Legal Dictionary of Pakistan
Quick lookup for English, Urdu, and Latin legal terms used in Pakistani jurisprudence.
Congress
n. 1. A formal meeting of delegates or representatives. 2. (cap.) The legislative body of the federal government, created under U.S. Const. art. I, § 1 and consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. - congressional, adj.
Congressional Globe
A privately issued record of the proceedings in Congress. 0 The Globe was the sole record of congressional speeches and statements from 1833 until the publicly printed Congressional Record appeared in 1873.
Congressional Record
The published record of the daily proceedings in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. ( Members of Congress are allowed to edit their speeches before printing, and they may insert material never actually spoken by obtaining permission from their respective houses to print or extend their remarks.
Continental Congress
The first national governmental assembly in the United States, formed in 1774 to protest British treatment of the colonies. ( The Second Continental Congress, commencing in 1775, adopted the Declaration of Independence and served as the national government until the Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781.
Dormant Commerce Clause. The constitutional principle that the Commerce Clause prevents state regulation of interstate commercial activity even when Congress has not acted under its Commerce Clause po
Commerce Court. See COURT
act of Congress.
A law that is formally enacted in accordance with the legislative power granted to Congress by the U.S. Constitution. 0 To become a law, or an act of Congress, a bill or resolution must be passed by a majority of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Bills or resolutions may generally be introduced in either chamber, except that bills for generating revenue must be introduced in the House of Representatives. When a bill or resolution is introduced in a chamber, it is usu. assigned to a committee. If it is passed by the committee, it is reported to the full chamber. If it passes in the full chamber, it is reported to the other chamber, which then usu. assigns it to a committee in that chamber. If it passes by majority votes of the committee and full body in that chamber, it is reported back to the originating chamber. If its terms have changed in the second chamber, it is submitted to a conference committee, consisting of members from both chambers, to work out a compromise. When the bill or resolution is passed, with the same terms, by both chambers, it is signed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate (usu. the President Pro Tempore), and is presented to the President of the United States for signature. If the President signs it or fails to return it to Congress within ten days, the bill or resolution becomes law. But if the President vetoes the bill or resolution, it must be passed by a two-thirds majority of the House of Representatives and the Senate to become law. U.S. Const. art. I, § 7; 3 The Guide to American Law 165-66 (West 1983).
american federation of labor and congress of industrial organizations
a voluntary affiliation of more than 100 labor unions that operate autonomously yet benefit from the affiliation's political activities and its establishment of broad policies for the national labor movement. - abbr. afl-cio.
congressional committee
A committee of the House of Representatives or the Senate, or a joint committee formed for some particular purpose.
congressional district
A geographical unit of a state from which one member of the U.S. House of Representatives is elected.
congressional immunity
Either of two special immunities given to members of Congress: (1) the exemption from arrest while attending a session of the body to which the member belongs, excluding an arrest for treason, breach of the peace, or a felony, or (2) the exemption from arrest or questioning for any speech or debate entered into during a legislative session. U.S. Const. art. I, § 6, cl. 1. See SPEECH AND DEBATE CLAUSE.
congressional intent
See LEGISLATIVE INTENT.
congressional power
The authority vested in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to enact laws and take other constitutionally permitted actions. U.S. Const. art. I.
congressional survey
See government survey under SURVEY.
contempt of Congress
Deliberate interference with the duties and powers of Congress, such as a witness's refusal to answer a question from a congressional committee. ( Contempt of Congress is a criminal offense. 2 USCA § 192.
member of Congress
An elected official who sits in either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives. ( The official may be appointed to fill an unexpired term. - Abbr. MC.