Legal Definitions - order paper

An order paper is an official document, often published daily or for each sitting, that outlines the planned business and agenda for a legislative body, such as a parliament, congress, or city council. It lists the items to be discussed, debated, or voted upon, typically in the sequence they are expected to be addressed. This document serves as a crucial guide for members of the body and the public, detailing upcoming proceedings.

• Imagine the Canadian House of Commons preparing for a new sitting day. The Clerk's office would publish the "Order Paper and Notice Paper," which would list all the government bills scheduled for second reading, private members' motions awaiting debate, and specific questions that Members of Parliament have submitted to ministers for oral or written answers.

  This illustrates the order paper as a comprehensive daily agenda for a national legislature, guiding the day's proceedings and informing all participants about the scheduled business.

• A local city council in a large metropolitan area is holding its weekly meeting. Before the meeting, residents and council members receive an "order paper" that details the agenda. It might include a motion to approve a new zoning bylaw, a debate on the city's annual budget, and a public hearing regarding a proposed new park development.

  Here, the order paper functions as the official agenda for a municipal legislative body, allowing both elected officials and the public to understand the specific items that will be addressed and in what order.

• A parliamentary committee tasked with reviewing environmental legislation is scheduled to meet. The committee's "order paper" for that day might list specific clauses of a bill to be examined, a motion to call expert witnesses for testimony, and a proposal to draft amendments to the legislation.

  This example demonstrates that an order paper can also be used at the committee level within a larger legislative body, providing a structured agenda for its focused work on specific issues or bills.