Premature Publication of Evidence

“82. The proceedings of, and the evidence taken before, any Select Committee and any documents presented to and decisions of such a Committee shall not be published by any member thereof or by any other person, before the Committee has presented its Report to the Assembly. 83.

(1) Every Select Committee shall, before the end of the session in which it was appointed, make a report to the Assembly upon matters referred to it, but where a Select Committee finds itself unable to conclude its investigation before the end of the session, it may so report to the Assembly.

(2) A report of a Select Committee may contain the opinions and observations of the Committee, and may be accompanied by the Minutes of evidence taken before the Committee.

(3) A Select Committee may make a Special Report relating to its powers, functions and proceedings on any matters that it thinks fit to bring to the notice of the Assembly.

(4) The Chairman of the Select Committee shall prepare a draft report and submit it for the consideration of the Committee; but alternative drafts may be submitted for consideration by any other member at the request of the Chairman.

(5) The report finally to be adopted shall be such as is agreed to, with amendments (if any) by all members of the Select Committee or, failing unanimous agreement, then such as is agreed to by a majority of the members.

(6) Any member dissenting from the report of a majority of the Committee may put in a concise written statement of his reasons for such dissent, and such statement shall be appended to the report; or, if he so desires he may submit a Minority Report.

(7) The report of a Select Committee shall be present to the Assembly by the Chairman or other member deputed by the Committee, including any Minority Report and shall be ordered to be laid on the Table of the Assembly and be printed, without question put.

(8) The Minutes of Proceedings of a Select Committee shall record:- (a) the names of the members present each day of the sitting of the Committee; (b) the names of the witness examined; (c) in the event of a division taking place, the question proposed, the names of the proposer and the respective votes thereon of the members present and the names of the members (if any) who declined to vote.

(9) The Minutes of the proceedings of a Select Committee shall accompany the Report of the Committee, and shall be dealt with as the Assembly may direct.

(10) The Report of Select Committee may be taken into consideration by the Assembly on a motion “That the Report of the Select Committee on ………………… be adopted”. Such a motion may be submitted to the Clerk of the Assembly to be kept as a part of the records of the Assembly.”