Constitution Section 86 — Right of President to address and send messages to Houses

Part V — THE UNION — General

Constitutional

Summary

The President can speak to either House of Parliament or to both Houses together, and can ask members to attend for that purpose. The President can also send messages to either House, either about a Bill that is currently being discussed or about any other matter. When a House receives such a message, it must quickly consider whatever the message asks it to look into.

Official Text

(1) The President may address either House of Parliament or both Houses assembled together, and for that purpose require the attendance of members.

(2) The President may send messages to either House of Parliament, whether with respect to a Bill then pending in Parliament or otherwise, and a House to which any message is so sent shall with all convenient despatch consider any matter required by the message to be taken into consideration.