This section highlights some of the reasons for which persons may desire to visit the Parliament and gives details on how to properly go about doing so.
The Parliament offers tours to individuals and schools wishing to know more about the department and its work. These tours are conducted by officers of the Department versed in its operations. Arrangements must be made, preferrably in writing, before a tour is carried out.
Generally, tours are held on non-meeting days
- Witness a sitting of the Parliament
- Group tours of the Parliament
- Seeking Incorporation through an Act of Parliament
Witness a sitting of the Parliament
Admission to the Public Galleries is a privilege extended by Parliament, and strangers attending must conform with established forms of behaviour and dress. All persons entering the Chamber must, at all times, be dressed tidily. Accordingly, the following are not allowed:
- Armhole T-shirts;
- Slippers;
- Short pants;
- The displaying of signs or banners;
- Apparel with Party emblems displayed thereon;
- Apparel with obscene prints;
Men must remove their hats upon entering the Chamber.
Strangers visiting Parliament are presumed to do so for the purpose of listening to debates. It is therefore discourteous for them not to devote their full attention to the proceedings. The following is strongly prohibited:-
- Eating;
- Drinking;
- Loud laughing;
- Conversing;
- Applauding;
- Sleeping;
- Reading;
- Writing [other than at the Press Table];
- Taking of photographs while the sitting is in progress;
- Walking about;
- Standing;
- Sitting backward;
- Smoking;
- Jeering;
- Video-taping [other than the authorized media];
- Audio-recording [other than the authorized media];
- Using cellular phones, pagers, or any other communication device that may disrupt the proceedings.
Additionally, Members are not to be harassed in any way, in the performance of their duties, and no form of disruption, disturbance or obstruction is permitted.
Once the Presiding Officer is on his/her feet, no person is permitted to walk. Those in the process of walking when he/she rises must stand in their places until the Presiding Officer resumes sitting.
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Group tours of the Parliament
It is possible on some days for groups to tour the Parliament, and receive a brief orientation on the Red House as well as the work of the Parliament. It is imperative that these sessions are pre-arranged in order to ensure that there is no conflict with the schedule of the Parliament. Here are the general rules for visits to the Parliament Chamber.
- Requests are to be made in writing to the Office of the Clerk of the House at least one week in advance of the proposed visit. (View the Contact Us section for the address.)
- Mondays and Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. are the days and times scheduled for visits to the Parliament Chamber on non-meeting days. Please note that these days are subject to change in the event that there is a sitting of either House of Parliament
- A maximum of fifty students, accompanied by three or four teachers, are allowed at any one time on non-meeting days.
- On meeting days a maximum of thirty students, accompanied by two or three teachers, are allowed at any one sitting of either House of Parliament, and students are to be seated at least fifteen (15) minutes before the start of the sitting.
- There is to be no visit to the Parliament Chamber during budget debates.
- There is to be no eating or drinking in the Chamber at anytime.
- Vehicles used by tour groups are NOT to be parked along any of the streets surrounding the Red House. Parking on these streets is prohibited.
- Persons visiting Parliament are kindly asked to dress appropriately.
N.B. Visits to the Parliament Chamber are privileges extended by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. These privileges can be curtailed at anytime if the above-mentioned rules are not strictly adhered to.
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Seeking Incorporation through an Act of Parliament
If an organization wishes to become incorporated, it may do so either through the Companies Act, or it can come to Parliament to seek incorporation through an Act of Parliament. The following are some of the guidelines that should be followed in order to ensure that this is done within the least possible time.
Parliamentary Procedure on Private Bills
- Instructions
- Specimen of Petition
- Specimen of Bond – Senate | House
- Bill Specimen
INSTRUCTIONS
S.O. = Standing Order
(References below are to the Standing Orders of the House of Representatives.)
