Senate adjourns to June 2; MPs debate date for House of Commons resumption

By Cristin Schmitz

Law360 Canada (April 17, 2020, 2:10 PM EDT) -- The Senate announced April 17 that it is extending its current adjournment period until Tuesday, June 2, 2020, at 2 p.m. in an effort to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Senate will be recalled earlier if required to deal with government legislation.

The Senate had been scheduled to return April 21, 2020. At press time, the House of Commons was still scheduled to resume on that date as the minority Liberal government and opposition parties debated options for safely operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the adjournment period, three committees are authorized continue their work and to undertake their proceedings by videoconference or teleconference, including those with a mandate to examine and report on measures related to COVID-19. The proceedings will be broadcast via ParlVU.