5. Conduct at Meetings

5.1. Members shall recognise the authority of the Chairman for the conduct of the meeting.

5.2. Members shall address the Chairman when speaking. Speeches must be relevant to the matter under discussion.

5.3. The Chairman may call a Member to order and direct him or her to stop speaking if the Chairman considers that Member’s behaviour to be unacceptable.

5.4. If a Member disregards the authority or ruling of the Chairman, the Chairman may propose “that the Member (named) leave the meeting”. The motion must be seconded by another Member, and put to the vote without discussion. If it is carried, the named Member must immediately leave the room.

5.5. If a Member of the public interrupts a meeting, or otherwise behaves improperly or offensively, the Chairman may, as he or she thinks fit, request that person to leave the meeting room and, if necessary, order his or her removal. In the event of a general disturbance, the Chairman may direct that the public be excluded from the meeting room. Nobody so removed or excluded will be permitted to return to the meeting.

5.6. No matter relating to a particular officer or employee of the Authority shall be discussed at a meeting of the Authority or a Committee until the meeting has decided whether or not to exclude the press and public under Section 100(A) of the Local
Government Act 1972.

5.7. Reporting on or recording of a public meeting of the Authority or Committee by members of the press or public is allowed, provided it is done in accordance with the Authority’s Regulations on the Rights of the Public to Report on Meetings (published
on the Authority’s website).

5.8. The Chairman’s ruling on the interpretation and application of these Standing Orders at meetings is final. This includes a ruling on any point of order or explanation.