ModParl: Deep Dive on Changes to Procedural Rules

Written By Beatriz Rey

The global #YearofElections continues with parliamentary elections next month in Azerbaijan and Jordan.

Bangladesh’s parliament was dissolved and Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus tapped to lead an interim government that will soon hold elections following student-led protests that caused the prime minister to resign and flee the country.

Around the world, newly elected MPs are taking office. In South Africa, an actual red carpet (with red carpet commentators) awaited MPs as they arrived for the Opening of Parliament address on Mandela Day.

In the UK, a record 335 new MPs took office last month. The previous record was 327 in the 1945 election. The new Parliament will also be the country’s most diverse in history. And in Rwanda, more than half of the 80 members of the newly elected lower chamber are women.

The weather has been tough for legislative politics in India: heavy rains have leaked into the new parliament building (inaugurated just last year).

For the legislative nerds out there, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has prepared a 60-second quiz about knowledge on parliamentary issues. It looks fun!

This month we’re highlighting:

  • New Zealand’s House of Representatives’ approach to changing procedural rules

  • A conversation with Paul Evans, former Clerk of the British House of Commons

  • Lots of news from legislatures around the world!

Please forward this to any colleagues you believe would benefit, and feel free to reach out! We are always happy to connect with fellow enthusiasts of legislative institutions around the world.

Beatriz Rey, Ph.D.

Dispatch from New Zealand: A new approach to changing procedural rules

This month, we had the chance to speak with Paul Evans, former Clerk of the British House of Commons, about reforming legislative procedures. You can find the interview transcript here and a summary of the conversation here. As an example of good practice, Evans cited New Zealand’s approach to procedural changes, in which rules are reassessed after the end of the three-year legislative cycle rather than at the beginning of the legislative cycle, as it is common in many legislatures.

According to David Wilson, Clerk of New Zealand’s House of Representatives, the timing of these reassessments changed from the beginning to the end of each legislative session after 1985. In his Ph.D. dissertation, he argues that this change was important because it highlights the nonpartisan nature of procedures. “At the point in the parliamentary cycle when the rules and practices of the House are changed, no one knows who will form the next government. Changes made to the advantage of the incumbent government may be less welcome if it finds itself in opposition,” he adds.

At the end of each legislative cycle, legislators engage with the House of Representatives’ Standing Orders Committee (which is responsible for making rules) to reassess existing procedures and study how they can be improved. Citizens are also invited to give their input during this process. As Wilson explains in another article, most of these changes seek to improve the legislative process or oversight over government. The Standing Orders Committee writes a report explaining all changes, which are adopted in the next legislative cycle.

Reimagining Parliamentary Procedures: Insights from a Veteran Clerk of the UK House of Commons

Paul Evans served as Clerk of the British House of Commons from 1981 to 2019. His decades of experience provide a unique perspective on how parliaments can adapt to modern challenges while maintaining their core democratic functions. This is a summary of his recent conversation with POPVOX Foundation Fellow Beatriz Rey.

Read

On Our Radar

The Wroxton Workshop (Wroxton, UK)

The 16th Workshop of Parliamentary Scholars and Parliamentarians was held in July 2024 at Wroxton College, UK. Organized by Lord Philip Norton and the University of Hull's Centre for Legislative Studies, with IPU cosponsorship, this biennial event has connected legislative scholars and parliamentarians worldwide since 1994. Participants share research findings and practical experiences, fostering dialogue between academia and legislative practice. The next workshop is scheduled for 2026.

III Taller Internacional de Académicos y Parlamentario (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

The “III Taller Internacional de Académicos y Parlamentarios” (International Workshop of Academics and Parliamentarians), focused on "Democracy and Parliaments: Past, Present, and Future," took place Monday in Buenos Aires. Organized by Austral University's CIDEIPP, the University of Luxembourg, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation, the event gathered experts to discuss parliamentary evolution. The workshop, supported by various national and international institutions, aimed to foster dialogue on modernizing parliaments and strengthening democratic representation. (Agenda and Video)

Africa Regional Conference on Parliament and Legislation (AFRIPAL) Call for Papers & Panels

AFRIPAL is inviting submissions for the Inaugural Africa Regional Conference on Parliament and Legislation to be held outside Kampala in June 2025. The conference organizers welcome proposals for papers, panels, and sessions that address the issues facing African parliaments and legislative processes. Submission deadline is August 15, 2024.

Researchers, academics, parliamentarians, policy makers, and practitioners are encouraged to submit their work. The conference aims to foster a diverse and comprehensive dialogue on the challenges and opportunities for parliamentary democracy in Africa.

News from Brazil

Our own Beatriz Rey, author of the new book MyNews Explica - Congresso Brasileiro, was referenced in a discussion on The Brazil Report about the relationship between Brazil’s president and Congress.

Speaking of the Brazilian Congress: legislators have recently created its first, cross-partisan Black caucus in the House of Representatives.

Trust in Public Institutions Continues Decline

A new report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and and Development (OECD) finds that 44% of respondents in 30 countries have low or no trust in their government and only 39% have high or moderately high trust. Trust in the police, the judicial system, the civil service and local government is higher than in national parliaments and political parties.

Modernization in the UK

In the speech marking the State Opening of Parliament, the British King announced the creation of a modernization committee in the House of Commons. “The government will propose a modernisation committee which will be tasked with driving up standards, improving work practices and reforming procedures.” The Commons held a debate on the proposal on July 22.

