fbpx
Wikipedia

Serjeant-at-arms

January 28, 2023

A serjeant-at-arms, or sergeant-at-arms,[a] is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. The word "serjeant" is derived from the Latin serviens, which means "servant". Historically, serjeants-at-arms were armed men retained by English lords and monarchs, and the ceremonial maces which they are associated with were originally a type of weapon.[2]

A ceremonial mace (English, 17th century) as carried by the monarch's sergeants-at-arms on state occasions.

Origins

The term "sergeant" can be given two main definitions; the first being a military rank and the other a governmental role. Whereas technically the two roles were not mutually exclusive, they were very different in roles and duties. The soldier sergeant was a man of what would now be thought of as the 'middle class', fulfilling a junior role to the knight in the medieval hierarchy. Sergeants could fight either as heavy to light cavalry, or as well-trained professional infantry, either spearmen or crossbowmen. Most notable medieval mercenaries fell into the 'sergeant' class, such as Flemish crossbowmen and spearmen, who were seen as reliable quality troops. The sergeant class were deemed to be 'worth half of a knight' in military value. The office originated in medieval England to serve the sovereign in a police role, much like a bailiff in more recent times. Indeed, the sergeants-at-arms constitute the oldest royal bodyguard in England, dating from the time of King Richard I (around 1189) as a formed body. The title "sergeant-at-arms" appears during the crusades during the reign of King Philip II of France in 1192.[3]

The sergeant-at-arms was a personal attendant upon the king, specially charged with arresting those suspected of treason. Richard I had 24 with him on the Crusades. They were formed into a twenty-strong Corps of Sergeants-at-Arms by King Edward I in 1278, as a mounted close escort.[4] In 1399 King Richard II limited the corps to thirty sergeants, and King Charles II had sixteen. The number was reduced to eight in 1685 and since then it has gradually declined.

The original responsibilities of the sergeant-at-arms included "collecting loans and, impressing men and ships, serving on local administration and in all sorts of ways interfering with local administration and justice."[5] Around 1415, the British House of Commons received its first sergeant-at-arms.[6] From that time onwards the sergeant has been a royal appointment, the sergeant being one of the sovereign's sergeants-at-arms. The House of Lords has a similar officer.

The formal role of a sergeant-at-arms in modern legislative bodies is to keep order during meetings, and, if necessary, forcibly remove any members or guests who are overly rowdy or disruptive. A sergeant-at-arms may thus be a retired soldier, police officer, or other official with experience in law enforcement and security. The Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons has general charge of certain administrative and custodial functions, as well as security within the chamber of the House.

Specific countries

Australia

The Australian House of Representatives operates under the Westminster parliamentary system. The serjeant-at-arms is a career officer of the Department of the House of Representatives. The ceremonial duties are as the custodian of the mace, the symbol of the authority of the Crown and the House, and as the messenger for formal messages from the House to the Senate.[5] The serjeant has the authority to remove disorderly people, by force if necessary, from the House or the public or press galleries on the instructions of the speaker.[5] The administrative duties of the serjeant include allocation of office accommodation, furniture and fittings for members' offices, coordination of car transport for members, mail and courier services for the House, security for the House and arrangements for school visits. Once a meeting has started in a House the serjeant will usually stand at the door to keep authority and make sure no one else comes in or out.

Bangladesh

The serjeant-at-arms is the senior official of the National Parliament (Jatiyo Sangshad) who is responsible for maintaining order during sessions and to maintain security and protocol at Parliament under the guidance of the speaker. Presently, Captain M M Naim Rahman (G), NGP, NCC, PSC, BN naval officer, is appointed as serjeant-at-arms.[7]

Canada

See also: List of Sergeants-at-Arms of the Canadian House of Commons

The sergeant-at-arms is the senior official of the House of Commons of Canada. In this role, the sergeant-at-arms is responsible for the building services and security of the House of Commons, and is appointed by the governor general acting on the advice of the federal cabinet.[8] The sergeant-at-arms carries the mace, the symbol of the authority of the Crown, in the daily parade into the House of Commons chamber.

Provincial legislative assemblies, houses of assembly, national assemblies, and provincial parliaments (the nomenclature for legislatures varying between provinces) also employ sergeants-at-arms.

