Acts Interpretation Act 1901

PART 2 - DEFINITIONS  

SECTION 2M   SITTING DAY  

2M(1)    
In any Act, a sitting day , in relation to a House of the Parliament, is a day on which the House actually sits.

2M(2)    
However, if the House sat without adjourning on a previous day (the earlier sitting day ), any period during which the House continues to sit, with or without a suspension, on a later day, until it adjourns, is taken to be part of the earlier sitting day.

Example 1:

The Senate begins sitting at 9 am on Thursday and extends (with or without a suspension of the sitting) until it is adjourned at 3 pm on Friday. Thursday is a sitting day for the Senate but Friday is not. This example applies equally to the House of Representatives.

Example 2:

The House of Representatives begins sitting at 9 am on Wednesday and extends (with or without a suspension of the sitting) until it is adjourned at 1 am on Thursday. The House of Representatives then starts sitting again at 10 am on Thursday and adjourns at 3 pm on Thursday. Both Wednesday and Thursday are sitting days for the House of Representatives. This example applies equally to the Senate.

2M(3)    
For the purposes of this section, a House is taken to have adjourned if:

(a) the Parliament is prorogued; or

(b) that House is dissolved; or

(c) if that House is the House of Representatives - that House expires.