Friendly amendment

Concept in parliamentary procedure

In parliamentary procedure, a friendly amendment is an amendment to a motion under debate that is perceived by all parties as an enhancement to the original motion, often only as clarification of intent. The opposite concept is known as a hostile amendment. These[which?] amendments are to be treated like other amendments.

Explanation

Friendly amendments are often allowed by the chair after consent by the original mover of the motion. According to Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR), a friendly amendment should not be handled any differently from any other amendment: the entire assembly must consent to the amendment, either by majority vote or through unanimous consent.[1]

Other uses

In Model United Nations, a "friendly amendment" is a change to a resolution that everyone is in favor of, while an "unfriendly amendment" is one that does not have everyone's support.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Robert III, Henry M. (2011). "Frequently Asked Questions about RONR (Question 8)". The Official Robert's Rules of Order Web Site. The Robert's Rules Association. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  2. ^ "Friendly and Unfriendly Amendments". United Nations Association of the USA. Retrieved 2016-02-24.