Censure and No Confidence Motions

Introduction

Censure is a debatable crucial resolution in legislative process that should be adopted by a majority vote. It might take the form of a harsh legislative censure, a church’s biblical retribution, or a critical choice based on a religious rationale. The motion of censure is a core motion that expresses a serious disagreement that the assembly must debate and decide on by a majority vote.

What is a censure motion?

MPs can introduce motions of censure to criticise a specific government programme, a specific government minister (including the prime minister), or the government as a whole. Because censure motions are based on tradition, there are no explicit rules dictating how they are framed or how they operate. A motion of censure can be introduced by any MP. They are frequently presented as an Early Day Motion, which is a brief motion that is not scheduled for discussion on a given day and allows an MP to express his or her opinion on a specific topic. Other Members of Parliament can sign any Early Day Resolution, including a censure motion, to show their support.

What happens if a censure motion is approved?

Censure motions are extremely unusual to pass. This is because, unlike when the Opposition files a resolution of no confidence in the government, the government is not obligated to provide time for MPs to discuss and vote on it. In reality, this implies that the opposition party would have to devote some of its time to debating and voting on a censure motion. The government, on the other hand, decides when the opposition gets time in the Commons. If the government was aware that one of its ministers may be facing a censure motion, it would be unlikely to schedule any time for the opposition, thereby preventing the motion from being considered or voted on.

However, if MPs were to find time to discuss and vote on a censure motion, it would only require a simple majority of votes to pass. Because censure motions have no binding consequence, their impact would be virtually exclusively political. It would be detrimental to the minister who was censured, but it would not cause them to quit or be removed from office. They may just chose to carry on as they had been.

What is a motion of no confidence?

A government can only operate if it has a majority in the Lok Sabha. The party can stay in power if it displays its strength through a floor test, which is used to determine if the executive has the legislature’s trust. A no-confidence motion can be introduced by any member of the House who believes the government in power lacks a majority. If the motion is approved, the ruling party must demonstrate that it has a majority in the House. The member does not have to specify a rationale for bringing the motion of no confidence.

What happens if a no confidence motion is approved?

Any member of the House can propose a motion of no confidence. Only the Lok Sabha, not the Rajya Sabha, may move it. The procedure for bringing a no-confidence motion is outlined in Rule 198 of the Lok Sabha Rules of Procedure and Conduct. Before 10 a.m., the member must offer written notice of the motion, which will be read out by the Speaker of the House. The motion must be accepted by a minimum of 50 members, and the Speaker will announce the date for the motion’s consideration. The appointed date must be within 10 days of the acceptance of the motion. Otherwise, the motion fails, and the member who proposed it will be notified.

Difference between censure and no confidence motions

Conclusion

As a result, if a motion of censure against a government is passed, the Council of Ministers must pass a motion of confidence as soon as possible to restore the hours of confidence. There is no reduction in the number of censure motions that can be brought during a sitting.Still, the no-trust motion here is strictly to guarantee that Lok Sabha trusts the Council of Ministers instead of a censure move, when critics/disapproval are also the objects of this motion.