Although the Parliament may amend its Standing Orders (SO) from time to time to ensure better clarity, the Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera said that there is no preparation at present to make such changes.

Over the years, certain issues have arisen in the Parliament due to ambiguities in certain SOs, including questions over the extent of Parliamentarians’ rights to raise points of order and other procedural matters.

When queried by The Daily Morning as to whether there is any preparation to amend the SOs, Rohanadheera noted that the SOs are reviewed and revised periodically, but stressed that no immediate request has been made for amendments. 

“Identifying certain issues, the Parliament amends the SOs. But, there is no request or preparation to do it at this moment,” she said.

The SOs of the Parliament are the agreed rules that regulate the procedure, debate, and conduct of MPs in the House. Their primary purpose is to ensure that the Parliament functions in an orderly and effective manner. They serve as the main source of Parliamentary procedure, providing opportunities for debate while allowing decisions to be made with proper consideration. SOs hold the status of rules under the Constitution.