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Simple English definitions for legal terms
sergeant-at-arms
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A quick definition of sergeant-at-arms:
A sergeant-at-arms is an officer who helps keep order in important meetings. They may work for a king or queen, a parliament, or a legislative body. They make sure everyone follows the rules and can give notices or messages to people. Sometimes they carry weapons to protect important people.
A more thorough explanation:
A sergeant-at-arms is an officer who has different roles depending on the context. Here are some of the most common definitions:
- Historical: An armed officer who accompanies a sovereign.
- Parliamentary: An officer assigned by the Crown to attend a session of Parliament.
- Legislative: An officer responsible for maintaining order and serving notices and process on behalf of the legislative body and its committees.
- Parliamentary law: An officer who helps keep order in a meeting under the chair's direction.
For example, in the United Kingdom, the Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for security and ceremonial duties in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. In the United States, each chamber of Congress has its own Sergeant-at-Arms who is responsible for maintaining order and security during sessions and committee meetings.
Overall, a sergeant-at-arms is an important officer who helps ensure that proceedings are conducted in an orderly and efficient manner.