The Hon. (Mrs.) Chamindranee Kiriella, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Mr. Speaker, we know that the administration of our Parliament is conducted according to the Standing Orders and the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act. Especially, under Section 7 of that Act, this Parliament is bound to accept British Parliamentary practices. Regarding the office of the Deputy Secretary-General of our Parliament, the work “Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice,” which incorporates British practices, states that if a complaint is made against an officer of the House, the usual mode of proceeding is to examine the facts and then lay a statement of the evidence—both for and against—before the House by you. I will read the relevant part: “If a complaint is made against an officer of the House, the usual mode of proceedings is to examine the facts and then lay a statement of the evidence before the House, of which the person complained of is a member or an officer of...”

¶ 02 Accordingly, you have a responsibility, especially before taking any action, to inform Members of Parliament of the evidence. As was stated earlier, various information has been disseminated in the media on this. That has harmed the dignity of this Parliament, of your office, and ours. Therefore, I request that you correct this by informing the House properly.