Courts have held that organizations are subject to the principles of parliamentary law if they don't have procedural policies of their own. As a result, ignoring or incorrectly applying parliamentary procedure can lead to embarrassment and lawsuits. Parliamentary procedure is the means by which organizations make decisions. Instead, there are several major parliamentary books. Another well-known parliamentary authority is Sturgis Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure .
Most groups formally adopt written rules of procedure.
This can be accomplished by adopting a bylaws provision that a book shall be the parliamentary authority. This authority can then be supplemented with specific rules. How business is conducted in a governing body may vary according to size. Annual meetings of large organizations are typically formal in procedure. In contrast, formal procedure in a meeting of fewer than a dozen may hinder business.