7.5 Overview and history associated with the stages of a Bill

The first, second and third readings of Bills are stages through which a Bill must pass in the Legislative Assembly. These stages of considering a Bill were developed in the Westminster Parliament before the invention of printing and when many Members were illiterate. At that time the only practicable means of informing Members of the contents of a Bill was by the Clerk reading it aloud. By the end of the sixteenth century it had become the practice in both Houses (House of Commons and House of Lords) to have a Bill read on three separate occasions before being passed. The circulation of printed copies of Bills, and the increasing literacy of Members, eventually made it unnecessary to read Bills at length. By the end of the eighteenth century it had become the practice for the Clerk to read only the title and the first words. Eventually, only the short title was read.

Last reviewed: 17 July, 2009

Last updated: 22 July, 2009

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