Legal Research Reports: Continuity of Legislative Activities during an Emergency

The Law Library of Congress is proud to present the report, Continuity of Legislative Activities during Emergency Situations.

This reports the law of 36 foreign jurisdictions on the functioning of legislatures under emergency measures, arrangements in legislatures for a designated sub-group to constitute a kind of "emergency parliament" with devolved powers from the whole legislature, and arrangements made by national legislative bodies to ensure their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the vast majority of countries surveyed, legislatures have adopted preventative measures in response to the public emergency posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, no country surveyed has explicitly invoked the powers of an "emergency parliament" with the devolved power from the whole legislature. However, several countries surveyed give various other emergency powers to the legislature in times of emergencies. 

This report is one of many prepared by the Law Library of Congress. Visit the Comprehensive Index of Legal Reports page for a complete listing of reports and the Current Legal Topics page for our highlighted and newer reports.