René Jalbert, sergeant-at-arms of the National Assembly of Quebec, ended Denis Lortie's killing spree in the Quebec Parliament Building on 8 May 1984 by constituting himself hostage and negotiating with the shooter for four hours.[9]

During the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, Ottawa, the then sergeant-at-arms of the House of Commons, Kevin M. Vickers, assisted RCMP officers in engaging the gunman. Reports show that Sergeant-at-Arms Vickers, alongside RCMP Constable Curtis Barrett, shot and killed the gunman who had gained access to the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament buildings.[10]

Liberia

 
Portrait of Chancy Brown, an early sergeant-at-arms for the Senate of Liberia (made by Augustus Washington)

In addition to the president pro tempore, the Senate of Liberia elects a secretary of the Senate, assistant secretary of the Senate and a sergeant-at-arms as officers of the Senate, though these positions are not held by sitting senators.

New Zealand

 
Serjeant-at-arms (with mace) in attendance at the opening of the New Zealand Parliament in 1950

The New Zealand House of Representatives operates under the Westminster parliamentary system.

The current serjeant-at-arms is Captain Steve Streefkerk, RNZN (Rtd), a permanent officer of the House supported by the Chamber and Meeting Support Team.

The serjeant-at-arms controls officials and members staff coming to the House, and the surrounding areas such as the lobbies and the members lounge.[11] There is involvement at select committees where the chairman seeks assistance to maintain good order. The serjeant-at-arms sits in the debating chamber opposite the speaker at the visitors door for each House sitting session to ensure that security is effective, good order is maintained, administers the Members Attendance Register and takes instructions from the speaker or the other presiding officers - deputy speaker or two assistant speakers, when they are presiding.

The chamber and meeting support officers control all access to the House, and attend to the needs of the members of parliaments, and officials when the House is undertaking its business.

The gallery operation for visitors or strangers is controlled by the Parliamentary Service Security Service, but the speaker and the serjeant-at-arms have the overall authority as defined in Standing Orders.

Past serjeants-at-arms in recent times have been Group Captain Manson (who in May 1965 was promoted to Usher of the Black Rod),[12] Wing Commander Bob McKay, Ms Ipi Cross, Ms Carol Rankin, Mr Donald Cameron, Mr Fred Hutton and Mr Brent Smith.

South Africa

The serjeant-at-arms is a member of the parliamentary staff who acts as the official guardian of the mace, a decorated rod which is the symbol of the authority of the Parliament of South Africa. The mace must be in position in the National Assembly chamber during a plenary sitting.

The serjeant-at-arms is also responsible for maintaining the attendance register of the members of House members. They must also maintain order in the House and remove people from the House as ordered by the speaker.[13]

According to the National Assembly Rules, "the Serjeant-at-Arms shall remove, or cause to be removed, any stranger from any part of a Chamber which has been set apart for members only, and also any stranger who, having been admitted into any other part of the Chamber, misconducts himself or herself or does not withdraw when strangers are ordered to withdraw."[14]

The serjeant-at-arms is attired in a black tailcoat, waistcoat, starched white shirt, bow tie, and white gloves. The current serjeant-at-arms is Regina Mhlomi, who succeeded Godfrey Cleinwerck.[15] The usher of the black rod is Vincent Shabalala, whose duty it is to escort the presiding officers of the National Council of Provinces into its chamber.[16]

Sri Lanka

See also: Serjeant-at-Arms of the Sri Lankan Parliament

The Parliament of Sri Lanka was established in the form of the Westminster parliamentary system. The serjeant-at-arms is appointed by the secretary general of Parliament and is responsible for all ceremonial occasions as the master of ceremonies in Parliament, preservation of order, custody of the mace, security, admission of visitors, allocation of accommodation within the House and supervision of galleries.[17] Assisting the serjeant-at-arms in his duties would be the deputy serjeant-at-arms and the assistant serjeant-at-arms.[18]

Responsible for security, by tradition he is the only officer authorized to carry a weapon (ceremonial sword) inside the Parliament building and is assisted by the Parliament Police Division.[17] Admission of visitors to the precincts of Parliament is controlled by the serjeant-at-arms. The serjeant-at-arms and assistant serjeant-at-arms would wear a white uniform with medal ribbons during normal sittings of parliament. On ceremonial occasions they would wear a uniform similar to a No. 1 Dress uniform of a major general in the Sri Lanka Army, with varied gorget patchs and epaulette similar to a flag officer of the Sri Lanka Navy

During the normal sitting days of the House, the serjeant-at-arms wears a white colour uniform and on ceremonial occasions is clad with specially designed black colour ceremonial attire. (equivalent to the rank of the major-general)

The first serjeant-at-arms of Parliament was M. Ismail MBE, who was appointed in 1947.[19] Ronnie Abeysinghe was the longest serving serjeant-at-arms in the history of Sri Lanka. He held the position from 1970 to 1996.[20] The current serjeant-at-arms is Anil P. Samarasekara.[20]

United Kingdom

 
Serjeants-at-arms with their maces, travelling back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster after the State Opening of Parliament.

