Censure

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Distinguish from sensor and censer and censor.

Censure is a process by which a formal reprimand is issued to an individual by an authoritative body.

1 Censure in the United States
2 Censure in Canada
3 References
4 See also

[edit] Censure in the United States

Main article: Censure in the United States

Censure is a procedure for publicly reprimanding a public official for inappropriate behavior. When the President is censured, it serves merely as a condemnation and has no direct effect on the validity of presidency, nor are there any other particular legal consequences. Unlike impeachment, censure has no basis in the Constitution, or in the rules of the Senate and House of Representatives. It derives from the formal condemnation of either congressional body of their own members.

To date, Andrew Jackson is the only sitting President to be successfully censured, and his censure was subsequently expunged from the record.^[1]

On December 2, 1954, Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican-Wisconsin) was censured by the United States Senate for for failing to cooperate with the subcommittee that was investigating him, and for insults to the committee that was trying to censure him. He was cleared of other charges.

On June 10, 1980, Representative Charles H. Wilson (Democrat-California) was censured by the House of Representatives for "financial misconduct," as a result of the "Koreagate" scandal of 1976. "Koreagate" was an American political scandal involving South Koreans seeking influence with members of Congress. An immediate goal seems to have been reversing President Richard Nixon's decision to withdraw troops from South Korea. It involved the KCIA (now National Intelligence Service (South Korea)) funnelling bribes and favors through Korean businessman Tongsun Park in an attempt to gain favor and influence. Some 115 members of Congress were implicated. Also investigated were Sun Myung Moon and his Unification Church.

On July 20, 1983, Representatives Dan Crane (Republican-Illinois) and Gerry E. Studds (Democrat-Massachusetts) were censured by the House of Representatives for their involvement in the 1983 Congressional page sex scandal.^[2]

[edit] Censure in Canada

Censure is a procedure by which the Canadian House of Commons or the Senate can rebuke the actions or conduct of an individual. The power to censure is not directly mentioned in the constitutional texts of Canada but is derived from the powers bestowed upon both Chambers through section 17 of the Constitution Act, 1867. A motion of censure can be introduced by any Member of Parliament or Senator and passed by a simple majority for censure to be deemed to have been delivered. In addition, if the censure is related to the privileges of the Chamber, the individual in question could be summoned to the bar of the House or Senate (or, in the case of a sitting member, to that member's place in the chamber) to be censured, and could also face other sanctions from the house, including imprisonment. Normally, censure is exclusively an on-the-record rebuke—it is not equivalent to a motion of non-confidence, and a prime minister can continue in office even if censured. However, previous Prime Ministers have accepted motions of censure as questions of confidence and resigned.