1 PURPOSE
4.1.1 Standing Orders are detailed rules for the running of Guild Council and General Meetings. They may be applied to Standing Committees of Guild Council, but on the whole such meetings should be run on a less formal basis, at the discretion of the Chairperson.
4.1.2 All mentions of quoracy and drafting amendments apply to Guild Council only.
4.1.3 The Chairperson shall be the sole arbiter of the Standing Orders, subject to the right of any member to challenge his/her ruling.
4.2 STANDING ORDERS
The Chairperson
4.2.1 The Chairperson of the Guild Council, or Vice-Chairperson, shall chair all General Meetings or meetings of Guild Council. In their absence, another member of Steering Committee shall take the Chair. Should no member of Steering Committee be present, a member of the Executive Committee shall take the Chair.
4.2.2 The Chairperson shall be responsible for keeping the meeting in order.
4.2.3 The Chairperson shall decide right of priority in speaking.
4.2.4 The Chairperson shall have the right to refuse discussion on any matter outside the authority of the meeting.
4.2.5 The Chairperson's ruling shall be final on all matters referred to him/her; if called in question, a challenge thereon may be submitted to the meeting as a procedural motion.
4.2.6 If the Chairperson is concerned with, or wishes to speak on, any matter before the meeting, (s)he may leave the chair with the meeting's permission. (S)he shall not otherwise participate in debate.
4.2.7 While the Chairperson is standing, all other members shall resume their seats and be silent. When the Chair speaks, all other members shall be silent.
Speeches
4.2.8 All members shall normally stand when making a speech, and shall address their remarks through the Chairperson.
4.2.9 The Chairperson shall recommend at the beginning of each debate a time limit for speeches, which shall only be exceeded with the permission of the meeting.
4.2.10 No members may speak more than once on the same motion or amendment, except in exercising a right of reply through the summation.
Debate
4.2.11 There shall only be one motion before the meeting at any one time.
4.2.12 The proposer shall move the motion and it shall thereafter be open for discussion.
4.2.13 The Chair shall take speeches in the following order: for the motion or amendment; against the motion or amendment.
4.2.14 In the absence of any discussion, the Chair shall ask if there are any further speeches and if not shall put the motion or amendment to the vote following the summation.
4.2.15 No new information may be introduced during a summation speech, except in replying to points raised during the debate.
4.2.16 If an amendment, which has not been accepted by the proposer of a motion, is passed, then the proposer of the amendment shall be the proposer of the motion.
4.2.17 If a motion is put forward for discussion by Steering Committee, then Steering Committee may appoint a proposer and seconder and two opposers who shall speak on the motion in the order: proposer, opponent, seconder, opponent. Thereafter the debate shall be open for discussion. Proposers, seconders and opponents invited to speak on such a motion by Steering Committee need not be members of the Guild, and shall have automatic attendance and speaking rights.
Points of Information
4.2.18 Points of information may be raised by any member only whilst a speech is in progress. If the speaker gives way, the member raising the point of information shall put his/her point immediately. If the speaker refuses to give way, the member raising the point of information shall put his/her point at the end of the speech, or later in the speech if the speaker gives way then. Points of information shall either be questions asked of the speaker, or shall relate to facts that have been stated incorrectly or in such a way as to mislead the meeting. The Chair may allow extra time for a speaker who has been interrupted.
Order
4.2.19 No person may disrupt the meeting or use offensive or abusive language. In the event of anyone doing so, the Chair shall issue a caution. If the person continues his/her misconduct, then the Chair shall order him/her from the meeting.
4.2.20 "Points of Order" have precedence over all other business. They must relate to the conduct of the meeting and be framed as a question to the Chair. There shall be no discussion on points of order. Whilst a vote is being taken, points of order may only be raised if they relate to the actual conduct of the voting.
