George VI, King of Canada, grants Royal Assent to laws in the Canadian Senate, May 19, 1939. TalkCommonewalth realm.-->The monarchy of The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general Events 1535 - French explorer Jacques Cartier sets sail on his second voyage to North America with three ships 110 men and Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. His consort, Queen Elizabeth, is to the right.

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 Act of Parliament. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society An Act of Parliament is a Law enacted as Primary legislation by a national or sub-national Parliament. While the power to withhold Royal Assent was once exercised often, it is exceedingly rare in the modern, democratic political atmosphere that has developed since the 18th century. A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. The power to withhold Assent remains as one of the reserve powers of the monarch. In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of Government, a reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the Head of state without the

The granting of the Royal Assent is sometimes associated with elaborate ceremonies. In the United Kingdom, the Sovereign may appoint Lords Commissioners, who announce that Royal Assent has been granted at a ceremony held at the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, or another royal residence. The Lords Commissioners are Privy Counsellors appointed by the Monarch of the United Kingdom to exercise on his or her behalf certain functions relating to Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. However Royal Assent is usually granted less ceremonially by letters patent. 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 In other nations, including Australia and Canada, the Governor-General merely signs the bill. 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 In each case, the Parliament must be apprised of the granting of Assent. Two methods are available: the Lords Commissioners or the Sovereign's representatives may grant Assent in the presence of both Houses of Parliament; alternatively, each House may be notified separately, usually by the Speaker of that house.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom the Royal Assent is a constitutional convention whereby assent to legislation is granted by the Sovereign. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Alternative meaning Constitutional convention (political meeting A constitutional convention is an informal and uncodified procedural agreement that is TalkCommonewalth realm.--> The monarchy Once a bill is presented to the Sovereign or the Sovereign's representative, he or she has three formal options. Firstly, the Sovereign may grant the Royal Assent, thereby making the bill an Act of Parliament. Secondly, the Sovereign may withhold the Royal Assent, thereby vetoing the bill. Finally, the Sovereign may reserve the Royal Assent, that is to say, defer a decision on the bill until a later time. ^[1]

Under modern constitutional conventions, the Sovereign acts on the advice of his or her ministers. ^[2] Since these ministers most often maintain the support of Parliament and are the ones who obtain the passage of bills, it is highly improbable that they would advise the Sovereign to withhold Assent. An exception is sometimes stated to be if bills are not passed in "good faith", though it has been difficult to make an interpretation on what this might constitute. Hence, in modern practice, the Royal Assent is always granted; a refusal to do so would only be appropriate in an emergency situation requiring the use of the monarch's reserve powers. In a parliamentary or semi-presidential system of Government, a reserve power is a power that may be exercised by the Head of state without the ^[1]

Historical development

Originally, legislative power was held by the Sovereign, acting on the advice of the Curia Regis, or Royal Council, in which important magnates and clerics participated, and which evolved into Parliament. Curia regis is a Latin term meaning "royal council" or " king's court. ^[3] The so-called "Model Parliament" included bishops, abbots, earls, barons, and two knights from each shire and two burgesses from each borough amongst it members. A shire is an Administrative division of Great Britain and Australia. A borough is an Administrative division of various countries In principle the term borough designates a self-governing Township although in practice In 1265, the rebellious baron Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, irregularly called a full parliament without royal authorisation. Simon de Montfort 6th Earl of Leicester (1208 – August 4, 1265) was the principal leader of the Baronial opposition to King Henry III of England ^[4] The body eventually came to be divided into two branches: bishops, abbots, earls and barons formed the House of Lords, while the shire and borough representatives formed the House of Commons. The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The House of Commons' is the Lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords ^[5] The King would seek the advice and consent of both Houses before making any law. During Henry VI's reign, it became regular practice for the two Houses to originate legislation in the form of bills, which would not become law unless the Sovereign's Assent was obtained, as the Sovereign was, and still remains, the enactor of laws. Henry VI (6 December 1421 &ndash 21 May 1471 was King of England 1422–1461 (though with a Regent until 1437 and then 1470–1471 and a claimant to the kingdom Hence, all Acts include the clause: "Be it enacted by the Queen's (King's) most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows. The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, are the 26 Clergymen of the established Church of England The Peerage is a system of Titles of Nobility in the United Kingdom, part of the British honours system. . . ". ^[6] The Parliament Act gives a second potential preamble if the House of Lords is excluded from the process. The Parliament Acts are two Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed in 1911 and 1949 that form part of the Constitution of the United