Parliament

See also: Serjeant-at-Arms of the House of Commons (United Kingdom) and Black Rod

The serjeant-at-arms of the House of Commons is responsible for security matters concerning the House of Commons. The serjeant, whilst in the Commons overseeing proceedings, can also escort members of parliament out of the chamber by order of the speaker of the House. The post dates back to 1415, and has often been held by retired military or police figures (though in recent years those from a civil service background have been appointed). The current serjeant-at-arms is Ugbana Oyet (appointed in October 2019); he was previously an electrical engineer in Parliament.[21]

The equivalent officer for the House of Lords is the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod (also known simply as Black Rod); there was formerly a separate serjeant-at-arms of the House of Lords, but the two appointments were merged in 1971 (since when the mace has routinely been carried by Black Rod's deputy, the Yeoman Usher).

The Royal Household

 
Two Serjeants-at-arms of the Royal Household escort the officers carrying the regalia into the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament in 2022.

In addition to the above-mentioned officers there are other serjeants-at-arms who attend the sovereign on state occasions, a remnant of the body established by Richard I (though today their role is purely ceremonial). Usually, members of the Royal Household who serve as serjeants-at-arms have had the office bestowed on them as a mark of distinction for long and meritorious service.[2]

Insignia

The mace serves as a symbol of royal and parliamentary authority. Ten maces are kept in the Jewel House at the Tower of London in addition to those kept by the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the Lord Chancellor. As well as carrying their maces, on state occasions each serjeant-at-arms wears a collar of esses as a symbol of his or her office. As a testament to the symbolic power of the insignia, when the Republic of Ireland declared independence from the United Kingdom at the First Dáil in 1919, one of the first decisions declared was that there was to be "no robes, no mace, no velveted sergeant-at-arms".[22][23]

United States

See also: Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives and Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate

The two houses of the United States Congress maintain the position of sergeant-at-arms. The sergeants are charged with the maintenance of order on the floor of the chamber (in the House, he may "display" the mace in front of an unruly member as an admonition to behave); they serve with the Architect of the Capitol on the commission that oversees the United States Capitol Police and security for the Congress, and they serve a variety of other functional and ceremonial roles.[24][25]

Other bodies

Other bodies—from state and local legislative houses (city councils, county legislatures and the like) to civic and social organizations—have created posts of sergeants-at-arms, primarily to enforce order at the direction of the chair and to assist in practical details of organizing meetings.[26][27][28] Other duties may include the greeting of visitors or providing security.[29][30] The sergeant-at-arms may be in charge of the organization's property.[29]

The title is also used in criminal motorcycle clubs like Hells Angels.

In large organizations, the sergeant-at-arms may have assistants.[31]

A law enforcement officer may serve in the role of sergeant-at-arms or it may be a paid (or unpaid), permanent position in the organization.[31][32]

Notes

  1. ^ "Sergeant" is a modern UK and North American variant spelling.[1]

