Letters Patent by Queen Victoria creating the office of Governor-General of Australia. The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia of the monarch of Australia (currently Elizabeth II Queen of Australia)

Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of an open letter issued by a monarch or government, granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or to some entity such as a corporation. Legal instrument is a legal Term of art that is used for any written legal document such as a Certificate, a Deed, a will An open letter is a letter that is intended to be read by a wide audience or a letter intended for an individual but that is nonetheless widely distributed intentionally For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. In Economics, a government-granted monopoly (also called a "de jure monopoly" is a form of Coercive monopoly by which a government grants exclusive privilege A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business The opposite of letters patent (Lat. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. litterae patentes) is letters close (Lat. Letters close (Lat litterae clausae) are a type of legal document which is a closed letter issued by a monarch or government granting a right monopoly title or status to litterae clausae), which are personal in nature and sealed so that only the recipient can read their contents. Due to the Latin idiom involved, a single document is not a "letter patent" but still "letters patent. "

Letters patent often start with a salutation such as "To all to whom these presents shall come Greeting" or "To all to whom these presents shall come or whom the same may in any way concern, GREETING:" or even just "To all and singular, greeting. " However, a document starting with such a clause may merely be a deed poll. For the legal document of the same name see Deed poll. Deed Poll is a German -made Film, 2004 Letters patent can be used for the granting of city status or coats of arms, for the creation of corporations, or by a monarch to create an office. Heraldry in its most general sense encompasses all matters relating to the duties and responsibilities of officers of arms. A corporation is a separate legal entity usually used to conduct business They are also common in printed diplomas and academic degrees from educational institutions. A diploma (from Greek δίπλωµα diploma, meaning "folded paper" is a Certificate or Deed issued by an educational institution A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of Higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing

A particular form of letters patent has evolved into the modern patent granting exclusive rights in an invention. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an An invention is a new form composition of matter device or Process.

In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth realms (where letters patent may be issued by the Governor-General), letters patent are issued under the Royal Prerogative and constitute a rare, if significant, form of legislation without the consent of Parliament. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch The term governor general or governor-general refers to a vice-regal representative of a Monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription The Royal Prerogative is a body of customary authority privilege and immunity recognised in Common law and sometimes in Civil law jurisdictions possessing a monarchy Legislation (or " Statutory law " is law which has been promulgated (or " Enacted quot by a Legislature or other Governing TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those Letters patent may also be used to grant royal assent to acts of Parliament. The granting of Royal Assent is the formal method by which a constitutional monarch completes the legislative process of Lawmaking by formally assenting to an

In the United States, the forgery of letters patent granted by the President of the United States is a crime subject to fine and/or imprisonment up to ten years (18 U.S.C. § 497). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Forgery is the process of making adapting or imitating objects statistics or documents (see False document) with the intent to deceive. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by In the sociological field, crime is the breach of a rule or Law for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a Punishment A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of Title 18 of the United States Code is the Criminal and Penal code of the Federal government of the United States. Without letters patent a person is unable to assume an appointed office. Such prompted the Marbury v. Madison suit where William Marbury and three others petitioned the US Supreme Court to order James Madison to deliver their letters for appointments made under the previous administration. Marbury v Madison, is a Landmark case in United States law. It formed the basis for the exercise of Judicial review in the United States under William Marbury ( November 7, 1762 - 1835 was one of the famous " Midnight Judges " James Madison Jr (March 16 1751 – June 28 1836 was an American Politician, the fourth President of the United States (1809–1817 and one of the Founding

See also

• Royal Charter
• Lettre de cachet
• Letters close
• Letter of marque
• Patent
• Patent of Toleration
• Commissioning scroll
• Statute of Monopolies 1623, an attempt to rein in the abuse of letters patent in England

External links

• Letters Patent from Queen Victoria establishing the Governor-General of Australia
  • Now revoked by Letters patent from Queen Elizabeth II dated 21 August 1984 as amended
• Letters Patent of Anglican Church of Canada
• Letters patent of Governor and Commander in Chief of Newfoundland, 1876
• Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor General of Canada
• Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor-General of New Zealand
• Research Guide on Letters Patent
• Letters Patent granting Peerages and Royal Warrants