Durrant Pate/Contributor

Member of Parliament (MP) for St Andrew South Western, Angella Brown-Burke, was involved in a major disruption in the House of Representatives last night and was ordered removed and subsequently suspended from the sitting.

The dramatic disruption unfolded during a marathon sitting of the House, as lawmakers debated and voted on the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, which was eventually passed along party lines with the government using its majority to get its way. Mrs Brown-Burke was named by House Speaker Juliet Holness for attempting to remove the mace from the position it was in, and subsequently ordered suspended from the rest of the sitting.

The mace is a silver, 5-foot-6-inch ornate staff symbolising royal authority and the supremacy of Parliament. It must be present on the table of the House or Senate to legally conduct proceedings and its absence or unauthorised touching implies a loss of authority, often halting proceedings. 

Regarded as a serious breach, Brown-Burke was immediately named by the Speaker, who ordered that the Marshall of Parliament remove her from the chamber. “You don’t ever do that, member,” Mrs Holness declared to Brown-Burke, as she summoned the Marshal, ordering him to remove Brown-Burke from the Chamber for “disorderly conduct”.       

Continuing her rebuke, Speaker Holness remarked, “At no time can you grab the mace in Parliament. Not even in jest, member.” In reference to a remark from Opposition MP, Nekeisha Burchell, the Speaker remarked, “and, not in protest either.” 

Government lawmakers backed the motion to suspend Brown-Burke for the remainder of the sitting after the Speaker ruled that conduct involving the ceremonial symbol of Parliament’s authority could not be tolerated. Brown-Burke, initially flanked by Opposition colleagues including Opposition Leader Mark Golding, did not immediately comply with the order, prompting a temporary break in proceedings.

Brown-Burke stood her ground even after she was threatened with suspension. The Speaker called a five-minute recess around 10:48 pm, and when the sitting resumed at 11:05 pm Brown-Burke did not return.