Article 119

Regulation by Law of Financial Procedure in Parliament

Official heading: “Regulation by law of procedure in Parliament in relation to financial business”

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part V, Article 119, printed pages 55–56
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

Article 119 empowers Parliament to regulate by law its financial procedure and the timely completion of financial business, overriding internal house rules in case of inconsistency.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 119 gives Parliament the power to pass legislation to ensure the timely and orderly completion of financial business, particularly the passage of the Union Budget and Appropriation Acts.

While Article 118 allows each House to make its own procedural rules, financial governance cannot afford indefinite filibusters or paralysis that would halt government funding.

Under Article 119, Parliament may enact a statute regulating procedure in relation to financial business or appropriation of public moneys.

Crucially, if any provision of such a law conflicts with any internal rule made by either House under Article 118, the statutory law enacted under Article 119 prevails.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

An internal debate rule in the Rajya Sabha threatens to delay the passage of essential appropriation bills beyond the statutory financial year deadline.

Core takeaway: Under Article 119, statutory financial legislation enacted by Parliament overrides conflicting internal chamber rules to ensure timely fiscal supply.

Illustrative Notice: Such statutory regulations must still respect fundamental constitutional rights and core parliamentary principles.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 119 prevents fiscal paralysis by giving statutory financial procedure supremacy over chamber rules.

Empowers Parliament to enact binding statutes governing financial timelines.
Supremacy clause: Overrides internal House rules under Article 118 in financial matters.
Guarantees continuity of government operations by safeguarding budget schedules.

5. Operative Constitutional Text

Parliament may, for the purpose of the timely completion of financial business, regulate by law the procedure of, and the conduct of business in, each House of Parliament in relation to any financial matter or to any Bill for the appropriation of moneys out of the Consolidated Fund of India, and, if and so far as any provision of any law so made is inconsistent with any rule made by a House of Parliament under clause (1) of article 118 or with any rule or standing order having effect in relation to Parliament under clause (2) of that article, such provision shall prevail.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

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Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part V, Article 119, printed pages 55–56 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource