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| Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers | |
|---|---|
| Name | Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers |
| Formation | 20th century |
| Type | Interparliamentary coordination body |
| Headquarters | Various (rotating) |
| Region served | United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies, British Overseas Territories, devolved legislatures |
| Languages | English |
| Leader title | Chair |
Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers
The Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers is a periodic forum that brings together the presiding officers of legislative bodies, including Speakers, Presiding Officers, and equivalent dignitaries from across the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies, and the British Overseas Territories. It serves as a venue for comparative discussion involving institutional leaders from bodies such as the House of Commons (United Kingdom), House of Lords, Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament, and Welsh Parliament, and engages with external actors like the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and the Council of Europe.
The Conference provides a platform for coordination among presiding officers representing legislatures including the Manx Legislature, Jersey States Assembly, and Guernsey States of Deliberation, alongside the principal United Kingdom bodies such as the Privy Council-affiliated speakers and the clerks of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It facilitates exchanges on procedural innovation observed in assemblies like the European Parliament, the Knesset, the Bundestag, and the United States Senate, while considering comparative practices from other jurisdictions including the Oireachtas, the National Assembly of France, and the Australian House of Representatives.
The Conference traces antecedents to interwar and postwar exchanges among parliamentary clerks and legislators, following precedents set by forums like the Commonwealth Conference and meetings connected to the League of Nations' parliamentary commissions. Formalisation accelerated in the late 20th century amid devolution processes involving the Good Friday Agreement negotiations and the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Scottish Parliament; links were forged with international networks such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to address procedural alignment and constitutional change. Milestones include dialogues after major constitutional statutes such as the Scotland Act 1998 and the Government of Wales Act 1998, and engagement during crises involving institutions like the House of Commons during the 20th and 21st centuries.
Membership comprises Speakers, Presiding Officers, and senior chairs from legislatures including the House of Commons (United Kingdom), House of Lords, Northern Ireland Assembly, Scottish Parliament, Senedd Cymru, the legislative bodies of the Isle of Man, Bailiwick of Jersey, and Guernsey. Invitations have extended to delegations from the British Overseas Territories such as Gibraltar and Bermuda, and to representatives from supranational assemblies like the European Parliament and regional fora such as the Assembly of the Council of Europe. Administrative support often involves clerks and officials drawn from institutions like the Parliamentary Digital Service and corporate officers linked to the UK Cabinet Office.
The Conference functions to share best practice on matters including chamber procedure, parliamentary privilege, conduct rules, and access to parliamentary services, drawing on comparative examples from the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence and rulings of courts such as the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. It advises on issues including security protocols influenced by incidents involving legislatures like the United States Capitol breach, information governance in line with standards from bodies such as the Information Commissioner's Office, and modernization initiatives inspired by the Digital Single Market and innovations in assemblies like the Swedish Riksdag.
Meetings are usually scheduled as annual or biennial gatherings hosted by a member legislature, rotating among locations such as Westminster and devolved capitals like Cardiff, Edinburgh, and Belfast. Agendas routinely include presentations from visiting speakers representing institutions such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and the OECD, together with panels featuring clerks from the House of Commons (United Kingdom), officials from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and academics from universities like Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the London School of Economics. Procedural rules are typically set by consensus, with secretariat duties undertaken by delegations or by an appointed host administration.
Decisions within the Conference are generally non-binding and take the form of consensus recommendations, declarations, or resolutions addressed to member chambers and wider stakeholders including the UK Government, devolved administrations, and international partners like the European Commission and the United Nations General Assembly. Resolutions may cover matters ranging from standards of parliamentary privilege, as considered in landmark cases such as those before the European Court of Human Rights, to statements on election-related conduct referencing precedents in elections overseen by bodies like the Electoral Commission (United Kingdom) and analogous agencies in jurisdictions such as Canada and Australia.
The Conference maintains collaborative links with domestic legislatures including the Parliament of the United Kingdom and devolved institutions, and with international bodies such as the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Council of Europe, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, and the United Nations. Through these connections it facilitates exchange with assemblies like the Knesset, the Bundestag, the Sejm, and the Congress of the United States, and with oversight organisations including the International Parliamentary Scholarship programmes and academic centres at institutions such as King's College London and the University of Edinburgh.
Category:Interparliamentary organizations