Chaos erupted in Parliament late Tuesday after Member of Parliament for St Andrew South Western Angela Brown Burke was named and suspended from the House following an incident involving the ceremonial mace during a sitting of the Committee of the Whole House, which was examining clauses of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill.

The dramatic confrontation brought proceedings in the House of Representatives to a temporary halt as the marshal was instructed to remove Brown Burke after she refused repeated calls to leave the chamber. The suspension unfolded during tense debate on the proposed legislation, which has split opinions inside and outside Parliament.

Speaker of the House Juliet Holness warned members that the conduct displayed in the chamber crossed a serious line, particularly because it involved the mace, the ceremonial symbol of Parliament’s authority.

“Member, at no time can you grab the mace in Parliament. Not even in jest, member. And not in protest either,” Holness told Brown Burke after the House resumed from committee proceedings.

Under Jamaica’s parliamentary procedures, the House sits as a Committee of the Whole House when lawmakers move into detailed examination of legislation clause by clause. During that stage on Tuesday night, tensions escalated sharply, leading Holness to formally “name” Brown Burke — a disciplinary procedure used against members accused of gross disorderly conduct.

“Standing order under rules of order number 43, subsection 2. The speaker or chair shall order any member whose conduct is grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the house during the remainder of the day sitting and may direct such steps to be taken as are necessary to enforce such order,” Holness declared as the marshal moved towards the Opposition MP.

Leader of Government Business Floyd Green subsequently moved a motion for Brown Burke to be suspended from the remainder of the sitting, which was approved by Government members of the House.

As tensions rose, Holness repeatedly instructed the marshal to remove the MP from the chamber, at one stage ordering that the mace be raised as the House resumed from committee proceedings.

Brown Burke remained reluctant to leave after several requests from the speaker and even attempted to plead her case which was immediately shut down by Holness.

“Marshall, could you please remove the member immediately. Immediately remove the member,” the Speaker said.

The incident briefly overshadowed deliberations on the NaRRA Bill, a key piece of legislation being piloted by the Government. The proposed law seeks to establish the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority, an entity intended to coordinate reconstruction and resilience-building efforts, particularly in response to disasters and major national emergencies.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness later appealed for calm as lawmakers attempted to resume the sitting.

“Madam Chairman, we were proceeding quite effectively in going through the clauses of the bill. I think what we are witnessing now is a display which when we reflect on this in years to come it will not be amongst our best and I think the order of the house and dignity of the house must be preserved,” the prime minister said.

The speaker also used the opportunity to remind lawmakers about the seriousness of parliamentary rules and the authority attached to the mace.

“You are the members. Please follow the rules of the house members and yes if a member behaves out of order the standing orders allow for the naming of said member. The rules of the house are serious and we should not take them for joke,” she said.

Following the confrontation, the sitting of the House was suspended for five minutes before members later resumed deliberations on the bill. Brown Burke subsequently departed the chamber.