4.2.21 Points of order shall be heard in the following order:
a) Request for a ruling or interpretation
b) Request for a revote
c) Other points of order
Procedural Motions
4.2.22 The following procedural motions may be raised on a point of order:
a) Vote of no confidence in the Chair
b) Challenge to the Chair's ruling
c) That the motion be withdrawn
d) That a vote be taken immediately
e) That a specified standing order be suspended for a specified time, for a specified reason
f) That the meeting be adjourned for a specified time
g) That the matter, as specified, be remitted to another body or person, for
discussion and decision
h) That further discussion on the matter be postponed for a specified time
i) That a named person be not heard for a specified length of time
j) That a named person leaves the meeting
k) That the meeting be closed
l) Proposal of a drafting amendment
m) That a motion be voted on in parts
n) That a quorum count be taken
4.2.23 Procedural motions shall be debated in the order listed above.
4.2.24 Procedural motions may not be moved whilst any member is speaking on a point of order, or information, or during a vote.
4.2.25 Procedural motions require a simple majority (of those entitled to vote) to be carried, unless otherwise stated in the regulations. An abstention is not a vote.
4.2.26 If procedural motions a or b are moved, the Chair of the meeting shall hand over the Chair to one of those members listed in 4.2.1. The proposer shall state his/her case, the person who has just vacated the Chair shall reply and the matter will be put straight to the vote. In the event of procedural motion a being carried, the person thus no-confidenced shall not resume the Chair for the duration of the meeting.
4.2.27 If procedural motion d is moved, the Chair shall have discretion as to whether or not sufficient debate has taken place to justify the motion being immediately put to the meeting. If (s)he allows procedural motion d to be put, and it is carried, then the proposer shall immediately summate and the vote shall then be taken. If the Chair does not allow procedural motion d to be put, the debate shall continue unless two-thirds of the meeting vote that the procedural motion be put.
4.2.28 If procedural motions c - m are moved, the proposer shall state his/her case, there shall be one speech against and then the matter will be put straight to the vote.
4.2.29 If procedural motion e is moved, a two-thirds majority is needed to suspend a specified Standing Order. The Standing Order shall be suspended for a time specified by the proposer, and no standing order shall remain suspended after the meeting has closed.
4.2.30 Procedural Motion l may not be moved once the summation of the motion has begun. If this procedural motion has been moved, then it will be voted on at the end of the summation speech. This procedural motion may be moved more than once by different members during debate on the same motion. The mover of this procedural motion must clearly outline his/her amendments when moving the procedural motion.
4.2.31 If Procedural Motion n is put to a meeting of Guild Council, the Chair shall ask all Councillors to raise their valid voting slips, and a count shall be taken.
Voting
4.2.32 Voting at General Meetings shall be with valid student identity cards only, as determined by Steering Committee.
4.2.33 Voting at Guild Council shall be by valid voting slips only. After a vote, the Chair shall give his/her view of the vote. Any member of Guild Council may object to the Chair's view of the vote by asking for a count, in which case the numbers voting for and against shall be recorded in the minutes.
4.2.34 Tellers shall be appointed by the Chair at the start of the meeting.
4.2.35 The proposer of any motion or draft amendment shall have the right to sum up on the debate immediately before the vote is taken. (S)he may waive this right to any other person present.
4.2.36 No votes shall be recorded on behalf of any member not present.
4.2.37 Decisions shall be made by a simple majority of members present and voting, unless otherwise specified in the Constitution, Regulations or Standing Orders. An abstention is not a vote.
4.2.38 In the event of a tied vote the Chair shall have a casting vote. The Chair shall not otherwise have a vote.
4.2.39 Any member may contest the count by requesting a recount. The Chairperson shall have discretion to allow further recounts.
4.2.40 Motions may be voted on in parts, such that some parts may be passed and other rejected. A part is taken to be one or more sentences presented as one number point.
4.3 Additional Standing Orders covering Guild Council only
4.3.1 At the Chair's discretion, the meeting may move into informal debate. In this case, the following Standing Orders shall not apply:
a) No members may speak more than once on the same motion or amendment, except in exercising a right of reply through the summation on a motion or amendment.
b) The Chair shall take speeches in the following order: one speech for; one speech against.
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