Serjeant at Arms

Officer appointed to the House of Commons by the sovereign to attend on the Speaker while Parliament is sitting. The Serjeant at Arms precedes the Speaker with the mace on the Speaker's entering or leaving the House, and bears the mace on formal occasions at the bar of the House. Until 1971 there was a Serjeant at Arms in the House of Lords but those duties are now carried out by Black Rod.

The Serjeant at Arms was originally an officer of the Crown and who possessed broad executive functions and later attended the sovereign upon certain ceremonial occasions. A Serjeant at Arms was first assigned to the House of Commons in the 15th century. Under the direction of the Speaker, the Serjeant at Arms is responsible for seeing to the removal of people (including members on occasions) who are directed to withdraw but decline to do so; for the admission of strangers to the House; and for the custody of people the House commits for contempt. The police and the messengers on duty in the House are under the Serjeant at Arms's direction.

The Serjeant at Arms is responsible for serving orders of the House on those whom they concern, and is ‘housekeeper’ of the House, and as such has charge of committee and other rooms. While the House is sitting a chair at the bar is occupied by the Serjeant at Arms or one of the three deputies.