Resources for New MPs

Also in the UK: civil society organizations and scholars worked together to produce a comprehensive (nonpartisan) “MP OfficeManual.” Created through a year-long collaboration between civil society groups like MySociety, Doing Good, Campaign Lab, and ToryTechs, along with various scholars and practitioners, the guide provides resources for new MPs setting up their offices. Drawing on interviews, surveys, and existing resources, this manual covers everything from recruitment to policy development, aiming to enhance the effectiveness of MPs' offices and ultimately strengthen UK democracy.

Celebrating the Modern Commonwealth

The July 2024 issue of The Parliamentarian celebrates the 75th anniversary of “the modern Commonwealth.” The celebration refers to the signing of the London Declaration in 1949, which replaced the legacy of the British Empire with a partnership among members of the commonwealth.

Legislative Diplomacy

Federico M. Fernandez, Head of Institutional Strengthening Programmes at the Senado de la Nación Argentina makes the case (in Spanish) for parliamentary diplomacy as an essential tool in contemporary international relations, with a focus on relations between the US and Argentina.

Authors Share AI Guidelines for Parliaments

Dr. Fotios Fitsilis, Head of Department at the Scientific Service of the Hellenic Parliament, shares background on the development of the recently released guidelines for the use of AI in parliaments.

Right: Guidelines for AI in Parliaments co-authors: Zsolt Szabó, Juan De Dios Cincunegui, Fotios Fitsilis, Jörn von Lucke, Franklin De Vrieze, Marci Harris, Andy Richardson

More on AI and parliaments:

  • IPU draft resolution on the impact of AI on democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, which will be finalized in its 149th Assembly in October

  • IPU’s new webpage on AI reporting on AI updates and its latest Innovation Tracker issue

  • Discussion on the role of AI in the recent protests in Kenya against corruption

Crowdsourcing Legislative Transparency

A new peer-reviewed article by Fotios Fitsilis and George Mikros describes the Hellenic Optical Character Recognition (OCR) team, a crowdsourcing initiative that processes and analyzes parliamentary textual data. Using survey data, the researchers find that OCR makes an important contribution for the digital evolution of parliaments, in particular for data accessibility and transparency. Three factors make the OCR initiative unique: its volunteering nature, its members’ adequate training, and its permanent character.

Report from the US

Committee on House Administration July 2024 AI Flash Report

The US House of Representatives has released a July 2024 report on AI use in Congress. It outlines how various legislative agencies are implementing AI technologies, from publishing and bill summaries to threat analysis and scientific research. The report highlights efforts to responsibly integrate AI into Congressional operations, including the use of secure language models for sensitive data and the application of AI guardrails in technology acquisitions. This update demonstrates Congress' ongoing commitment to modernizing its processes while maintaining security and ethical standards.

PlainLanguage.Gov

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) promotes the use of plain language for all government communications since the 1990s. To accomplish this, PLAIN has developed and maintained a website, managed a community of practice, and sponsored occasional seminars about plain language. The group is unfunded and works on a volunteer basis.

Their work is very similar to what the Parliamentary Counsel Office (PCO) does in New Zealand, with the difference that in the latter country, there is more integration between PCO and legislative activity in parliament. For instance, PCO produces and manages guidelines on how to produce accessible, fit-for-purpose, and constitutionally sound legislation within the legislature.

As highlighted in Reimagining Parliament, a collection of essays edited by David Judge and Cristina Leston-Bandeira (reviewed here), the commitment of policymakers to use plain language is key to reimagining citizen engagement.

House Digital Partnership on Citizen-Focused Lawmaking in Indonesia and Timor-Leste

In July 2024, the House Democracy Partnership conducted workshops in Indonesia and Timor-Leste on citizen engagement in lawmaking. The program, facilitated by the International Republican Institute, trained parliamentary staff on including public input in legislation. Sessions covered strategic communication, constituency engagement, and civil society consultation.

“Chevron” May Bring Changes for the US Congress

The US Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision overturning what was known as “Chevron deference” to federal agencies will require the US Congress to draft clearer laws. A recent webinar hosted by POPVOX Foundation explained the ruling and how it may impact the work of legislative staff.

Proposing New Rules for the 119th Congress

A new report titled "Renovating the People's House" offers recommendations for reforming the US House of Representatives' rules for the 119th Congress, starting January 2025. Authored by Zach Graves and Daniel Schuman from US civil society organizations, it suggests ways to modernize House procedures, empower representatives, and better serve constituents. The report builds on a decade of similar recommendations and incorporates input from Congressional experts. It demonstrates how non-governmental organizations in the US contribute to strengthening democratic institutions by proposing legislative reforms.

Future-Proofing Congress: How Member-Led Upgrades Are Optimizing Legislative Branch Capacity and Resilience

A new report from POPVOX Foundation offers a comprehensive look at recent bipartisan efforts to modernize the US Congress. The interactive guide details technological innovations, capacity improvements, and constituent engagement initiatives in the House of Representatives since 2019. It also provides recommendations for Members of Congress to advance more institutional improvements across both chambers.

Learn More

Upcoming Events

Tell us your stories!

POPVOX Foundation wants to learn about your experiences in parliaments across the globe. What are examples of progress in your legislative institutions that are happening quietly and would serve as positive examples to staffers from other countries? Don’t hesitate to reach out with your stories: beatriz@popvox.org.

About POPVOX Foundation

POPVOX Foundation is a US-based nonprofit with a mission to inform and empower people and make government work better for everyone. Its dedicated team of former Congressional staffers are united by an enduring commitment to democracy and the legislative process. Through initiatives like the Comparative Legislative Strengthening Project, POPVOX Foundation connects legislative modernizers around the world through a shared passion for public service that knows no borders.

Beatriz Rey
Previous

ModParl: Leveraging AI to Navigate Procedural Rules
Next

ModParl: July Edition