Prorogation ends a session, but does not dissolve Parliament; the Speaker is still in office for all purposes during a period of prorogation. Prorogation, like dissolution, abolishes all pending legislation and quashes further committee activity. Thus, no committee can sit after a prorogation and any bill of a previous session, in order to be proceeded with, must be introduced again as a new bill. It is possible, however, with the agreement of the House, to reintroduce bills in the new session at the same stage they had reached in the old session and to revive committee work in a similar manner. Members retain certain privileges which can be invoked 40 days before a session opens and which continue 40 days after a session ends.
While pending legislation is abolished by prorogation, any outstanding Orders or Addresses of the House for returns or papers are not; rather, they are brought down during the following session without renewal of the Order. The same is true, for example, for government responses to committee reports where requested, and for responses to petitions. These Orders are in force from one session to another, but are ended by dissolution.
The recent practice of the House is to avoid a lengthy period of prorogation simply by adjourning, then reassembling, proroguing and almost immediately commencing a new session. Parliament can be prorogued through a speech by the Governor General in the Senate Chamber, although this is merely a convention and not required by Standing Order or statute.
The ceremony of prorogation occurs in the following manner: by letter, the Secretary to the Governor General usually informs the Speaker of the House of prorogation, thus enabling the Speaker to announce it to the House beforehand. At the time appointed, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod arrives from the Senate, knocks on the door of the Commons Chamber and enters to inform the House that the Governor General (or the Governor General's representative) desires its attendance in the Senate Chamber. The Speaker, in formal parade with the Clerks, the Sergeant-at-Arms bearing the Mace, and the Members, stands at the bar of the Senate Chamber to hear the speech closing the session. On completion of the speech, the Speaker of the Senate reads out a message setting the date for the new session. The Speaker of the House then returns in formal parade to his or her chambers and the Members of the House of Commons disperse.
Between a prorogation and the next session of the same Parliament, the House is said to be "in recess", although the word is often loosely used to refer to a long adjournment. "Adjournment", however, is technically the termination by the House of its own sitting (by motion or pursuant to Standing or Special Orders) for any period of time within a session. Unlike dissolution and prorogation, adjournment does not quash all pending proceedings. At the next sitting, the House transacts the business previously appointed and all proceedings resume at the stage at which they were left before the adjournment.
Dissolution
Dissolution terminates a Parliament and is followed by a general election, the date of which is set by the Governor in Council, with the Constitution Act, 1982 providing that Parliament must sit at least once every 12 months.
Dissolution is proclaimed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister. In the absence of such advice, dissolution is automatic following the expiration of a Parliament's maximum five-year term. As a matter of interest, however, this has not yet occurred in Canadian parliamentary history. Parliament may be dissolved at any time. If the House is sitting, and there is not to be a prorogation ceremony, dissolution is usually announced to the House by the Prime Minister or some other Minister of the Government. If the House is not sitting, Parliament is dissolved by a proclamation of the Governor General. Upon dissolution, the Speaker continues in office beyond termination of the Parliament and is deemed to be Speaker for the execution of certain administrative duties until a Speaker is elected by the new Parliament.