| STEP 1 S.O. 83 (3)(4) S.O. 14 | A Petition from the Promoters stating the objects of and reasons for the Bill is presented to the Office of the Clerk of the House or Clerk of the Senate. A specimen of the required Petition is attached. Upon lodging the Petition, the Promoters should indicate the name of the Member of the House or the Senator, as the case may be, who has consented to present the Petition on their behalf. |
| STEP 2 | Once in order, the Petition will be presented to the House/Senate. |
| STEP 3 S.O.83 (5) | Once Leave is granted the Promoters will be requested by the Clerk of the House/ Senate to submit the following:- (a) 2 copies of the Bill; (b) a certificate under the hand of the Comptroller of Accounts certifying that the required sum to meet the expenses of printing has been deposited; (c) a bond duly executed by two sufficient persons obliging them to pay on demand to the Clerk, any excess over the deposited sum required for printing expenses. |
| STEP 4 S.O. 83 (3)(b) | The Clerk shall cause the Bill lodged to be printed by the Government Printer and will arrange for Notices related to the Bill to be published in three successive publications of the Trinidad & Tobago Gazette and a daily newspaper. |
| STEP 5 S.O. 83 (6) | Once the Speaker/President is satisfied that the required Notices have been given, the Bill will be presented to the House/Senate for a First Reading. |
| STEP 6 S.O.83 (7),(8) | At the next ordinary Sitting of the House/Senate, it will be presented for Second Reading. Upon that day, after it has been read a Second time, the Bill shall stand referred to a Special Select Committee chosen by the Speaker/President. |
| STEP 7 S.O.83 (9)-(13) | The Special Select Committee will proceed with its work. In order to verify that the facts set out in the Bill are true, it is usual for such Committees to invite representatives of the organization to appear before them and to request records of the organization, for example:-
The Committee can make any amendments to the Bill as it thinks proper. |
| STEP 8 S.O.83 (14) | The Committee will make its report to the House/Senate for adoption, recommending either the acceptance or rejection of the Bill. Assuming the Committee has recommended acceptance and the House/Senate approves, the Speaker/President shall put the question that the Bill be read a Third Time and passed. |
| STEP 9 | The Bill is sent to the other House for consideration. The Promoters must provide the name of the Member in that [Second] House who has consented to present the Bill on their behalf. In this House, it will be given a First Reading to be followed by a Second Reading which may involve a debate in the usual way. It is not usual for this House to send the Bill to Select Committee in so far as a Select Committee of the First House has already investigated the Bill. After the passage of the Bill in the Second House, the Bill will be prepared for His Excellency’s assent. |
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SPECIMEN OF PETITION
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
To: The Honourable the President and Members of the Senate,
The humble PETITION of the members of the (NAME OF ORGANISATION)
of (ADDRESS) (hereinafter referred to as (ABBREVIATED NAME))
respectfully sheweth:
- That (ABBREVIATED NAME) was inaugurated on (DATE)
- That (ABBREVIATED NAME) is governed by a Constitution which provides for an Executive to administer its general affairs.
- That the aims and objects of (ABBREVIATED NAME) are: (State aims and objects as set in the Constitution or Rules).
- That your Petitioners are desirous of Constituting (ABBREVIATED NAME) into a corporate body by a Private Bill so that its aims and objects could be more effectively achieved.
- It is expedient that all the real and personal property, present and future of (ABBREVIATED NAME) should be invested in a corporate body.
- Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray that this Honourable House will be pleased to take these premises into consideration and grant leave to your Petitioners to proceed with introduction of a Private Bill for the incorporation of the (SHORT TITLE) in order that they may effectively pursue and achieve the objects outlined. And your petitioners in duty bound will ever pray,
Dated this day of
Signature
Signature
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SPECIMEN OF BOND – (SENATE)
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Prepared by me, |
Attorney-at-Law |
| KNOWN ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that we ….. (NAME) ….. (TITLE OF OFFICE) …. of (ADDRESS) ….. and (NAME OF OTHER PERSON) ….. (TITLE OF OFFICE) ….. of (ADDRESS), in the aforesaid island are held firmly bound unto the Clerk of the House in any sum in excess of to be paid to the said clerk or his successors in office for which payment to be well and truly made we bind ourselves and each of us our heirs, executors and administrators jointly and severally by these presents. |
| signed by us this day of [YEAR] ……………………………. |
NOW the condition of this obligation is such that if the expenses involved in the introduction to parliament of (NAME OF BILL) ….. and its subsequent enactment exceed the sum of and the said (NAME) and (NAME OF OTHER PERSON) shall and fully pay to the said Clerk of the House all such expenses in excess of the sum of THEN THIS obligation shall be null and void otherwise it shall remain in full force and effect. |
| Signed and Delivered by the within-named (NAME) and (OTHER PERSON NAME) as and for their respective act and deed in the Presence of: and me, | ) |
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SPECIMEN OF BOND – (HOUSE)
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Prepared by me, |
Attorney-at-Law |
KNOWN ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that we . . . (NAME) ….. (TITLE OF OFFICE) …. of (ADDRESS) ….. and (NAME OF OTHER PERSON) ….. (TITLE OF OFFICE) ….. of (ADDRESS), in the aforesaid island are held firmly bound unto the Clerk of the House in any sum in excess of to be paid to the said clerk or his successors in office for which payment to be well and truly made we bind ourselves and each of us our heirs, executors and administrators jointly and severally by these presents. |
| signed by us this day of [YEAR] ……………………………. |
NOW the condition of this obligation is such that if the expenses involved in the introduction to parliament of (NAME OF BILL) ….. and its subsequent enactment exceed the sum of and the said (NAME) and (NAME OF OTHER PERSON) shall and fully pay to the said Clerk of the House all such expenses in excess of the sum of THEN THIS obligation shall be null and void otherwise it shall remain in full force and effect. |
| Signed and Delivered by the within-named (NAME) and (OTHER PERSON NAME) as and for their respective act and deed in the Presence of: and me, | ) ) ) ) ) ) |
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BILL SPECIMEN
AN ACT FOR THE INCORPORATION OF THE . . . . . . . . . . .
