PARLIAMENT

When a Government Bill is received in Parliament from a Ministry, which has been gazetted in terms of Article 78 of the Constitution, together with the observation of the Attorney General in terms of Article 77 of the Constitution and the Cabinet approval, the Bills Office shall forward it to the Table Office to place it in the Order Paper of Parliament for First Reading in terms of Standing Order 45.

After First Reading and the Bill is ordered to be printed, the Bills office shall allocate a number to the Bill and compare it in all three languages and cause it to be printed and distributed among all Members of Parliament and cause it to be placed in the Order Paper for Second Reading after lapse of seven days in terms of said Article 78 of the Constitution and Standing Order 45.

When a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court in terms of Article 121 of the Constitution against a Bill, such a Bill is fixed for Second Reading only after the determination of the Supreme Court is received in Parliament or after lapse of three weeks. The Bills Office shall cause both the receipt of the petition and the S.C. Determination to be announced in Parliament in terms of Standing Order 50.

In the case of a Bill certified by the Cabinet of Ministers as urgent in the national interest in terms of Article 122 of the Constitution is received in Parliament, the Bills Office shall cause such a Bill to be placed in the Order Paper for Second Reading after the determination of the Supreme Court is announced in Parliament in terms of Standing Orders 45 and 46 and compared in all three languages and printed and supplied to Members of Parliament. The Bills Office shall also cause the determination of the Supreme Court to be announced in Parliament.

When a Bill in the Concurrent List of the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution, Article 154G. (5)(a) is received in Parliament, the Bills Office shall cause an announcement to be made in Parliament to that effect and cause it to be placed in the Order Paper for First Reading. After the First Reading the Bill is compared in all three languages, printed and forwarded to all the Provincial Councils for their views on the Bill, in terms of Standing Order 46A.(2). After receipt of the views of Provincial Councils, the Bills Office has to prepare an announcement to be made in Parliament to that effect and cause the Bill to be placed in the Order Paper for Second Reading in terms of Standing Order 46A. (2)(b).

When any proposed Statute in the Concurrent List of the Ninth Schedule to the Constitution, Article 154G. (5)(b) is received in Parliament, the Bills Office shall cause an announcement to be made in Parliament to that effect and has to handle the Standing Committee when the Bill is referred to it in terms of Standing Order 46A.(3)(a). (For the procedure in the Standing Committees pl. see Para3 ) After the Standing Committee has considered the Statute, the Bills Office has to prepare a Report, compare in all three languages and cause it to be printed and tabled in Parliament and forwarded to the relevant Provincial Council in terms of Standing Order 46A.(3)(b).

In the case of the Appropriation Bill, the Bills Office will have to prepare an announcement to be made in Parliament immediately after the Budget Speech to hand over all amendments to be made to the Bill to the Secretary General of Parliament on or before a date as may be fixed by the Parliament.

After First Reading as mentioned in Para 1.1 to 1.7 above, the Bills are read a second time and are referred to the Committee of the Whole Parliament or to a Select Committee or to a Standing Committee in terms of Standing Order 52. When a Bill is referred to a Select Committee or to a Standing Committee, the Bill is considered only after the Committee has tabled the Report in Parliament in terms of Standing Order 63, 64 and 65.The Select Committees or Standing Committees to whom Bills are referred to are handled by the Bills Office of the Parliament. (For more details of the procedure in these Committees, pl. see Para 3).