Dimension: 3.3.1 Physical access to parliament
This dimension concerns the possibility for members of the public to have access to the parliamentary premises and to observe parliamentary proceedings. The openness of parliament to the public is of both symbolic and practical importance. It shapes the way in which citizens think of their parliament and interact with it.
Members of the public should be allowed and encouraged to access all parliamentary venues, including the parliamentary building, the plenary chamber(s) and committee meeting rooms, as well as events organized on or off the parliamentary premises.
It is important for parliament to carefully balance the principle of access with other legitimate concerns. Any restrictions on physical access should be limited, proportional and imposed on reasonable grounds, such as security and public health.
Parliamentary staff Parliamentary staff Employees working for the parliamentary administration who provide professional and impartial support and services to enable MPs to fulfil their legislative responsibilities. In this publication, the term “parliamentary staff” does not include political staff who provide support to individual MPs or parliamentary (party) groups. It should be noted that parliamentary staff are categorized differently across the globe, and the term may refer to individuals who work under either partisan or non-partisan capacities in parliament. In this publication, the term refers to individuals who are non-partisan. Typically, parliamentary staff are separate and independent from the executive's civil service. should have clear guidelines on managing all aspects of public access, covering the entire process from visitor registration to the point at which visitors leave the premises. Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. should dedicate sufficient resources to informing the public about opportunities to visit parliament, and about practical arrangements for visitors. Some parliaments have dedicated visitor centres or visitor services to encourage and facilitate public access.
Aspiring goal
Assess your parliament against this dimension
Assessment criteria
No 1: Legal framework
The legal framework provides for public access to all venues where parliamentary proceedings take place.
No 2: Restrictions on access
Any restrictions on public access to parliament are established in the legal framework, and are limited, proportional and imposed on reasonable grounds. Information about any such restrictions is made widely available.
No 3: Guidelines for parliamentary staff
Parliament has clear guidelines for parliamentary staff outlining the management of all aspects of public access. These guidelines are applied consistently.
No 4: Resources
Parliament dedicates sufficient resources to informing the public about visiting opportunities and arrangements.
How to complete this assessment
This dimension is assessed against several criteria, each of which should be evaluated separately. For each criterion, select one of the six descriptive grades (Non-existent, Rudimentary, Basic, Good, Very good and Excellent) that best reflects the situation in your parliament, and provide details of the evidence on which this assessment is based.
The evidence for assessment of this dimension could include the following:
- Provisions of the legal framework and/or parliament’s rules of procedure relating to physical access to the parliamentary building and all other venues where parliamentary proceedings take place
- Guidelines for parliamentary staff on physical access to parliament
- Statistics on visitor numbers
- Reports from parliament’s visitor centre or services
Where relevant, provide additional comments or examples that support the assessment.
Sources and further reading
- David Beetham, Parliament Parliament A national body of elected (or sometimes appointed) representatives that makes laws, debates issues and holds the government to account. and democracy in the twenty-first century: A guide to good practice (2006).
- Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Recommended Benchmarks for Democratic Legislators, revised edition (2018).
Get help with this assessment
The assessment of indicators involves diagnosing and considering strengths and weaknesses, i.e. the things parliament is doing well, and the things it could do better or more effectively, taking into account established good practices that are described in the indicators.
Read the assessment guidance to find out what to consider when conducting an assessment against the Indicators. Find out how to prepare, how to set the objectives of the assessment, how to organize the process, and more. Contact the project partners for expert advice.
URL copied to clipboard