Paragraph 44 The Speaker and Deputy Speaker
United Kingdom
When the F1Parliament first meets after a general election, or after the office of Speaker has fallen vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of the Parliament, and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business, the Parliament shall elect a person to be Speaker of the Parliament.
The Speaker shall be elected from among the F2elected members of the Parliament who are not members of the Cabinet or from among persons who are not members of the Parliament, and shall be elected by a majority of the votes of the elected members of the Parliament; but no person shall be elected as Speaker who is not qualified to be F3an elected member of the Parliament or who would for any reason be disqualified from being an elected member.
When the Parliament first meets after a general election, and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business except the election of a Speaker, it shall elect a member, from among the elected members of the Parliament who are not members of the Cabinet, to be the Deputy Speaker, by a majority of the votes of the elected members of the Parliament; and if the office of Deputy Speaker falls vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of the Parliament, the Parliament shall, as soon as convenient, elect another such member to that office.
A person shall vacate the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker—
on dissolution of the Parliament;
if he or she informs the Parliament, by writing under his or her hand addressed to the Parliament and received by the Clerk of the Parliament, that he or she resigns his or her office;
in any circumstances which, in the case of the Speaker, would cause him or her to vacate his or her seat if he or she were an elected member of the Parliament; or
in the case of the Deputy Speaker, if he or she ceases to be a member of the Parliament;
if on the date of his or her election as Speaker or Deputy Speaker he or she is a party to, or a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to, any contract with the Government, or if on any date after such election he or she or a firm in which he or she is a partner or a company of which he or she is a director or manager becomes a party to any such contract, or if he or she becomes a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to any such contract, and he or she does not, before the expiration of 30 days from the date in question, disclose to the Parliament or, if that is impracticable, to the Clerk of the Parliament in writing, the nature of such contract and his or her interest, or the interest of such firm or company, in it and the Parliament does not exempt him or her from vacating his or her office under this paragraph;
if he or she becomes a member of the Cabinet; or
on the passing, by the votes of two-thirds of the elected members of the Parliament, of a motion expressing no confidence in him or her as Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
Word in Sch. 2 substituted (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(3) of the amending S.I.) by The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Amendment) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/1128), art. 8(1) (with arts. 4, 8(2))
- F2
Word in Sch. 2 substituted (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Amendment) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/1128), art. 9(1) (with art. 4)
- F3
Words in Sch. 2 s. 44(2) substituted (coming into force in accordance with art. 1(4) of the amending S.I.) by The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution (Amendment) Order 2024 (S.I. 2024/1128), art. 9(4) (with art. 4)