This article is about the hammer used in courts and auctions. For the basketball player, see Anton Gavel. For other uses, see Gavel (disambiguation).
A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle. It can be used to call for attention or to punctuate rulings and proclamations and is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a presiding officer.[1] It is often struck against a sound block, a striking surface typically also made of hardwood, to enhance its sounding qualities. According to tradition, Vice President of the United States John Adams used a gavel as a call to order in the first U.S. Senate in New York in 1789. Since then, it has remained customary to tap the gavel against a lectern or desk to indicate the opening and closing of proceedings and, in the United States, to indicate that a judge's decision is final. It is also used to keep the meeting itself calm and orderly.
Two crossed gavels in the coat of arms of Kauhajoki
In Medieval England, the word gavel could refer to a tribute or rent payment made with something other than cash.[2] These agreements were set in English land-court with the sound of a gavel, a word which may come from the Old English: gafol (meaning "tribute").[2]Gavel would be prefixed to any non-monetary payment given to a lord (for example: gavel-malt) and can be found as a prefix to other terms such as gavelkind, a system of partible inheritance formerly found in parts of the UK and Ireland. A gavel may also have referred to a kind of mason's tool, a setting maul that came into use as a way to maintain order in meetings.[2]
To attract attention and call a meeting to order. In most organizations, two taps raise and one tap seats the assembly; in others, two taps raise and three taps seat it.
To maintain order and restore it when breached in the course of the proceedings. (Tap the gavel once, but vigorously).
To be handed over to successors in office or to officiating officers as ceremonials, etc. (Always extend the holding end).
Improper uses include banging the gavel in an attempt to drown out a disorderly member.[5] In this situation, the chair should give one vigorous tap at a time at intervals.[1] Also, the chair should not lean on the gavel, juggle or toy with it, or use it to challenge or threaten or to emphasize remarks.[1]
The chair should not be "gaveling through" a measure by cutting off members and quickly putting a question to a vote before any member can get the floor (in this connection, the chair should not use the gavel to improperly signify the end of consideration of a question).[6] The expression passing the gavel signifies an orderly succession from one chair to another.
In addition to the use above during business meetings, organizations may use the gavel during their ceremonies and may specify the number of taps of the gavel corresponding to different actions.[7][8]
The unique gavel of the United States Senate has an hourglass shape and no handle. In 1954, the gavel that had been in use since at least 1834 (and possibly since 1789) broke when Vice President Richard Nixon used it during a heated debate on nuclear energy, despite the addition of silver plates to strengthen it two years prior.[14] The Senate was unable to obtain a piece of ivory large enough to replace the gavel, so they appealed to the Indian embassy. Later that year, India's Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan visited the Senate and presented a replica of the original gavel to Nixon.[15] In response to widespread awareness of elephant poaching and illegal ivory trades, a white marble gavel has been in use since at least 2021.
The gavel of the House of Representatives, by contrast, is plain wood with a handle and is used more often and more forcefully than in the Senate. It has been broken and replaced many times.[16] The instrument is so associated with the Speaker of the House that the word gavel itself has become a metonym for the post.
^"There is an English court where gavels are actually used". December 16, 2014.
^"Mea Culpa: Order in court – no gavels". The Independent. November 11, 2016.
^"Historical Minute Essays: 1941-1963: November 17, 1954: The Senate's New Gavel". senate.gov. Retrieved 2012-05-06.
^"India's gift to Nixon". The Hindu. 1954-11-19. Retrieved 3 June 2018.[dead link]
^Larchuk, Travis. "Passing One Of Many, Many Gavels". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-02-10.