The power of Parliament to pass bills was often thwarted by monarchs. Charles I dissolved Parliament in 1629 after it passed bills seeking to restrict, and motions critical of, his arbitrary exercise of power. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. During the "Eleven Years of Tyranny" that followed, Charles performed legally dubious actions, such as legislating for the raising taxes without Parliament's approval. The Personal Rule (also known as the Eleven Years Tyranny) was the period from 1629 to 1640, when King Charles I of England, ^[7] After the English Civil War, it was accepted that Parliament should be summoned to meet regularly, but it was still commonplace for monarchs to refuse the Royal Assent to bills. The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. In 1678, Charles II withheld his Assent from a bill "for preserving the Peace of the Kingdom by raising the Militia, and continuing them in Duty for Two and Forty Days,"^[8] suggesting that he—not Parliament—should control the militia. Charles II (Charles Stuart 29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685 was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary Citizens to provide defense emergency law enforcement or Paramilitary service ^[9] The last Stuart monarch, Anne, similarly withheld, on the advice of her ministers, her Assent from a bill "for the settling of Militia in Scotland" on March 11, 1708, but no monarch since has withheld the Royal Assent on a bill passed by the British Parliament. Anne (6 February 1665 – 1 August 1714 became Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702 succeeding William III of England and II of The Scottish Militia Bill is the usual name given to a bill that was passed by the House of Commons and House of Lords of the Parliament of Great Events 1425 BC - Thutmose III, Pharaoh of Egypt, dies (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th Dynasty Year 1708 ( MDCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a ^[10]

During the rule of the succeeding Hanoverian dynasty, power was gradually transferred from the Sovereign to Parliament and the Government. The House of Hanover (the Hanoverians) is a Germanic royal Dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg The first Hanoverian monarch, George I, who spoke no English and preferred to concentrate on his German possessions, relied on his ministers to a greater extent than previous monarchs. George I (George Louis German Georg Ludwig; 28 May 1660 &ndash 11 June 1727 For the first year of his life George was the only heir to his father's and three childless Later Hanoverian monarchs attempted to restore royal control over legislation. George III and George IV both openly opposed Catholic Emancipation;^[11][12] an attempt to abolish the religious restrictions which prevented Roman Catholics from serving in certain public posts. George III (George William Frederick 4 June 1738 George III's long reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdom much of the rest of Europe and places Catholic Emancipation (Fuascailt na gCaitliceach or Catholic Relief, was a process in Great Britain and Ireland in the late 18th century and early 19th Both asserted that to grant Assent to a Catholic Emancipation bill would violate the coronation oath, which required the Sovereign to preserve and protect the established Church of England from Papal domination, and would grant rights to individuals who were in league with a foreign power which didn't recognize their legitimacy. The Coronation of the British Monarch is a Ceremony (specifically Initiation rite) in which the Monarch of the United Kingdom and of the other The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican George IV, however, reluctantly granted his Assent upon the advice of his ministers. ^[12] Thus, as the concept of ministerial responsibility has evolved, the power to withhold the Royal Assent has fallen into disuse, both in the United Kingdom and in the Commonwealth Realms.

There is a situation, however, in which a more direct monarchical assent is required for a bill. This is not Royal Assent, but is termed "Queen's Consent". In order for a bill affecting, directly or by implication, the prerogative, hereditary revenues —including ultimus haeres, treasure trove, and bona vacantia— or the personal property or interests of the Crown to be heard in Parliament, the monarch must first consent to its hearing. 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 Ultimus haeres (Latin for ultimate heir) is a concept in Scots law where if a person in Scotland who dies without leaving a will (i A treasure trove may broadly be defined as an amount of gold silver gemstones money jewellery or any valuable collection found hidden underground or in places such as cellars Bona vacantia ( Latin for "vacant goods" is a Common law Doctrine in the United Kingdom under which ownerless property passes by law On rare occasions, such as for the House of Lords Act 1999, the consent of the Prince of Wales, as Prince and Steward of Scotland, or as Duke of Cornwall, must also be obtained where a Bill affects his interests. The House of Lords Act 1999 (1999 c 34 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was given Royal Assent on 11 November 1999 Prince of Wales (Tywysog Cymru is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom (and formerly the Kingdom The Dukedom of Cornwall was the first Dukedom created in the Peerage of England. This is known as Prince's Consent. ^[13]

