Clerk of the House of Commons (Canada)

The thirteenth century saw the emergence of the Clerk as a profession in England.[1] At that time, they were employed to record the decisions made by kings and kings' advisors. It was not until 1361 that the first Clerk of the House of Commons was officially appointed by the Crown.[2] The main duty of the early Clerks of the House consisted of reading petitions and bills,[2] while later they started to record the House's proceedings.[3] Notes on proceedings evolved to journals, which aim to keep track of the decisions and other important transaction of the House.[4]

The House of Commons of Canada inherited the British parliamentary tradition. In 1867, William Burns Lindsay became the first Clerk of the House of Commons of Canada. Before Confederation, he served as the Clerk of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.[5] From 2014 to 2016, the Deputy Clerk Marc Bosc served the role of the Acting Clerk on an interim basis during the House of Commons Clerk Audrey O'Brien's medical leave period.[6] He continued to remain in that position until the appointment of Charles Robert in 2017.

The Clerk of the House of Commons are filled through governor-in-council appointments, pursuant to the Public Service Employment Act. In 2001, the House made a modification to the appointment process according to a recommendation contained in the First Report of the Special Committee on the Modernization and Improvement of the Procedures of the House of Commons. From then on, the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs needs to conduct a review of the proposed appointee after the government makes the nomination. This committee then reports to the House of Commons, followed by a ratification vote by the House. This process was first applied when proposing the appointment of Audrey O'Brien in 2005.[7]

As well as advising the Speaker of the House of Commons and Members of Parliament on matters of parliamentary procedure, the Clerk is involved in the management of the House of Commons. The procedural responsibility of the Clerk is to maintain and keep custody of the House's proceedings and other important documents. Before each sitting of the House, the Clerk is required to provide the official agenda for the day’s proceedings to the Speaker.[8] At the beginning of a Parliament, all duly elected Members and the Members appointed to the Board of Internal Economy need to swear an oath of allegiance administered by the Clerk. With the aim of providing assistance to all Members regardless of party affiliation, the Clerk is expected to act with impartiality and discretion all the time.[9] The Clerk of the Senate fulfills a similar role in the Senate of Canada.

In the House of Commons Chamber, the Clerk’s Table is at the north end of the floor, in front of the Speaker’s Chair. The Clerk of the House of Commons sits at the head of the Table, with Clerks-at-the-Table on either side.[10] The dress code of the Clerk is to wear a black robe.[9]

The office is currently held by Charles Robert who replaced Marc Bosc, who was appointed as Acting Clerk on September 4, 2014. Bosc had an international profile as President of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (2011-2014). Robert is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the ASGP.

• Office of the Clerk of the House of Commons