References

  1. ^ . Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 27 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b Allison & Riddell (1991). The Royal Encyclopaedia. London: Macmillan.
  3. ^ "Sergeant-at-Arms - The Speaker". speaker.ontla.on.ca. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  4. ^ "What Else Does the Sergeant at Arms Do?". Mental Floss. 24 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  5. ^ a b c "Serjeant-at-Arms". www.aph.gov.au. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  6. ^ "Serjeant at Arms". UK Parliament. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  7. ^ "Contact List". npmis.mopa.gov.bd. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  8. ^ "Officers and Officials of Parliament". www.lop.parl.gc.ca. Parliament of Canada. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  9. ^ "M. René Marc Jalbert, C.V., C.D." Decorations for Bravery. The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  10. ^ "Ottawa shooting: A day of chaos leaves soldier, gunman dead". CBC News. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  11. ^ "People in Parliament, Serjeant-at-Arms". www.parliament.nz. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  12. ^ "Sergeant-at-arms appointed". The Press. Vol. CIV, no. 30742. 5 May 1965. p. 1. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Draft Rules: Disruptions during sittings, functions & powers of Joint Standing Committee on Defence : Party inputs | PMG". pmg.org.za. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  14. ^ Parliament of the Republic of South Africa
  15. ^ "New Serjeant-at-Arms earns her stripes". News 24. 10 February 2011.
  16. ^ Jacobs, Luzuko; Momlezi Kula (June 2009). "Interview: Q&A" (PDF). In Session. Cape Town: Parliamentary Communication Services. 9 (6): 26. Retrieved 9 November 2009.
  17. ^ a b "Parliament of Sri Lanka - The Department of the Serjeant-at-Arms". www.parliament.lk. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  18. ^ New Serjeant-at-Arms
  19. ^ Mace in Sri Lankan Parliament
  20. ^ a b "Parliament of Sri Lanka - The Department of the Serjeant-at-Arms - Security". www.parliament.lk. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  21. ^ "Commons appoints new Serjeant at Arms". BBC News. BBC. 16 October 2019.
  22. ^ O'Keeffe, Helene (14 November 2019). ""No robes, no mace, no velvet": Organising the first Dáil meeting". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  23. ^ "Atlas of the Irish Revolution". University College Cork. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Sergeants at Arms | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  25. ^ "U.S. Senate: Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper". www.senate.gov. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  26. ^ Cullen, Morgan (January 2013). "Pomp, Circumstance and Arms". www.ncsl.org. State Legislatures Magazine. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  27. ^ "Municode Library - Rule 2.04 Sergeant-at-Arms". www.municode.com. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  28. ^ Robert, Henry M.; et al. (2011). Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (11th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Da Capo Press. p. 462. ISBN 978-0-306-82020-5.
  29. ^ a b Raines, Christopher. "Job Responsibilities of a Sergeant of Arms on a Board of Directors". Everyday Life - Global Post. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  30. ^ "1% Bylaws Example". Riding Club and Motorcycle Club Education.
  31. ^ a b "Job Description: Sergeant at Arms". bbcbec.designzonline.com. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  32. ^ "Section 2-1 CITY COUNCIL". www.codepublishing.com. Retrieved 2 February 2016.