In 1999, Queen Elizabeth II, acting on the advice of the government, refused to signify her consent to the Military Action Against Iraq (Parliamentary Approval) Bill, which sought to transfer from the monarch to Parliament the power to authorize military strikes against Iraq. The Military Action Against Iraq (Parliamentary Approval Bill was a Private member's bill introduced into the British House of Commons by Tam Dalyell ^[14] Due to the Crown's refusal to consent to the bill's hearing, it was automatically dropped. Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government However, because the Bill had been introduced under the Ten Minute Rule, it never stood any chance of being fully debated by Parliament, and it does not represent a test of what may happen if a future government introduced other legislation affecting the reserve powers of the Crown. The Ten Minute Rule, also known as Standing Order No 23, is a procedure in the British Parliament for the introduction of Private Member's Bills in addition

Royal Assent is the final stage in the legislative process for Acts of the Scottish Parliament. The Scottish Parliament ( Scottish Gaelic: Pàrlamaid na h-Alba; Scots: Scottish Pairlament) is the devlolved national unicameral The process is governed by sections 28, 32 and 33 of the Scotland Act 1998. The Scotland Act 1998 (1998 c 46 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ^[15] After a Bill has been passed, the Presiding Officer submits it to Her Majesty for Royal Assent, but only after a four-week period during which the Advocate General for Scotland, the Lord Advocate or the Attorney General may refer the Bill to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for review of its legality. The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament (Oifigear-Riaghlaidh Preses o the Scots Pairlament is the speaker of the Scottish Parliament, elected by the Her Majesty's Advocate General for Scotland (Àrd-neach-tagraidh na Bànrighe airson Alba in is one of the Law Officers of the Crown, whose duty it is to advise the Crown Her Majesty's Advocate (or when the monarch is male His Majesty's Advocate) known as the Lord Advocate (Morair Tagraidh is the chief legal officer of the Scottish In most Common law jurisdictions the Attorney General, or Attorney-General, is the main legal advisor to the government and in some jurisdictions may in addition The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 ^[16] Royal Assent is signified by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of Scotland, the form of which has been specified in The Scottish Parliament's Letters Patent and Proclamations Order 1999. The Great Seal of Scotland ( Seala Mòr na h-Alba in Gaelic) allows the monarch to authorise official documents without having to sign each document individually ^[17] Notice is published in the London, Edinburgh and Belfast Gazettes.

Ceremony

In the United Kingdom, a bill is presented for Royal Assent after it has been passed by both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Alternatively, under the Parliament Acts of 1911 and 1949, the House of Commons may, under certain circumstances, direct that a bill be presented for Assent despite non-passage in the House of Lords. The Parliament Acts are two Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom, passed in 1911 and 1949 that form part of the Constitution of the United In either case, the Sovereign does not actually analyze the bill and make a decision on whether or not to grant Assent. In practice, the granting of Assent is purely ceremonial. Officially, Assent is granted by the Sovereign or by Lords Commissioners authorised to act by letters patent. 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 It may be granted in Parliament or outside Parliament; in the latter case, each House must be separately notified before the bill takes effect.

The Clerk of the Parliaments, an official of the House of Lords, traditionally states an Anglo-Norman formula indicating the Sovereign's decision. The Anglo-Norman language is a term traditionally used to refer to the variety of French used in England and to some extent elsewhere in the British Isles following the The granting of the Royal Assent to a supply bill is indicated with the words La Reyne remercie ses bons sujets, accepte leur benevolence, et ainsi le veult,^[18] translated as "The Queen thanks her good subjects, accepts their bounty, and wills it so. " For other public or private bills, the formula is simply La Reyne le veult (the Queen wills it). For personal bills, the phrase was Soit fait comme il est désiré (let it be as it is desired). The appropriate formula for withholding Assent is the euphemistic La Reyne s'avisera (the Queen will consider it). When the Sovereign is male, Le Roy is substituted for La Reyne.