^ Baal-Teshuva, Jacob, Art Treasures of the United Nations, Thomas Yoseloff, New York, 1964 p.71 and Plate 34
External linksEdit
Look up gavel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Media related to gavels at Wikimedia Commons
October 15, 2023
gavel, this, article, about, hammer, used, courts, auctions, basketball, player, anton, other, uses, disambiguation, gavel, small, ceremonial, mallet, commonly, made, hardwood, typically, fashioned, with, handle, used, call, attention, punctuate, rulings, proc. This article is about the hammer used in courts and auctions For the basketball player see Anton Gavel For other uses see Gavel disambiguation A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood typically fashioned with a handle It can be used to call for attention or to punctuate rulings and proclamations and is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a presiding officer 1 It is often struck against a sound block a striking surface typically also made of hardwood to enhance its sounding qualities According to tradition Vice President of the United States John Adams used a gavel as a call to order in the first U S Senate in New York in 1789 Since then it has remained customary to tap the gavel against a lectern or desk to indicate the opening and closing of proceedings and in the United States to indicate that a judge s decision is final It is also used to keep the meeting itself calm and orderly GavelWooden gavelClassificationCeremonial malletUsed withSound block Contents 1 Etymology 2 Use in meetings 3 Use in courts of law 4 United States Congress gavels 5 United Nations 6 References 7 External linksEtymology Edit nbsp Two crossed gavels in the coat of arms of KauhajokiIn Medieval England the word gavel could refer to a tribute or rent payment made with something other than cash 2 These agreements were set in English land court with the sound of a gavel a word which may come from the Old English gafol meaning tribute 2 Gavel would be prefixed to any non monetary payment given to a lord for example gavel malt and can be found as a prefix to other terms such as gavelkind a system of partible inheritance formerly found in parts of the UK and Ireland A gavel may also have referred to a kind of mason s tool a setting maul that came into use as a way to maintain order in meetings 2 Use in meetings EditA gavel may be used in meetings of a deliberative assembly According to Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised the gavel may be used to signify a recess or an adjournment 3 4 It may also be used to signify when a member makes a slight breach of the rules 5 Demeter s Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure states that in addition to an optional light tap after a vote there are three other uses of a gavel 1 To attract attention and call a meeting to order In most organizations two taps raise and one tap seats the assembly in others two taps raise and three taps seat it To maintain order and restore it when breached in the course of the proceedings Tap the gavel once but vigorously To be handed over to successors in office or to officiating officers as ceremonials etc Always extend the holding end Improper uses include banging the gavel in an attempt to drown out a disorderly member 5 In this situation the chair should give one vigorous tap at a time at intervals 1 Also the chair should not lean on the gavel juggle or toy with it or use it to challenge or threaten or to emphasize remarks 1 The chair should not be gaveling through a measure by cutting off members and quickly putting a question to a vote before any member can get the floor in this connection the chair should not use the gavel to improperly signify the end of consideration of a question 6 The expression passing the gavel signifies an orderly succession from one chair to another In addition to the use above during business meetings organizations may use the gavel during their ceremonies and may specify the number of taps of the gavel corresponding to different actions 7 8 Use in courts of law EditThe gavel is used in courts of law in the United States and by metonymy is used there to represent the entire judiciary system especially of judgeship On the other hand in the Commonwealth of Nations and Republic of Ireland gavels have never been used by judges despite many American influenced TV programs depicting them 9 10 11 An exception is the Inner London Crown Court where clerks use a gavel to alert parties in court of the entrance of the judge into the courtroom 12 13 United States Congress gavels Edit nbsp United States Senate gavelsThe unique gavel of the United States Senate has an hourglass shape and no handle In 1954 the gavel that had been in use since at least 1834 and possibly since 1789 broke when Vice President Richard Nixon used it during a heated debate on nuclear energy despite the addition of silver plates to strengthen it two years prior 14 The Senate was unable to obtain a piece of ivory large enough to replace the gavel so they appealed to the Indian embassy Later that year India s Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan visited the Senate and presented a replica of the original gavel to Nixon 15 In response to widespread awareness of elephant poaching and illegal ivory trades a white marble gavel has been in use since at least 2021 The gavel of the House of Representatives by contrast is plain wood with a handle and is used more often and more forcefully than in the Senate It has been broken and replaced many times 16 The instrument is so associated with the Speaker of the House that the word gavel itself has become a metonym for the post United Nations EditIn 1955 Icelandic sculptor Rikardur Jonsson carved the Icelandic birch gavel and striking board used at the United Nations 17 References Edit a b c d Demeter George 1969 Demeter s Manual of Parliamentary Law and Procedure Blue Book p 39 40 a b c See dictionary definitions of gavel at Merriam Webster Oxford Dictionaries and thefreedictionary com Robert Henry M et al 2011 Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th ed Philadelphia PA Da Capo Press p 232 ISBN 978 0 306 82020 5 Robert 2011 p 242 a b Robert 2011 p 645 Robert 2011 p 387 The Gavel B P O E Retrieved 2015 08 03 Illustrations of Masonry Illustrations of Masonry Opening the Lodge www sacred texts com Retrieved 2016 02 11 Burggraf Helen Gavel spotting is new sport for expat Americans in UK Commonwealth courts americanexpatfinance com Marcel Berlins 23 November 2009 Knock it on the head BBC Judges don t use gavels The Guardian Retrieved 2014 06 09 Traditions of the courts www judiciary uk There is an English court where gavels are actually used December 16 2014 Mea Culpa Order in court no gavels The Independent November 11 2016 Historical Minute Essays 1941 1963 November 17 1954 The Senate s New Gavel senate gov Retrieved 2012 05 06 India s gift to Nixon The Hindu 1954 11 19 Retrieved 3 June 2018 dead link Larchuk Travis Passing One Of Many Many Gavels NPR org Retrieved 2016 02 10 Baal Teshuva Jacob Art Treasures of the United Nations Thomas Yoseloff New York 1964 p 71 and Plate 34External links Edit nbsp Look up gavel in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Media related to gavels at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Gavel amp oldid 1176802477, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