External links

January 28, 2023
serjeant, arms, serjeant, arms, sergeant, arms, officer, appointed, deliberative, body, usually, legislature, keep, order, during, meetings, word, serjeant, derived, from, latin, serviens, which, means, servant, historically, serjeants, arms, were, armed, reta. A serjeant at arms or sergeant at arms a is an officer appointed by a deliberative body usually a legislature to keep order during its meetings The word serjeant is derived from the Latin serviens which means servant Historically serjeants at arms were armed men retained by English lords and monarchs and the ceremonial maces which they are associated with were originally a type of weapon 2 A ceremonial mace English 17th century as carried by the monarch s sergeants at arms on state occasions Contents 1 Origins 2 Specific countries 2 1 Australia 2 2 Bangladesh 2 3 Canada 2 4 Liberia 2 5 New Zealand 2 6 South Africa 2 7 Sri Lanka 2 8 United Kingdom 2 8 1 Parliament 2 8 2 The Royal Household 2 8 3 Insignia 2 9 United States 3 Other bodies 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksOrigins EditThe term sergeant can be given two main definitions the first being a military rank and the other a governmental role Whereas technically the two roles were not mutually exclusive they were very different in roles and duties The soldier sergeant was a man of what would now be thought of as the middle class fulfilling a junior role to the knight in the medieval hierarchy Sergeants could fight either as heavy to light cavalry or as well trained professional infantry either spearmen or crossbowmen Most notable medieval mercenaries fell into the sergeant class such as Flemish crossbowmen and spearmen who were seen as reliable quality troops The sergeant class were deemed to be worth half of a knight in military value The office originated in medieval England to serve the sovereign in a police role much like a bailiff in more recent times Indeed the sergeants at arms constitute the oldest royal bodyguard in England dating from the time of King Richard I around 1189 as a formed body The title sergeant at arms appears during the crusades during the reign of King Philip II of France in 1192 3 The sergeant at arms was a personal attendant upon the king specially charged with arresting those suspected of treason Richard I had 24 with him on the Crusades They were formed into a twenty strong Corps of Sergeants at Arms by King Edward I in 1278 as a mounted close escort 4 In 1399 King Richard II limited the corps to thirty sergeants and King Charles II had sixteen The number was reduced to eight in 1685 and since then it has gradually declined The original responsibilities of the sergeant at arms included collecting loans and impressing men and ships serving on local administration and in all sorts of ways interfering with local administration and justice 5 Around 1415 the British House of Commons received its first sergeant at arms 6 From that time onwards the sergeant has been a royal appointment the sergeant being one of the sovereign s sergeants at arms The House of Lords has a similar officer The formal role of a sergeant at arms in modern legislative bodies is to keep order during meetings and if necessary forcibly remove any members or guests who are overly rowdy or disruptive A sergeant at arms may thus be a retired soldier police officer or other official with experience in law enforcement and security The Sergeant at Arms of the House of Commons has general charge of certain administrative and custodial functions as well as security within the chamber of the House Specific countries EditAustralia Edit The Australian House of Representatives operates under the Westminster parliamentary system The serjeant at arms is a career officer of the Department of the House of Representatives The ceremonial duties are as the custodian of the mace the symbol of the authority of the Crown and the House and as the messenger for formal messages from the House to the Senate 5 The serjeant has the authority to remove disorderly people by force if necessary from the House or the public or press galleries on the instructions of the speaker 5 The administrative duties of the serjeant include allocation of office accommodation furniture and fittings for members offices coordination of car transport for members mail and courier services for the House security for the House and arrangements for school visits Once a meeting has started in a House the serjeant will usually stand at the door to keep authority and make sure no one else comes in or out Bangladesh Edit The serjeant at arms is the senior official of the National Parliament Jatiyo Sangshad who is responsible for maintaining order during sessions and to maintain security and protocol at Parliament under the guidance of the speaker Presently Captain M M Naim Rahman G NGP NCC PSC BN naval officer is appointed as serjeant at arms 7 Canada Edit See also List of Sergeants at Arms of the Canadian House of Commons The sergeant at arms is the senior official of the House of Commons of Canada In this role the sergeant at arms is responsible for the building services and security of the House of Commons and is appointed by the governor general acting on the advice of the federal cabinet 8 The sergeant at arms carries the mace the symbol of the authority of the Crown in the daily parade into the House of Commons chamber Provincial legislative assemblies houses of assembly national assemblies and provincial parliaments the nomenclature for legislatures varying between provinces also employ sergeants at arms Rene Jalbert sergeant at arms of the National Assembly of Quebec ended Denis Lortie s killing spree in the Quebec Parliament Building on 8 May 1984 by constituting himself hostage and negotiating with the shooter for four hours 9 During the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill Ottawa the then sergeant at arms of the House of Commons Kevin M Vickers assisted RCMP officers in engaging the gunman Reports show that Sergeant at Arms Vickers