Joint session
Encyclopedia
A joint session or joint convention is, most broadly, when two normally-separate decision
-making groups meet together, often in a special session
or other extraordinary meeting, for a specific purpose.
Most often it refers to when both houses of a bicameral legislature
sit together. A joint session typically occurs to receive foreign or domestic diplomat
s or leader
s, or to allow both houses to consider bills together.
of the president of the United States
is traditionally made before a "joint session" of the United States Congress
. Many states refer to an analogous event as a "joint convention". Such assemblies are typically held in the chamber of the lower house
as the larger body.
State constitutions of U.S. state
s may require joint conventions for other purposes; for example Tennessee
's requires such to elect the secretary of state
, the state treasurer, and the comptroller
of the treasury
.
upon the state opening of Parliament in Commonwealth Realm
s is made before a joint sitting of the both Houses. In most cases this event occurs in the Upper Chamber, due to the British constitutional convention
that the monarch never enters the Commons chamber. An exception was the Governor-General's Address in the Irish Free State
, which was made to the lower house
, with Senators
invited to attend.
The Canadian government procedure is called a joint address.
Various government agencies and non-governmental organization
s may also meet jointly to handle problems which each of the involved parties has a stake in.
Some Constitutions give special power to a joint session, voting by majority of all Members of the Legislature regardless of which House/ chamber they belong to. For example, in Switzerland a joint session of the two houses elects the members of the Federal Council (cabinet). In India, disputes between Houses are resolved by a joint sitting but without an intervening election.
In Australia, if a Bill is deadlocked, then following a double dissolution
of both Houses, and if the new Parliament is still unable to pass the Bill, then the Bill may be passed by an absolute majority of a joint sitting. The only such example of this occurring was the Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament of 1974 under the Whitlam
Labor
government.
The Congress of France
is an assembly of both houses of the French Parliament
, convened at the Palace of Versailles
, which can approve certain amendments to the constitution
by a three-fifth majority of all members. Since 2008, the Congress may also be convened to hear an address from the President of the Republic.
Decision making
Decision making can be regarded as the mental processes resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice.- Overview :Human performance in decision terms...
-making groups meet together, often in a special session
Special session
In a legislature, a special session is a period when the body convenes outside of the normal legislative session. This most frequently occurs in order to complete unfinished tasks for the year , such as outlining the government's budget for the next fiscal year, biennium, or other period...
or other extraordinary meeting, for a specific purpose.
Most often it refers to when both houses of a bicameral legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
sit together. A joint session typically occurs to receive foreign or domestic diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
s or leader
Leader
A leader is one who influences or leads others.Leader may also refer to:- Newspapers :* Leading article, a piece of writing intended to promote an opinion, also called an editorial* The Leader , published 1909–1967...
s, or to allow both houses to consider bills together.
United States
The State of the Union AddressState of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
of the president of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
is traditionally made before a "joint session" of the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
. Many states refer to an analogous event as a "joint convention". Such assemblies are typically held in the chamber of the lower house
Lower house
A lower house is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house.Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide the lower house has come to wield more power...
as the larger body.
State constitutions of U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
s may require joint conventions for other purposes; for example Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
's requires such to elect the secretary of state
Tennessee Secretary of State
The Tennessee Secretary of State is the state secretary of state for the State of Tennessee.The office is created by the Tennessee State Constitution. The Secretary of State is responsible for many of the administrative aspects of the operation of state government of Tennessee...
, the state treasurer, and the comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
of the treasury
Treasury
A treasury is either*A government department related to finance and taxation.*A place where currency or precious items is/are kept....
.
Others
A similar event is the speech from the throneSpeech from the Throne
A speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the reigning sovereign reads a prepared speech to a complete session of parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming session...
upon the state opening of Parliament in Commonwealth Realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s is made before a joint sitting of the both Houses. In most cases this event occurs in the Upper Chamber, due to the British constitutional convention
Constitutional convention (political custom)
A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is followed by the institutions of a state. In some states, notably those Commonwealth of Nations states that follow the Westminster system and whose political systems derive from British constitutional law, most...
that the monarch never enters the Commons chamber. An exception was the Governor-General's Address in the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
, which was made to the lower house
Dáil Éireann (Irish Free State)
Dáil Éireann served as the directly elected lower house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1937. The Free State constitution described the role of the house as that of a "Chamber of Deputies". Until 1936 the Free State Oireachtas also included an upper house known as the Seanad...
, with Senators
Seanad Éireann (Irish Free State)
Seanad Éireann was the upper house of the Oireachtas of the Irish Free State from 1922–1936. It has also been known simply as the Senate, or as the First Seanad. The Senate was established under the 1922 Constitution of the Irish Free State but a number of constitutional amendments were...
invited to attend.
The Canadian government procedure is called a joint address.
Various government agencies and non-governmental organization
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s may also meet jointly to handle problems which each of the involved parties has a stake in.
Some Constitutions give special power to a joint session, voting by majority of all Members of the Legislature regardless of which House/ chamber they belong to. For example, in Switzerland a joint session of the two houses elects the members of the Federal Council (cabinet). In India, disputes between Houses are resolved by a joint sitting but without an intervening election.
In Australia, if a Bill is deadlocked, then following a double dissolution
Double dissolution
A double dissolution is a procedure permitted under the Australian Constitution to resolve deadlocks between the House of Representatives and the Senate....
of both Houses, and if the new Parliament is still unable to pass the Bill, then the Bill may be passed by an absolute majority of a joint sitting. The only such example of this occurring was the Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament of 1974 under the Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government.
The Congress of France
Congress of France
The French Congress is the name given to the body created when both houses of the present-day French Parliament—the National Assembly and the Senate—meet at the Palace of Versailles to vote on revisions to the Constitution or to listen to an address by the President of the French...
is an assembly of both houses of the French Parliament
Parliament of France
The French Parliament is the bicameral legislature of the French Republic, consisting of the Senate and the National Assembly . Each assembly conducts legislative sessions at a separate location in Paris: the Palais du Luxembourg for the Senate, the Palais Bourbon for the National Assembly.Each...
, convened at the Palace of Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
, which can approve certain amendments to the constitution
Constitution of France
The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, and replaced that of the Fourth Republic dating from 1946. Charles de Gaulle was the main driving force in introducing the new constitution and inaugurating the Fifth...
by a three-fifth majority of all members. Since 2008, the Congress may also be convened to hear an address from the President of the Republic.
See also
- Federal Convention which elects the President of GermanyPresident of GermanyThe President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
includes members from the BundestagBundestagThe Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
and representatives of the States of GermanyStates of GermanyGermany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...