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Explainer
What Are Standing Orders?
The rulebook that governs how a legislature actually conducts its business.
The Legislative Centre · Published May 2026
- Legislature & Parliamentary Practice
- Governance & Leadership
Standing Orders are the procedural rules adopted by a legislative House to organise its business. They govern matters such as sittings, debate, committees, questions, motions, Bills and the authority of the presiding officer.
Standing Orders
The formal rules of procedure adopted by a legislative House to govern how it conducts its business.
Frequently asked
- Can Standing Orders be changed?
- Yes -- a House may amend its own Standing Orders, typically through a defined procedural process.
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