alongside RCMP Constable Curtis Barrett shot and killed the gunman who had gained access to the Centre Block of the Canadian Parliament buildings 10 Liberia Edit Portrait of Chancy Brown an early sergeant at arms for the Senate of Liberia made by Augustus Washington In addition to the president pro tempore the Senate of Liberia elects a secretary of the Senate assistant secretary of the Senate and a sergeant at arms as officers of the Senate though these positions are not held by sitting senators New Zealand Edit Serjeant at arms with mace in attendance at the opening of the New Zealand Parliament in 1950 The New Zealand House of Representatives operates under the Westminster parliamentary system The current serjeant at arms is Captain Steve Streefkerk RNZN Rtd a permanent officer of the House supported by the Chamber and Meeting Support Team The serjeant at arms controls officials and members staff coming to the House and the surrounding areas such as the lobbies and the members lounge 11 There is involvement at select committees where the chairman seeks assistance to maintain good order The serjeant at arms sits in the debating chamber opposite the speaker at the visitors door for each House sitting session to ensure that security is effective good order is maintained administers the Members Attendance Register and takes instructions from the speaker or the other presiding officers deputy speaker or two assistant speakers when they are presiding The chamber and meeting support officers control all access to the House and attend to the needs of the members of parliaments and officials when the House is undertaking its business The gallery operation for visitors or strangers is controlled by the Parliamentary Service Security Service but the speaker and the serjeant at arms have the overall authority as defined in Standing Orders Past serjeants at arms in recent times have been Group Captain Manson who in May 1965 was promoted to Usher of the Black Rod 12 Wing Commander Bob McKay Ms Ipi Cross Ms Carol Rankin Mr Donald Cameron Mr Fred Hutton and Mr Brent Smith South Africa Edit The serjeant at arms is a member of the parliamentary staff who acts as the official guardian of the mace a decorated rod which is the symbol of the authority of the Parliament of South Africa The mace must be in position in the National Assembly chamber during a plenary sitting The serjeant at arms is also responsible for maintaining the attendance register of the members of House members They must also maintain order in the House and remove people from the House as ordered by the speaker 13 According to the National Assembly Rules the Serjeant at Arms shall remove or cause to be removed any stranger from any part of a Chamber which has been set apart for members only and also any stranger who having been admitted into any other part of the Chamber misconducts himself or herself or does not withdraw when strangers are ordered to withdraw 14 The serjeant at arms is attired in a black tailcoat waistcoat starched white shirt bow tie and white gloves The current serjeant at arms is Regina Mhlomi who succeeded Godfrey Cleinwerck 15 The usher of the black rod is Vincent Shabalala whose duty it is to escort the presiding officers of the National Council of Provinces into its chamber 16 Sri Lanka Edit See also Serjeant at Arms of the Sri Lankan Parliament The Parliament of Sri Lanka was established in the form of the Westminster parliamentary system The serjeant at arms is appointed by the secretary general of Parliament and is responsible for all ceremonial occasions as the master of ceremonies in Parliament preservation of order custody of the mace security admission of visitors allocation of accommodation within the House and supervision of galleries 17 Assisting the serjeant at arms in his duties would be the deputy serjeant at arms and the assistant serjeant at arms 18 Responsible for security by tradition he is the only officer authorized to carry a weapon ceremonial sword inside the Parliament building and is assisted by the Parliament Police Division 17 Admission of visitors to the precincts of Parliament is controlled by the serjeant at arms The serjeant at arms and assistant serjeant at arms would wear a white uniform with medal ribbons during normal sittings of parliament On ceremonial occasions they would wear a uniform similar to a No 1 Dress uniform of a major general in the Sri Lanka Army with varied gorget patchs and epaulette similar to a flag officer of the Sri Lanka NavyDuring the normal sitting days of the House the serjeant at arms wears a white colour uniform and on ceremonial occasions is clad with specially designed black colour ceremonial attire equivalent to the rank of the major general The first serjeant at arms of Parliament was M Ismail MBE who was appointed in 1947 19 Ronnie Abeysinghe was the longest serving serjeant at arms in the history of Sri Lanka He held the position from 1970 to 1996 20 The current serjeant at arms is Anil P Samarasekara 20 United Kingdom Edit Serjeants at arms with their maces travelling back to Buckingham Palace from Westminster after the State Opening of Parliament Parliament Edit See also Serjeant at Arms of the House of Commons United Kingdom and Black Rod The serjeant at arms of the House of Commons is responsible for security matters concerning the House of Commons The serjeant whilst in the Commons overseeing proceedings can also escort members of parliament out of the chamber by order of the speaker of the House The post dates back to 1415 and has often been held by retired military or police figures though in recent years those from a civil service background have been appointed The current serjeant at arms is Ugbana Oyet appointed in October 2019 he was previously an electrical engineer in Parliament 21 The equivalent officer for the House of Lords is the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod also known simply as Black Rod there was formerly a separate serjeant at arms of the House of Lords but the two appointments were