Previous Year Question

Parliamentary privileges may broadly be understood as privileges enjoyed collectively by each House and those enjoyed individually by Members of Parliament. Their purpose is to protect the freedom, authority and dignity of Parliament. Article 105 provides the constitutional basis for the privileges and immunities of the Houses, their Committees and Members.

Option (b) is a collective privilege. Each House has the power to regulate its own procedure and the conduct of its business and thereby exercise control over its internal proceedings.

Option (d) is also a collective privilege. A House has the power to exclude strangers and regulate their admission and presence in the House. This power belongs to the House in its collective capacity.

Option (a) is also connected with the freedom of parliamentary proceedings. Protection of speech, debates and proceedings from outside interference is essential to the independent functioning of Parliament. Article 105 gives constitutional protection to freedom of speech in Parliament.

However, protection relating to attendance as a witness is an individual privilege connected with a Member. A Member of one House cannot be compelled to attend as a witness before the other House, a State Legislature or their Committees without the permission of the House and the consent of the Member concerned. It is therefore not a collective privilege of the House.

Thus, the key distinction is—regulation of proceedings and exclusion of strangers = collective powers; protection from compulsory attendance as a witness = individual privilege of a Member.