But I’d feel better if I knew exactly what my motion entailed. What’s the difference between adjourning sine die and just plain adjourning? When ought I prefer one or the other?
- Rick
But I’d feel better if I knew exactly what my motion entailed. What’s the difference between adjourning sine die and just plain adjourning? When ought I prefer one or the other?
I have wondered about this too. I asked around (a while ago) and got two answers:
1- sine die means “without delay”
2- sine die means “without resumption”
I tend toward the latter, but I’m not sure. Hopefully someone else can confirm it.
By the way, Bricker, does this happen to refer to Jack Vance’s Lyonesse?
Sine die means “without a day,” but I’m not sure what it means in the legal sense. Maybe, without a date scheduled on which to resume?
From Robert’s Rules of Order, 1915 edition:
The preceding and subsequent sections discuss the rules to set a day to resume and when such provision are required or not.
If you do not wish to return on a specific date, but instead want to adjourn indefinitely, you adjourn sine die.
When athletes are banned for various offences the maximum available is sine die or lifetime unless there is a succesful appeal.
Does your legislature adjorn see-nay dee-ay or siny die?
tomndebb - thanks for that link.
This relates to a group to which I beong that has an annual meeting and convention. Last year, the parlimentarian, in explaining his reasons for requesting a change in the way we do elections, said something like, “Since we adjourn every year sine die, our mistakes, if any, are ratified.” I took that to mean that, once the convention is over, the actions are permanant somehow, as opposed to simply treating next year’s convention as a continuation meeting. For example, I couldn’t raise a motion to reconsider a vote taken last year at this year’s convention.
But I wasn’t sure.
As I read the link that tomndebb provided, I think that’s right… but still not 100% sure.
I think it’s sine die… as if they were English words, one syllable each.
It hurts me the way legalese mangles good ol’ Latin.
In the Oregon Legislature, it’s pronounced “sign-ee dye”. Rhymes with shiny and pi. Adjourning sine die is the motion that ends that biennium’s legislative session.
I can’t speak for elsewhere, as that’s where I work.
Damn! Doesn’t anyone speak Medieval Latin anymore?!
Hell, it’s supposed to be a dead language that doesn’t change and everyone speaks the same.
I thought the legislators here were a bunch of stupid rednecks. I guess they are everywhere.
From wordsmith.org
(Primarily posted for the pronunciation since this above posts agree with the definition.)
Tinker
Am I to take it that adjournment sine die does not take place in US courts anymore? It still does here in Australia, when there’s nothing to do but the judge does not wish to strike out the action. It’s adjourned to a date to be fixed or forever, as necessary.
In the Canadian courts I’ve been in, we use it in civil matters (pronounced sin-ee die). It’s usually used when the parties think the matter might be settled, so they don’t want the trial process to continue at the moment. It may also be that the particular issue can’t be resolved at the moment because some related issue has to be resolved first, perhaps in other proceedings. The standard formula in chambers is “adjourned sine die, to be brought back by either party on 3 clear days’ notice.”
We don’t use it in criminal matters, because our rules of criminal procedure require that adjournments be to a day fixed, or else the court may lose jurisdiction over the accused.
Our Legislative Assembly adjourns sine die, with the Speaker having the power to recall it as necessary. That type of adjournment is different from preroguing. When the Assembly adjourns sine die, the Assembly is still in session, just not sitting, and therefore unresolved business can be carried on if the Speaker calls the Assembly back.
When the Lieutenant Governor perogues the Assembly, that’s the end of that session and a new session has to be called. When the session is prerogued, unresolved business, such as bills or resolutions with votes pending, are terminated (they’re said to “die on the order paper”). They would have to be re-introduced at the next session to be considered.