Substantive Motion in Parliament: Meaning, Features, Examples and Importance

Context

Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey has submitted a notice for a substantive motion against the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

About Parliamentary Motions

• The term “motion” broadly refers to any formal proposal placed before the House to obtain its decision.
• To determine the collective view of the House on any issue under consideration, the matter must be introduced by a member through a motion.
• All decisions of the House are reached by putting a question from the Chair on a motion submitted by a member, which is then accepted or rejected.
• The question must restate the substance of the motion and be framed in a manner that clearly enables the House to record its decision.

Different types of motions in the Parliament

1)  Substantive Motion

• A substantive motion is an independent, self-contained proposal placed before a House of Parliament.
• It is framed in a manner that allows the House to arrive at a direct decision.
• Unlike procedural or incidental motions, it does not depend on another motion for its validity.

Key Characteristics of a Substantive Motion

• Clearly states the action or decision sought from the House.
• Is capable of being debated and voted upon on its own merits.
• Is required when:
  • Seeking the House’s opinion on a significant issue
  • Raising matters involving the conduct of individuals in high constitutional or public positions

Procedural Authority and Admissibility

• The Presiding Officer of the House must admit a substantive motion.
• In the Lok Sabha, this authority rests with Om Birla, the Speaker.
• The Speaker may:
  • Admit the motion
  • Reject it
  • Or allow alternative procedural routes as per the rule

Substitute Motions

• Motions proposed in place of an original motion dealing with a policy, situation, statement, or related matter are known as substitute motions.
• Although framed to independently express an opinion of the House, substitute motions are not purely substantive, as their existence is contingent upon the original motion.
• A substitute motion functions as an alternative proposal to the motion already under consideration, offering a different viewpoint or course of action.
• Once the original motion for taking a matter into consideration has been formally moved and the mover has completed the speech, the House enters the discussion stage.
• Before the discussion begins, any member may move a substitute motion, provided it aligns with the subject of the original motion and is worded to convey the House’s opinion.
• The substitute motion, similar in nature to an amendment, is taken up alongside the original motion for discussion.
• No amendments are allowed to a substitute motion.
• At the conclusion of the debate, only the substitute motion is put to vote, and not the original motion.

Subsidiary Motions

• Subsidiary motions are those that derive their relevance from another motion or from ongoing proceedings of the House.
• On their own, they do not express a final decision of the House and have no independent significance.
• Their purpose is to assist, modify, delay, or regulate the consideration of the main motion.

Types of Subsidiary Motions

1. Ancillary Motions

• These are motions customarily used in parliamentary practice to facilitate the regular conduct of business.
• They form part of the normal procedural flow of legislative work.
• Examples include:
  • Motion that a Bill be taken up for consideration
  • Motion that a Bill be passed

2. Superseding Motions

• These motions are independent in form but are moved during the debate on another motion.
• Their objective is to replace or override the original question before the House.
• They typically include motions of a delaying or diverting nature.
• In the context of a Bill under consideration, such motions may include:
  • Recommitting the Bill to a Select Committee
  • Recommitting the Bill to a Joint Committee of both Houses
  • Circulating the Bill for obtaining wider opinion
  • Adjourning consideration or debate on the Bill indefinitely or to a later date

3. Amendments

• Amendments are subsidiary motions that introduce an additional step of deliberation between the main question and its final decision.
• They may relate to:
  • Clauses of a Bill
  • A resolution
  • A motion

Amendments can also be proposed to specific clauses within a Bill, resolution, or motion.

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