DUP leader Arlene Foster asks the Speaker to share the legal advice he has been given with assembly members and delay the sitting so they can consider it.

Image source, b

He responds that sharing that advice would not "normally be the case".

The DUP's Paul Givan says he has sought a legal opinion from the attorney general on the procedure outlined by the speaker.

He argues that it is legally acceptable to proceed with the suspension of standing orders.

Suspension of standing orders would be required to allow the debate to proceed before the election of a speaker.

Jim Allister of the TUV says any move to suspend standing orders is subject only to cross-community support.

The speaker reiterates that he has taken legal advice: "There has been much deliberation."

He says that he is following the correct legal pathway.

MLAs are now discussing the issue in the assembly and it's all about the legal procedures of Stormont. As our political correspondent says...

Robin Newton acknowledges the unique situation the assembly finds itself in today, but adds that he has to "give very careful consideration to the procedures of the assembly".

Image source, Robin Newton

"I am clear the assembly cannot do any business until a speaker and deputy speaker are elected," he adds.

The Stormont session has begun - and Speaker Robin Newton tells the chamber that no business can happen until the election of a speaker with cross-community support.

Image source, Stormont

That means no suspension of standing orders in order to consider any possible bill to block abortion law changes.

Robin Swann says Attorney General John Larkin has been asked to give legal advice to the Speaker, as speculation mounts about a possible move to push a bill through the assembly to block changes to abortion laws.

Image source, Robin Swann

He adds the attorney general needs to look at "what his role actually is and not interfering with procedures of the assembly itself".

Major moves at Stormont according to one of our political correspondents....

Assembly business has been held up possibly due to a procedural challenge about the order paper.

In the meantime,here's the original, external as announced on the NI Assembly website - we'll let you know if a new one is issued and if there's any changes.

Today's session of the Northern Ireland Assembly is significant because it's the first one since January 2017 - but it's already clear not everyone is going to be there.

Sinn Féin, the largest nationalist party at Stormont of course, has said the recall is "about playing to the gallery" and the Alliance Party likewise has ruled out attending along with the Green Party's two MLAs.

The DUP, who backed the recall petition, will be there along with the Ulster Unionists's 10 MLAs.

BBC News NI political correspondent Enda McClafferty tweeted this morning that the SDLP are expected to be present. Stay tuned.

BBC's political editor Mark Devenport has told Talkback that there are some rumours of a possible change to today's order of business at Stormont - hence the delay to proceedings.

The first item on the agenda is the election of a speaker, but our political editor says the order of business could change "to allow MLAs to start making their views known on abortion prior to the election of the speaker".

"I imagine that will probably be resisted by nationalists," he adds, describing any possible change to the order paper as "extremely controversial".

The main factor behind Stormont's return is because of changes to abortion law.

The law, as it stands, is more restrictive in Northern Ireland than it is in the rest of the UK, as the 1967 Abortion Act, which made terminations legal in Great Britain, was never extended here.

But that will change at midnight tonight if a Northern Ireland Executive is not formed by Monday, 21 October, thanks to the Northern Ireland Bill voted through Westminster in July.

Hence today's sitting at Stormont, the day of the planned law changes, which was triggered after a recall petition was signed by the 30 MLAs necessary to bring it back.

BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback has a special extended programme, which started at 11:30 - tune in now on FM, digital or on BBC Sounds for all the latest ahead of the now-delayed sitting of the assembly.

The "we hope" at the end of our political correspondent's tweet feels ominous...

The action at Stormont was supposed to be starting at 12 but we may be looking at an hour delay...

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly will be sitting for the first time in nearly three years in a last-ditch attempt to stop changes to abortion law.

Unionist parties, who oppose the upcoming liberalisation, triggered the recall with a petition.

Read more about the background to today's Stormont return here.

Welcome to the BBC's live coverage of today's session of the Northern Ireland Assembly - the first one in three years. The session is due to begin at 12 noon and the first item of business is the election of a new speaker.