POPULAR DELIBERATION



GLawyers are masters of their own house



"SENATORS SHALL GIVE CONTROLLING WEIGHT
TO THE MAJORITY VIEW, IF ANY, OF
THE ENTIRE STUFENT BODY OF THE PROGRAMME,
WHENEVER THEY ACT IN THEIR CAPACITIES AS SENATORS."

Article 2(5), Constitution of the Committee



Although Government and Laws Committee is not a membership-based association but a pro bono academic services committee that does not impose any mandatory membership system or fees on GLawyers, the Governing Council of the Committee remains accountable, in multiple ways, to:


  • The GLC Constitution itself;
  • Student Representatives in the Government and Laws Senate assembled;
  • The GLC Constitutional Court; and

Last but not least, the Committee as a whole is responsible to the “general court of GLawyers’ popular opinion”, expressed through Popular Deliberation (PD), a platform of the Committee developed in accordance with Article 2(5) of the Constitution, which obligates the Senate to “give controlling weight to the majority view, if any, of the entire student body of the Programme”. Both the Committee, and the entire body of current BSocSc (Govt&Laws) & LLB students, are masters of their own house. Accountability within GLC is like no other.



POPULAR DELIBERATION



CONSENSUS AND RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH PD





CONSENSUS AND CONSENSUS-BUILDING: PURPOSE OF POPULAR DELIBERATION


Consensus is the constitutionally prescribed way of decision-making in GLC. Popular Deliberation (PD) is GLC's platform that guarantees that there is always an opportunity to consult, deliberate, and achieve consensus amongst the current study body of GLawyers when it comes to important decisions, such as whether any individual candidate in the Nominated Governing Council is unsuitable for confirmation by the Government and Laws Senate. Additionally, PD exists to make the needs of current GLawyers, regardless of whether they ever contributed materially to GLC, heard by GLC's Senate and Governing Council.



FUNCTIONS OF POPULAR DELIBERATION


PD consists of two components: (1) an all-year electronic opinion platform; (2) an annual GLC convention, both of which:

  • Allow the entire current study body of the BSocSc (Govt&Laws) & LLB Programme to express their opinions on the Manifesto (known as a Platform or Year Plan in other organisations) of the incumbent or Nominated Governing Council; and
  • Enable a current GLawyer to freely express his or her views on whether any individual candidate in the Nominated Governing Council is unsuitable for confirmation by the Senate of the Committee.

Though not a membership-based association but a pro bono academic services committee, GLC is under a strict constitutional obligation to reject the candidacy of any proposed candidate of the Nominated Governing Council, if no less than a simple majority of all current GLawyers participated in Popular Deliberation during the designated period before election, and no less than a simple majority of these current GLawyers expressed their objections to the concerned candidate.


In any case - even when both thresholds are not met - opinions of current GLawyers collected through Public Deliberation will be compiled and consolidated, and be given due consideration and material weight in the decision-making processes of GLC.



SUBMIT YOUR OPINION


POPULAR DELIBERATION FORM



LEX INJUSTA NON EST LEX


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