Specific powers of the chair

The Chair has a lot of influence on the proceedings of a meeting. The Chair may:

call on speakers to withdraw their remarks or apologise if they make offensive statements
order the removal of any person who persists in disorderly conduct
accept or reject motions from the floor, but the grounds for refusal need to be made clear to all participants

ensure that each speech is kept to five minutes or whatever time is specified in the standing orders, or to enable the discussion to be completed in the allocated time
make a final ruling on points of order and general procedures.

Grounds for refusal

The Chair must accept for discussion any correctly assembled motions. The Chair may decline to accept a motion if it:

is in conflict with any of the legal provisions of the body

proposes action beyond the legal powers of the body

attempts to reverse a motion lost at the same meeting

repeats an earlier decision or established policy

was not included in the meeting notice

is outside the powers of the constitution or standing orders

is irrelevant to the meeting

is redundant (has already been attended to)

is worded in objectionable language

is inconsistent with a previous decision

is unclear or ambiguous, is frivolous or obstructive.

What can participants do if they are unhappy with the Chair's performance or lose confidence in the Chair?

You may wish to refer to some of the material listed in the ValleyView Intranet or Library.

Submit your response to the ValleyView Meeting room, under the topic Powers of the Chair, and ask for comments to be posted back. Make sure you respond to at least one other posting.

Use the menu below to continue.

Meetings in progress

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