prorogue

Prorogue refers to the formal ending of a parliamentary session by order of the head of state or their representative, suspending all parliamentary business until the next session begins. It is distinct from dissolution, which ends a parliament entirely and triggers a general election.

In many parliamentary systems modeled on the Westminster tradition, prorogation is carried out by the monarch or governor-general on the advice of the prime minister or equivalent minister. The exact procedure varies by jurisdiction, but the practical effect is to close the current session’s business, after which a new session starts on a specified date and a fresh agenda is introduced.

Prorogation serves to reset the legislative timetable, allow a pause in business, or give the government time to prepare a new policy program or supply measures. It can be used to pause controversial legislation or to synchronize government business. Because it suspends parliamentary scrutiny, prorogation is sometimes controversial and criticized as a tool to avoid accountability or to alter the legislative timetable for political advantage.

A notable modern example occurred in the United Kingdom in 2019, when prorogation by the prime minister’s advice to the monarch prompted a constitutional challenge. The UK Supreme Court held the prorogation unlawful, finding that it prevented Parliament from carrying out its constitutional functions.

Outside the UK, prorogation is practiced in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and other Commonwealth realms, with jurisdiction-specific rules governing when and how it may be exercised.