Quorum

[webofevil]

Someone checked the rules at work yesterday. To form a quorum in the Lords requires just three peers, one of them acting as Speaker. They can vote, but just on general procedural matters. The Speaker can also vote, but it can't be the casting vote. This seems fairly pointless, as the only reason there would be a vote in the first place is that the other two couldn't agree, so every vote would look like this:

Contents: 1

Not Contents: 1

However—and this becomes a real issue in a senior debating chamber—nowhere does it say that that all the participants have to be awake.


A quorum, yesterday

Comments

I have some brief points...

[lowlowprices.livejournal.com]

Is speakership simply assumed for the purpose of presiding over disagreements between the other two? And could it be conferred without consent for the purpose of allowing debate between the two Lords who were awake?

I suppose what I really want to know is: if I'm part of a mini quorum in the Lords, but one of them is awake and I get into a row with the one who isn't, does the fact that the sleeping one is drunk count as his consenting to being made Speaker?

Quorums, as we knew them.

Re: I have some brief points...

[webofevil.livejournal.com]

Sadly the Speaker is designated as such beforehand. You can't just assume unconscious consent to become a Speaker.


The noble and learned Fun Quorum Three

Re: I have some brief points...

[lowlowprices.livejournal.com]

That does throw some sand in the wheels—not to mention eyes—of government, but I suppose it is fair.

One cool quorum.