{"id":"C2004A04213","name":"Senate (Quorum) Act 1991","slug":"senate-quorum-act-1991","collection":"act","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":"138 of 1991","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":7414,"registerId":"commonwealth-C2004A04213-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-03-30","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Senate (Quorum) Act 1991","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nSenate (Quorum) Act 1991\n\n \n\nNo. 138 of 1991\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nAn Act to determine the quorum of the Senate\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nContents\n\n[1 Short title](#_Toc427158871)\n\n[2 Commencement](#_Toc427158872)\n\n[3 Quorum](#_Toc427158873)\n\n \n\n![](image.001.png)\n\n \n\n \n\nSenate (Quorum) Act 1991\n\nNo. 138 of 1991\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nAn Act to determine the quorum of the Senate\n\n[Assented to 27 September 1991]\n\nThe Parliament of Australia enacts:\n\n##### 1  Short title\n\n  This Act may be cited as the Senate (Quorum) Act 1991.\n\n##### 2  Commencement\n\n  This Act commences on the day after the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.\n\n##### 3  Quorum\n\n  The presence of at least one‑quarter of the whole number of the senators is necessary to constitute a meeting of the Senate for the exercise of its powers.\n\n \n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The legislation remains precisely scoped to its original purpose: setting the Senate quorum. It has not expanded beyond this single, narrow function since enactment."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 operative sections (Short title, Commencement, Quorum)","Zero defined terms","Zero cross-references to other legislation","Single substantive provision with no conditions, exceptions, or subsections","Total length: approximately 150 words of substantive law","No delegated legislation or regulation-making powers"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this law does:**\n\nThis short law sets the minimum number of Senators who must be present for the Senate to legally conduct business. This minimum number is called a **\"quorum\"** (pronounced KWO-rum).\n\n**The rule:**\n\nAt least **one-quarter of all Senators** must be present. Since there are 76 Senators, this means **19 Senators** must be in the chamber for the Senate to:\n- Vote on laws\n- Debate bills\n- Exercise any of its official powers\n\n**Who it affects:**\n\n- **Senators** — they must ensure enough colleagues are present to keep proceedings valid\n- **The public** — ensures the Senate can't make major decisions with only a handful of politicians present\n\n**Why it matters:**\n\nWithout a quorum rule, a small group of Senators could theoretically pass laws or make decisions while most were absent. This law protects democratic legitimacy by ensuring a reasonable cross-section of elected representatives is present when the Senate acts.\n\n**Key detail:**\n\nThe Constitution already required a quorum but left the exact number to be set by Parliament. This 1991 law finally fixed that number at one-quarter of Senators."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Act is narrowly focused on fixing the Senate’s quorum at one‑quarter of the whole number of senators (s 3) and contains only a short title and commencement provision (ss 1–2). The text does not expand or limit the Senate’s statutory powers beyond specifying the attendance threshold for meetings, and there is no indication in the Act’s text that its scope departs from that stated objective."},"complexity_factors":["Single substantive provision sets a numeric threshold (s 3).","Clear, simple fractional rule (one‑quarter) reduces interpretive complexity.","Textual ambiguity over the phrase \"the whole number of the senators\" (who or what baseline it references) adds a minor interpretive question (s 3).","No procedural or enforcement details in the Act; implementation relies on Senate practice and officers, which can introduce administrative complexity.","Low compliance burden and limited scope reduce operational complexity.","Commencement is immediate (day after Royal Assent), but this does not complicate substantive application (s 2)."],"plain_english_summary":"The Act fixes the Senate’s quorum at one-quarter of the whole number of senators and takes effect the day after Royal Assent. It primarily affects senators and parliamentary staff who must ensure sufficient attendance for sittings; if fewer attend, the Senate cannot exercise its powers. Mechanically simple, the rule shapes scheduling incentives and allows tactical attendance to block sittings, while having only indirect, timing-related effects on private parties awaiting Senate decisions."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/senate-quorum-act-1991","history":"/api/acts/senate-quorum-act-1991/history","analysis":"/api/acts/senate-quorum-act-1991/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/senate-quorum-act-1991/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/senate-quorum-act-1991/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/senate-quorum-act-1991/documents"}}