Any document quoted by a member while speaking in the Assembly — in whole or in part — must be laid on the Table. This applies to Ministers as well as to private members. A member who quotes a document in debate cannot withhold that document from the parliamentary record.
Why it matters for the National Assembly proceedings?
The tabling requirement for quoted documents is a transparency mechanism with significant practical consequences for ministerial accountability. If a Minister quotes a report, a survey, or a legal opinion to support a government position, that document must be tabled — making it part of the public parliamentary record. Ministers cannot use undisclosed documents as rhetorical tools without accountability for their content.
What is in it for citizens?
For citizens and journalists following specific policy debates, the tabling requirement creates a paper trail. When a Minister cites data to defend a policy in Parliament, the underlying document — once tabled — is accessible. FAFEN monitors compliance with the tabling requirement and documents instances where cited materials are not tabled as required by the rules.
Source: Rule 291, Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007
The proceedings of the National Assembly are governed by the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007. The current rules were passed on 23 February 2007 and have since been amended 21 times, most recently on 22 October 2024.
This post is part of FAFEN’s series on parliamentary literacy. Read more of this series here.