merged in 1971 since when the mace has routinely been carried by Black Rod s deputy the Yeoman Usher The Royal Household Edit Two Serjeants at arms of the Royal Household escort the officers carrying the regalia into the Palace of Westminster for the State Opening of Parliament in 2022 In addition to the above mentioned officers there are other serjeants at arms who attend the sovereign on state occasions a remnant of the body established by Richard I though today their role is purely ceremonial Usually members of the Royal Household who serve as serjeants at arms have had the office bestowed on them as a mark of distinction for long and meritorious service 2 Insignia Edit The mace serves as a symbol of royal and parliamentary authority Ten maces are kept in the Jewel House at the Tower of London in addition to those kept by the House of Commons the House of Lords and the Lord Chancellor As well as carrying their maces on state occasions each serjeant at arms wears a collar of esses as a symbol of his or her office As a testament to the symbolic power of the insignia when the Republic of Ireland declared independence from the United Kingdom at the First Dail in 1919 one of the first decisions declared was that there was to be no robes no mace no velveted sergeant at arms 22 23 United States Edit See also Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives and Sergeant at Arms of the United States Senate The two houses of the United States Congress maintain the position of sergeant at arms The sergeants are charged with the maintenance of order on the floor of the chamber in the House he may display the mace in front of an unruly member as an admonition to behave they serve with the Architect of the Capitol on the commission that oversees the United States Capitol Police and security for the Congress and they serve a variety of other functional and ceremonial roles 24 25 Other bodies EditOther bodies from state and local legislative houses city councils county legislatures and the like to civic and social organizations have created posts of sergeants at arms primarily to enforce order at the direction of the chair and to assist in practical details of organizing meetings 26 27 28 Other duties may include the greeting of visitors or providing security 29 30 The sergeant at arms may be in charge of the organization s property 29 The title is also used in criminal motorcycle clubs like Hells Angels In large organizations the sergeant at arms may have assistants 31 A law enforcement officer may serve in the role of sergeant at arms or it may be a paid or unpaid permanent position in the organization 31 32 Notes Edit Sergeant is a modern UK and North American variant spelling 1 References Edit sergeant at arms definition of sergeant at arms in Oxford English Dictionary Oxford English Dictionary Archived from the original on 27 October 2016 Retrieved 27 October 2016 a b Allison amp Riddell 1991 The Royal Encyclopaedia London Macmillan Sergeant at Arms The Speaker speaker ontla on ca Retrieved 3 February 2016 What Else Does the Sergeant at Arms Do Mental Floss 24 January 2011 Retrieved 3 February 2016 a b c Serjeant at Arms www aph gov au Parliament of Australia Retrieved 2 February 2016 Serjeant at Arms UK Parliament Retrieved 3 February 2016 Contact List npmis mopa gov bd Retrieved 21 December 2021 Officers and Officials of Parliament www lop parl gc ca Parliament of Canada Retrieved 3 February 2016 M Rene Marc Jalbert C V C D Decorations for Bravery The Office of the Secretary to the Governor General Retrieved 11 January 2012 Ottawa shooting A day of chaos leaves soldier gunman dead CBC News 23 October 2014 Retrieved 25 October 2014 People in Parliament Serjeant at Arms www parliament nz Retrieved 3 February 2016 Sergeant at arms appointed The Press Vol CIV no 30742 5 May 1965 p 1 Retrieved 22 September 2022 Draft Rules Disruptions during sittings functions amp powers of Joint Standing Committee on Defence Party inputs PMG pmg org za Retrieved 2 February 2016 Parliament of the Republic of South Africa New Serjeant at Arms earns her stripes News 24 10 February 2011 Jacobs Luzuko Momlezi Kula June 2009 Interview Q amp A PDF In Session Cape Town Parliamentary Communication Services 9 6 26 Retrieved 9 November 2009 a b Parliament of Sri Lanka The Department of the Serjeant at Arms www parliament lk Retrieved 3 February 2016 New Serjeant at Arms Mace in Sri Lankan Parliament a b Parliament of Sri Lanka The Department of the Serjeant at Arms Security www parliament lk Retrieved 3 February 2016 Commons appoints new Serjeant at Arms BBC News BBC 16 October 2019 O Keeffe Helene 14 November 2019 No robes no mace no velvet Organising the first Dail meeting a href Template Cite journal html title Template Cite journal cite journal a Cite journal requires journal help Atlas of the Irish Revolution University College Cork Retrieved 13 January 2021 Sergeants at Arms US House of Representatives History Art amp Archives history house gov Retrieved 3 February 2016 U S Senate Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper www senate gov Retrieved 3 February 2016 Cullen Morgan January 2013 Pomp Circumstance and Arms www ncsl org State Legislatures Magazine Retrieved 2 February 2016 Municode Library Rule 2 04 Sergeant at Arms www municode com Retrieved 2 February 2016 Robert Henry M et al 2011 Robert s Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th ed Philadelphia PA Da Capo Press p 462 ISBN 978 0 306 82020 5 a b Raines Christopher Job Responsibilities of a Sergeant of Arms on a Board of Directors Everyday Life Global Post Retrieved 2 February 2016 1 Bylaws Example Riding Club and Motorcycle Club Education a b Job Description Sergeant at Arms bbcbec designzonline com Retrieved 2 February 2016 Section 2 1 CITY COUNCIL www codepublishing com Retrieved 2 February 2016 External links Edit Serjeant Encyclopaedia Britannica 11th ed 1911 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Serjeant at arms amp oldid 1126444938, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.