Before the reign of Henry VIII, the Sovereign always granted his or her Assent in person. The Sovereign, wearing the Imperial State Crown, would be seated on the Throne in the Lords Chamber, surrounded by heralds and members of the Royal Court (nowadays, the scene is repeated only at the annual State Opening of Parliament). The Imperial State Crown is one of the British Crown Jewels. The Crown is of a design similar to St Edward's Crown: it includes a base of four crosses A herald, or more correctly a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between Pursuivant and King of arms. In the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event held usually in October or November that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament The Commons, led by their Speaker, would listen from the Bar of the Lords, just outside the Chamber. The Clerk of the Parliaments presented the bills awaiting Assent to the Sovereign, save that supply bills were traditionally brought up by the Speaker. The Clerk of the Crown, standing on the Sovereign's right, then read aloud the titles of the bills (in earlier times, the entire text of the bills). The Clerk of the Parliaments, standing on the Sovereign's left, responded by stating the appropriate Norman French formula. ^[19]

Henry VIII introduced a new method of granting the Royal Assent. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of

A new device for granting Assent was created during the reign of Henry VIII. Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of In 1542, Henry sought to execute his fifth wife, Catherine Howard, whom he accused of committing adultery; the execution was to be authorised not after a trial but by a bill of attainder, to which he would have to personally assent after listening to the entire text. For other Catherine Howards see Catherine Howard (disambiguation Catherine Howard (between 1520 and 1525 – 13 February 1542 also called A bill of attainder (also known as an act or writ of Attainder) is an act of Legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of Henry decided that "the repetition of so grievous a Story and the recital of so infamous a crime" in his presence "might reopen a Wound already closing in the Royal Bosom. "^[20] Therefore, Parliament inserted a clause into the Act of Attainder, providing that Assent granted by Commissioners "is and ever was and ever shall be, as good" as Assent granted by the Sovereign personally. The procedure was used only five times during the sixteenth century, but more often during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, especially when George III's health began to deteriorate. Victoria became the last Sovereign to personally grant Assent in 1854. Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901 was from 20 June 1837 the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ^[21]

When granting Assent by Commission, the Sovereign authorises three or more (normally five) Lords who are Privy Counsellors to grant Assent in his or her name. A privy council is a body that advises the Head of state of a nation on how to exercise their executive authority, typically but not always in the context of a The Lords Commissioners, as the Sovereign's representatives are known, wear scarlet Parliamentary Robes and sit on a bench between the Throne and the Woolsack, with the Speaker and the Commons attending at the Bar of the Lords. The Woolsack is the seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords, the Upper House of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Lords Reading Clerk reads the Commission aloud; the senior Commissioner then states, "My Lords, in obedience to Her Majesty's Commands, and by virtue of the Commission which has been now read, We do declare and notify to you, the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons in Parliament assembled, that Her Majesty has given Her Royal Assent to the several Acts in the Commission mentioned. " Thereafter, the Clerk of the Crown states the title, with the Clerk of the Parliaments responding with the appropriate Norman French formula. ^[22]

During the 1960s, the ceremony of assenting by Commission was discontinued, and is now only employed once a year, at the end of the annual parliamentary session. In 1960, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod arrived to summon the House of Commons during a heated debate, and several members protested against the disruption by refusing to attend the ceremony. The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of a number of Commonwealth countries The debacle was repeated in 1965; this time, when the Speaker left the chair to go to the House of Lords, some members continued to make speeches. As a result, the Royal Assent Act 1967 was passed, creating an additional form for the granting of the Royal Assent. Thus, the granting of Assent by the monarch in person, or Commission is still possible, but this third form is used on a day-to-day basis.

