Preface to the Standing Orders
PortandPolicyconstitutesanintegralpartoftheDurhamUniversityConservativeandUnionist Association’sscheduleofevents Heldfortnightly,itisarepositoryinwhichthephilosophicaland politicalopinionsoftheAssociation’smembersareplacedandsubsequentlychallenged;atestament totheAssociation’slong-standingcommitmenttofreedomofexpressionandopendebate
Itremainsnecessary,however,toimposeageneralscaffoldingonwhichtheflowersofrhetoriccan latergrow.Inordertoavoidanyambiguityregardingthelimitsofpermittedspeechandthepowersof thechair,itisthisAssociation’sresolvetothereforepublishthesestandingorders Thispublication willservetosupportthefluentoperationoftheseofteninvigoratingevenings,aswellbeasteadfast companiontofuturePoliticalOfficers
MelchiorRaywood PoliticalOfficer2023/24
1 Thesestandingordersaretobemadeavailabletoanyindividualuponrequest Themasculine pronounisusedtorefertoallgenders
2 ThechairmanisresponsibleformoderatingthediscussionswhichoccuratPortandPolicy events,withrespecttothesestandingorders.Heshouldalwaysstrivetofacilitatecivildebate andthespiritedexchangeofviews;creatinganenvironmentinwhichallpresentareableto feelcomfortableinexpressingtheiropinionsonissuesathand.
a ThechairmanatallPortandPolicyeventsis ex officio thePoliticalOfficerofthe DurhamUniversityConservativeandUnionistAssociation(DUCUA).
i ThePoliticalOfficermay,inhisabsence,appointatemporarychairmanto assumehisduties.
b ThePoliticalOfficerofDUCUAisresponsibleforthewritingofthemotionstobe debatedatPortandPolicyevents.ThesearetobetransmittedtotheDUCUA committeewithreasonableadvance
c Inenablingthechairmantoeffectivelyhonourhisdutiesasamoderatorofdebates, heisempoweredwiththefollowingprerogatives
i Temporarilyorpermanentlyprohibitingofoneormoreindividualsfrom attendingfuturePortandPolicyevents;
ii Evictionofoneormoreattendees;
iii. Censureofoneormoreattendees;
iv AdjournmentorterminationofagivenPortandPolicyevent;
v. Confiscationofalcohol.
d Thechairmanistouseanobjectofsuitableacousticqualityasagavelinthenameof goodorderandmoderation.
i Agavelmay,indeed,adoptmanyformssuchasacavalrysabre
e. Thechairmanisnottoparticipateinanydebatebartheexceptionwhichfollows.
i Thechairmanmayonlyspeakononemotionperacademicterm Onwhich occasionthechairwillbeoccupiedbyapredesignatedpersonfortheduration ofthedebate
f Thechairmanistotakeavotecountaftereverymotionandtransmittheseresultsto thePublicityOfficerofDUCUAforsubsequentpublishing
g AnydecisionrelatedtotheprohibitionofindividualsattendingPortandPolicyevents madebyachairmanatagivenpointintimecanbereversedbythePresidentor PoliticalOfficerofDUCUAoftheday
3 Theaudioorvideorecordingofdebatesisstrictlyprohibited,withtheexceptionprovidedin clause3(a),whichfollows.
a TheonlymembersoftheAssociationpermittedtomakeaudioorvideorecordingsis thePublicityOfficerofDUCUA,orthosenamedbyhimtodoso
4 NoutteranceorutterancesofanindividualataPortandPolicyeventmaybeattributedtohim aftertheevent,withtheexceptionofthechairwhowillalwaysbemadeaccountabletohis words
5 Everyattendeeisentitledtoexpresshispointofviewonanypoliticalorphilosophicalmatter atPortandPolicyeventswithoutcensureorhindrance,withtheexceptionsprovidedin5(a), whichfollow
a. ThefollowingareprohibitedateveryPortandPolicyevent. i Incitementofharmormalice;
ii. Defamation; iii Fraud;
iv. Grossobscenity; v Fightingwords;
vi Threats;
vii. AnylegalimpedimenttofreedomofexpressionundertheHumanRightsAct 1998andthePublicOrderAct1986
b. Intheeventofanyaforementionedtransgression,thechairmayusethepowers delineatedin2(c)toresolvetheincident
6 PortistobeprovidedattheAssociation’sexpenseinreasonablequantities
a. Portmaybeprovidedalongsidethefollowingbeverages,butalwaysasthedominant elixirbyvolume
i. WhiskeywhenamotionofaCaledoniannatureisbeingdebated; ii MulledwineduringAdvent; iii. FrenchwineofvineyardsEastofParis; iv Americanalcoholduringperiodsofgreatdepression;
v. VodkawhenamotionofRussiannatureisbeingdiscussed.
b TheloyaltoastwillbegivenbyamemberoftheDUCUAcommittee,afterthe debates
i. Theloyaltoastcanprecedethenationalanthem,attherequestofany attendee
7 ItistheprerogativeofanymemberoftheDUCUAcommitteetogivegracebeforeorafter thedebates,shouldthechairmannotalreadyintendondoingso.
8 ThedresscodeforallPortandPolicyeventsistobeblacktie,optionallywithacademic gowns,bartheexceptionwhichfollows
a Thewearingofthefollowingispermittedatthechair’sdiscretion i. Whitetieortailcoats; ii Loungesuits; iii. Eccentricoutfits; iv Culturaldress;
b. Gentlemenwhopresentthemselvestothechamberwithoutsomeformoftiemaybe askedtosourceonefortheevening’susepriortoentering
9 ToassistwiththecostofhostingPortandPolicyevents,theTreasurerofDUCUAmay imposeseparatetariffsuponentryformembersandnon-members.
10. Thisclausedetailsmattersofprocedureduringspeeches.
a APointofInformation(POI)isdirectedtothespeakerandmustbephrasedinthe formofaquestion APOIrelatesonlytothecontentofthespeaker’sdiscourse Itis acceptedandheardatthespeaker’sdiscretion AnypersonmayofferaPOI These maybegivenstandingorinasedentaryposition
b. APointofOrder(PO)isdirectedtothechairandmustbeheard.APOisraisedif thereisasuspectedbreachofproceduralregulations,suchasthesestandingorders AnypersonmayofferaPO,andthechairmanmustacceptitevenifthereisaspeech underway APOmustbegivenstanding
c. Allspeechesmustbedeliveredwithouttheuseofanelectronicreadingaid,exceptat thediscretionofthechairman
d. Allspeechesmustbedeliveredstanding,exceptatthediscretionofthechairman.
11. ThechairmanorSocialSecretaryofDUCUAmayimposeafineofsomequantityofporton anymemberofDUCUAforthefollowingoffences
a. Grossimpropriety;
b Socialmisdemeanours;
c Mistakescausinggreatinconveniences;
d ConcealmentofAssociationport;
e Theftofthechairman’sgavel;
f. Anyviolationofthesestandingorders.
12. Whiletheauthoritativeinterpretationofthesestandingordersisthatofthechairman’s,the committeeofDUCUAcan,onapopularvote,overrulethechairman’sinterpretation
13 Thesestandingordersmaybemodifiedonlybyatwothirdsmajorityvoteofthecommitteeof DUCUA
Signed and ratified, 27th February in the second year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord Charles III MMXXIV, by the Committee of the Durham University Conservative and Unionist Association