The clerk of the House of Commons is the senior procedural and administrative officer in the House of Commons of Canada.
The duties performed by the Clerk of the House of Commons include advising the Speaker of the House of Commons and Members of Parliament on matters of parliamentary procedure. As well, the Clerk is involved in the management of the House of Commons. The office is modelled on the Clerk of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. Prior to the establishment of this office, there was the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.
The current Clerk is Eric Janse.
History
The thirteenth century saw the emergence of the Clerk as a profession in England.[1] At that time, they were employed to record the decisions made by kings and kings' advisors. It was not until 1361 that the first Clerk of the House of Commons was officially appointed by the Crown.[2] The main duty of the early Clerks of the House consisted of reading petitions and bills,[2] while later they started to record the House's proceedings.[3] Notes on proceedings evolved to journals, which aim to keep track of the decisions and other important transaction of the House.[4]
The House of Commons of Canada inherited the British parliamentary tradition. In 1867, William Burns Lindsay became the first Clerk of the House of Commons of Canada. Before Confederation, he served as the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.[5] From 2014 to 2016, the Deputy Clerk Marc Bosc served the role of the Acting Clerk on an interim basis during the House of Commons Clerk Audrey O'Brien's medical leave period.[6] He continued to remain in that position until the appointment of Charles Robert in 2017.
Appointment and duties
The Clerk of the House of Commons are filled through governor-in-council appointments, pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act. In 2001, the House made a modification to the appointment process according to a recommendation contained in the First Report of the Special Committee on the Modernization and Improvement of the Procedures of the House of Commons. From then on, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs needs to conduct a review of the proposed appointee after the government makes the nomination. This committee then reports to the House of Commons, followed by a ratification vote by the House. This process was first applied when proposing the appointment of Audrey O'Brien in 2005.[7]
As well as advising the Speaker of the House of Commons and Members of Parliament on matters of parliamentary procedure, the Clerk is involved in the management of the House of Commons. The procedural responsibility of the Clerk is to maintain and keep custody of the House's proceedings and other important documents. Before each sitting of the House, the Clerk is required to provide the official agenda for the day’s proceedings to the Speaker.[8] At the beginning of a Parliament, all duly elected Members and the Members appointed to the Board of Internal Economy need to swear an oath of allegiance administered by the Clerk. With the aim of providing assistance to all Members regardless of party affiliation, the Clerk is expected to act with impartiality and discretion all the time.[9] The Clerk of the Senate fulfills a similar role in the Senate of Canada.
In the House of Commons Chamber, the Clerk’s Table is at the north end of the floor, in front of the Speaker’s Chair. The Clerk of the House of Commons sits at the head of the Table, with Clerks-at-the-Table on either side.[10] The dress code of the Clerk is to wear a black robe.[9]
Incumbent
The office is currently held by Eric Janse who replaced Charles Robert as Clerk in February 2023.
List of Clerks of the House of Commons
| No. | Image | Name[11] | Term | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Burns Lindsay | 1867–1872 | ||
| 2 | Alfred Patrick | 1873–1880 | ||
| 3 | 
|
John George Bourinot | 1880–1902 | |
| 4 | 
|
Thomas Barnard Flint | 1902–1917 | |
| 5 | 
|
William Barton Northrup | 1918–1924 | |
| 6 | 
|
Arthur Beauchesne | 1925–1949 | |
| 7 | Léon-Joseph Raymond | 1949–1967 | ||
| 8 | Alistair Fraser | 1967–1979 | ||
| 9 | Charles Beverley Koester | 1979–1987 | ||
| 10 | 
|
Robert Marleau | 1987–2000 | |
| 11 | William C. Corbett | 2000–2005 | ||
| 12 | Audrey O'Brien | 2005–2016 | ||
| – | 
|
Marc Bosc | 2014–2017 | Acting Clerk |
| 13 | Charles Robert | 2017–2023 | ||
| – | Eric Janse | 2023–present | Acting (January 2023- December 2023) |
References
- ^ MacMinn, George; Vaive, Robert (Summer 1998). "The Office of Clerk". Canadian Parliamentary Review. 21 (2): 28. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ a b "History of the Office". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ "Clerk of the House". UK Parliament. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ "Parliamentary Publications". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-04.
- ^ "Appendices - Clerks of the House of Commons Since 1867". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ O'Malley, Kady. "House Clerk Audrey O'Brien on 'extended leave' after emergency surgery". CBC News. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ "Appointment of the Clerk". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ "The Clerk and Other Staff in the Chamber". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ a b "Office of the Clerk". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ Barrow, Kerry. "The Clerk's Table". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-05.
- ^ "Clerks of the House of Commons Since 1867". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved 2019-04-05.