40AUndertaking by members

1

A member of the Assembly shall not—

a

participate in any proceedings of the Assembly, or

b

have any of the other rights and privileges enjoyed by members of the Assembly who have taken their seats,

until he or she has given the following undertaking:

I undertake:

— to support the rule of law unequivocally in word and deed and to support all efforts to uphold it;

— to work collectively with the other members of the Assembly to achieve a society free of paramilitarism;

— to challenge all paramilitary activity and associated criminality;

— to call for, and to work together with the other members of the Assembly to achieve, the disbandment of all paramilitary organisations and their structures;

— to challenge paramilitary attempts to control communities;

— to support those who are determined to make the transition away from paramilitarism;

— to accept no authority, direction or control on my political activities other than my democratic mandate alongside my own personal and party judgment.

2

Standing orders shall provide for the procedure for giving the undertaking.

3

The procedure may not specify a day or period of time after which members are prohibited from giving the undertaking.

4

Subsection (1) applies to a person on each occasion when he or she becomes a member of the Assembly.

3A

Subsection (1) is subject to the requirement in section 40A for a member of the Assembly to give the undertaking set out there.