Explain the various stages of passing bill into law.
Explanation
The various stages of passing a bill into law are:
(i) First Reading: This stage involves the minister or a law-maker (depending on the nature of the bill presenting to the clerk, the draft of a bill. The clerk has to notify the law-makers about the bill. Then, he reads out to them the title of the bill. This will then be printed out in leaflets and distributed to all the members of the parliament to study.
(ii) Second Reading: The minister or a member of the parliament presenting this draft bill will at this stage explain to the members the purpose of the bill. It will now be open for members to debate over the bill and to stand for or against the bill and whether it should be read a second time. This will be put into vote and if the majority of the members vote in favour, the bill scales to the next stage, but if not, that brings an end to the bill. The bill is not amended at this stage.
(iii) Committee stage: At this stage, the bill is referred to a committee of the house. This committee will examine the bill paragraph by paragraph and amendment is proposed and also voted for. The bill will be referred to and considered in different committees and amendment made.
(iv) Report stage: This is the reporting back of all the different committees to the House. The reports and the amendments to the committees are made known to the House.
(v) Third Reading: This stage requires a careful look at the bill in order to correct some anomalies traceable to the drafting or with the amendment of the bill. If the bill is passed, it then moves to the Upper House, where it has to undergo the same process as in the Lower House. If the Upper House has any area of disagreement with the bill, both Houses have to set up joint committee to finally iron things out.
(vi) Assent: The bill is then sent to the President for his assent before it becomes a law.