The Office of the Speaker : his role and functions (1947-2003)

Abstract

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is an institutional centre-piece. He is the person who presides over the legislature, the law-making body of a country. The Speaker, his office and functions in Malta developed in direct step with the local political set-up. His persona forms an intimate bond with the legislative process. The Speaker, his office and role in Malta have an intimate nexus with the "Mother of Parliaments". He owes his format and make-up to the British Parliament, being the offspring of the mind of rulers and ruled in Malta from 1914 to 1964. This thesis aims at presenting a detailed historico-legal narrative on the development of the office of the Speaker from 1947 to 2003. By way of a necessary introduction, this thesis gives a compressed picture of the legislative development of this office under English Constitutional Law and the subsequent birth of this office in Malta in 1921. The first chapter contains the aim of this thesis, the sources analyzed and the method used. The second chapter presents the office of the Speaker under English Constitutional Law and the link between English Constitutional Law and its Maltese equivalent. The third chapter deals with the birth of the Speaker and his office and functions in the context of the grant of responsible government in 1921. The fourth Chapter provides a comprehensive review of the development of this office down to Independence. Chapter 5 is an overview of post-independence developments in relation to the Office. The last Chapter, Chapter 6, makes an overview, including proposals for improvements of the office.