AND FOR MATTERS INCIDENTAL THERETO
[ ,[YEAR] ]
WHEREAS there has been established in Trinidad and Tobago, an Organisation
…………………………………………………………………………….
And whereas it is expedient that the (NAME OF ORGANISATION) be incorporated for the purposes hereinafter set forth:
| ENACTMENT | ENACTED by the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago as follows: – |
| SHORT TITLE | 1. This Act may be cited as the (NAME OF ORGANISATION) ,[YEAR]. |
| INCORPORATION | 2. The (NAME OF ORGANISATION) (hereinafter called “the ……………”) is hereby created a body corporate. |
| AIMS AND OBJECTIVES | 3. The aims and objectives of the Association are …………… |
| POWERS OF THE ASSOCIATION | 4. The Association shall have power: (a) to acquire by purchase transfer, donation, exchange, devise bequest, grant, gift, conveyance or howsoever otherwise any real or personal property or any estate or interest therein; (b) to accept surrenders or reconveyances and to enter into contracts; (c) to sell, exchange, demise, mortgage or otherwise dispose of and deal with all property which may for the time being be vested in it subject to any restraint, reservation or condition contained in the document under which it has acquired title. |
| TRANSFER AND VESTING OF PROPERTY | 5. All real or personal property of whatever nature now held by or vested in, any person for the use and benefit of the Association is hereby transferred to and vested in the Association. |
| MODE OF EXECUTION OF DOCUMENTS | 6. All documents requiring the seal of the Association shall be sealed with the common seal of the Association in the presence of the President and Secretary for the time being in office or in the event of incapacity in the presence of some other person or persons authorised for that purpose by the Association who shall both sign every such document and such signing shall be prima facie evidence that the said seal was duly affixed and that the same is the lawful seal of the Association |
| SERVICE OF DOCUMENTS | 7. (1) The Association shall at all times have a fixed address in Trinidad and Tobago for the service of documents on the Association at that address and any change thereof shall be registered with the Registrar General within twenty-eight days of the date of incorporation or the change of address as the case may be. (2) Every document to be served to the Association may be served by leaving the same at, or by sending the same by registered post to the registered address of the Association. (3) Failure to register the address and any change thereof is a summary offence and renders the Association liable to a fine of one hundred and twenty dollars and to a further fine of ten dollars for each day during which the offence continues after conviction thereof. |
| POWERS TO MAKE RULES | 8. The Association may from time to time make rules for the proper conduct of its proceedings and discharge of its duties, powers and functions and such rules may be amended from time to time. |
| SAVING OF STATE AND OTHER RIGHTS | 9. Nothing in this Act shall affect or be deemed to affect the rights of the State, or of any bodies politic or corporate or of any persons, except such as are mentioned or referred to in this Act and those claiming by, through, from or under them. |
Passed in the House of Representatives this …………… day of …………… , [YEAR]
Clerk of the House
I confirm the above
Speaker
Passed in the Senate this …………… day of ……………, [YEAR]
Clerk of the Senate
I confirm the above
President of the Senate