Australian Capital Territory

ACT Self-Government Act

Formally: Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988

Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 (Cth), Act No. 106 of 1988; Legislative Assembly for the ACT Standing Orders

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56/100

Sunshine Score

56/100

Limited

Methodology v0.1

Advance Notice	5 days, online posting required
Public Comment	Not required
Closed Sessions	5 permitted categories
Minutes	Required, online posting required
Recording	Required, broadcast required
Remote Participation	Allowed
Enforcement	No specified remedy, legislature included

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Agenda & Notice Requirements

Regular Meetings

5 days

Special Meetings

3 days

Emergency Meetings

0 hours

Online posting: Required

The Legislative Assembly's Standing Orders (adopted by resolution under s. 21 of the Self-Government Act) govern meeting procedures, agendas, and notices. Sitting days and programmes are published by the Speaker and on the Assembly website. Committee meetings follow the Assembly's committee standing orders and individual committee resolutions.

Agenda changes at meeting: Allowed — majority

Public Participation

Public Comment

Not required

Written Comment

Not allowed

The public does not have a right to speak at Legislative Assembly sittings (as a parliament, not a municipal council). Public participation occurs through committee inquiries, petitions, and written submissions. Committees frequently hold public hearings where witnesses may speak.

Virtual Meetings

Member Remote Participation

Allowed

Counts Toward Quorum

Yes

Public Remote Comment

Not allowed

Following COVID-19, the Standing Orders were amended to permit electronic participation by Members in certain circumstances. Remote participation rules for committee proceedings are governed by each committee's resolution.

Closed Sessions

Closed (executive) sessions: Allowed under specific circumstances

Permitted Categories

Meeting Minutes

Minutes Required

Yes

Publication Deadline

5 days

Online posting: Required

Content requirements: Hansard transcripts of all Assembly sittings and public committee hearings are published by the Assembly's Hansard office. The Minutes of Proceedings record formal resolutions and decisions. In-camera committee evidence is published only if the committee or Assembly so resolves.

Recording & Broadcast

Recording Required

Yes

Broadcast Required

Yes

Enforcement

Violation Effect

No Specified Remedy

Standing to Sue

Parliamentary proceedings are generally not justiciable under the principle of parliamentary privilege. Challenges to Assembly resolutions are available only in narrow constitutional contexts via the ACT Supreme Court or High Court of Australia.

Enforcement Body

The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly enforces standing orders during sittings. Breaches of parliamentary procedure are addressed through the Assembly's own disciplinary processes, not through courts. Parliamentary privilege (derived from the Self-Government Act and the Parliamentary Privileges Act 1987 (Cth)) largely shields proceedings from judicial review.

Scope

This law applies to:

Legislature: Covered by this law

Accessibility & Language Access

ADA accessibility: The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT) require accessibility accommodations for public proceedings, including Assembly and committee hearings.

Sources & References

Notes

The ACT's unique governance structure means this entry is properly characterised as parliamentary/territorial procedure, not a municipal open meetings law. Readers comparing this entry to other Australian jurisdictions should understand that the field set for au/act maps parliamentary concepts onto the meetings-law schema as a best-fit: e.g., 'closed session categories' = in-camera committee hearings; 'public comment' = committee submissions rather than council public comment periods. The ACT Government (executive) separately comprises Ministers drawn from the Assembly and ACT Public Service Directorates. Decisions of the Executive are subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2016 (ACT) but not to a general open meetings requirement.

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