What procedures must I follow when making allegations against another member or person?

When making allegations against another member or minister, you must provide prior written notice to both the Chairman and the person concerned. The Chairman may prohibit allegations deemed derogatory to the House's dignity or serving no public interest. For allegations against non-members, exercise special caution as they lack forum to defend themselves.

If making allegations without proper notice, the Chair will typically invoke Rule 238A and call you to order. If allegations are made and later denied by the person concerned, parliamentary etiquette requires accepting their contradiction without further dispute. For serious allegations against Ministers, a formal substantive motion is the appropriate vehicle rather than casual accusations during debates.

Remember that while parliamentary privilege protects you from legal consequences for statements made in the House, this protection doesn't extend to repeating allegations outside Parliament. As the Chairman observed: "Every repetition of a defamatory statement is itself an offence. It may be that this floor protects people. But if it is repeated outside by anybody in papers, writing or orally, he will not have the protection."

Rule 238A specifically mandates: "No allegation of a defamatory or incriminatory nature shall be made by a member against any other member or a member of the House unless the member making the allegation has given previous intimation to the Chairman and also to the Minister concerned." Rule 238(ii) broadly prohibits "a personal charge against a member," and Rule 238(vii) prohibits "treasonable, seditious or defamatory words" in any parliamentary speech.