Move to ‘sin-bin’ unruly States Members

Friday 2nd September 2005, 12:00AM BST.

STATES Members could be ‘sin-binned’ under new discipline proposals from the Privileges and Pro-cedures Committee.

They want to empower the President of the States Assembly – usually the Bailiff, or the Deputy Bailiff – to order a Member out of the Chamber in cases of disorderly conduct.

The proposal is part of a package that includes powers to ban a States Member from the Chamber for a ‘cooling-off’ period – for the rest of a sitting or, in serious cases, for up to six days.

Privileges intend to lodge the package in a report to the States for comments before making a proposition.

The package includes provisions for the President of the Assembly to take immediate action, or for a Member to bring a proposition for the suspension of another Member to the Chamber.

A formal proposition would have to be debated on the day it was lodged, although the States could vote to delay it.

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