Part of Orders of the Day — Indian Independence Bill – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 14 July 1947.
Mr Arthur Molson
, High Peak
12:00,
14 July 1947
If the right hon. and learned Gentleman would permit me, I would like to develop this argument. He has made an extremely important statement, and it is an example of the way important changes are being made in the Constitution of India which are not explicit in the words of this enabling Act but are implicit because it is assumed that these provisions cease to be valid on the principle cessante ratione, cessat lex. If that is so, it is vitally important that from the beginning either a court or a tribunal or the Governor-General shall be able to decide what are the ultimate consequences of the provisions of this Bill.
A parliamentary bill is divided into sections called clauses.
Printed in the margin next to each clause is a brief explanatory `side-note' giving details of what the effect of the clause will be.
During the committee stage of a bill, MPs examine these clauses in detail and may introduce new clauses of their own or table amendments to the existing clauses.
When a bill becomes an Act of Parliament, clauses become known as sections.