Under the Royal Assent Act 1967, Royal Assent can be granted by the Sovereign in writing, by means of letters patent, that are presented to the presiding officer of each House of Parliament. ^[19] Then, the presiding officer makes a formal, but simple statement to the House, acquainting each House that the Royal Assent has been granted to the acts mentioned. Thus, unlike the granting of Royal Assent by the Sovereign in person or by Royal Commissioners, the method created by the Royal Assent Act 1967 does not require both Houses to meet jointly for the purpose of receiving the notice of Royal Assent. The standard text of the Letters Patent is set out in The Crown Office (Forms and Proclamations Rules) Order 1992,^[23] with minor amendments in 2000. No law has been assented to by the monarch in person since the reign of Queen Victoria. ^[24] However, formally, this still remains the standard method, a fact that is revealed by the wording of the Letters Patent for the appointment of the Royal Commissioners, and by the wording of the Letters Patent for the granting of the Royal Assent in writing under the 1967 Act (". . . And forasmuch as We cannot at this time be present in the Higher House of Our said Parliament being the accustomed place for giving Our Royal Assent. . . "). ^[25] The traditional ceremony whereby the Lords Commissioners declare Assent in the presence of both Houses is still followed once at the end of each Parliamentary session. The procedure adopted in 1967 is followed in most cases.

When the Act is assented by the Sovereign in person, or by Royal Commissioners empowered by him, Royal Assent is considered given at the moment when the assent is declared in the presence of both Houses jointly assembled. When the procedure created by the Royal Assent Act, 1967 is followed, Assent is considered granted after the presiding officers of both Houses, having received the Letters Patent from the monarch signifying the Assent, notify their respective House of the grant of Royal Assent. ^[1] Thus, if each presiding officer makes the announcement at a different time (for instance because one House is not sitting on a certain date), assent is regarded as granted when the second announcement is made. This is relevant because, under British Law, unless there is any provision to the contrary, an Act takes effect on the date in which it receives Royal Assent, and that date is not regarded as being the date when the Letters Patent are signed, or when they are delivered to the presiding officers of each House, but the date in which both Houses have been formally acquainted of the conferral of Assent to the Act.

Independently of the method used to signify Royal Assent, it is the responsibility of the Clerk of the Parliaments, once it has been duly notified to both Houses, not only to endorse the Act with the formal Norman French formula, but to certify that Assent has been granted. The Clerk signs one authentic copy of the Bill, and inserts the date in which when Royal Assent was notified to the two Houses between the text of the enacting clause and the first section of the Act. ^[1] When an Act is published, the signature of the clerk is omitted, as is the Norman French formula, should the endorsement have been made in writing. However the date when Royal Assent is notified is printed in brackets.

Other Commonwealth Realms

In Commonwealth Realms outside the UK, the Royal Assent is granted or withheld by the Governor-General, the representative of the Sovereign. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II The Constitution Act 1982 (Schedule B of the Canada Act 1982 (UK is a part of the Constitution of Canada. Events 69 - After the First Battle of Bedriacum, Vitellius becomes Roman Emperor. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Similarly, in these Realms' states, provinces or territories, Assent is granted or withheld by the Governor or Lieutenant Governor. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government A Lieutenant Governor is a high officer of state whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction A Governor or Lieutenant Governor of a subnational entity may defer to the Governor-General, who may in turn defer to the Sovereign. The Sovereign has the power to disallow, usually within a specific time limit, a bill that has received the Royal Assent from one of his or her representatives.

As in the United Kingdom, Royal Assent is by convention granted on the advice of the government's ministers, and is therefore never withheld. In some cases, when a royal visit to a Commonwealth Realm is pending, Assent may be reserved so that the Sovereign may grant it in person.

In New Zealand, section 16 of the Constitution Act 1986 states that royal assent is given when "A Bill passed by the House of Representatives shall become law when the Sovereign or the Governor-General assents to it and signs it in token of such assent". The Constitution Act 1986 is the principal formal statement of New Zealand's Constitution. This act also states in section 3 that royal assent can be given by the Sovereign in person or the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign. ^[26]

Historical development

While the Royal Assent has not been withheld in the United Kingdom since 1708, it has often been withheld in British colonies and former colonies by Governors acting on royal instructions. In the United States Declaration of Independence, colonists complained that George III "has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good [and] has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. The United States Declaration of Independence is a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4 1776 announcing that the thirteen American colonies then "^[27] Even after colonies such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Newfoundland were granted responsible government, the British Government continued to advise Governors-General on the granting of Assent. Responsible government is a conception of a System of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster Assent was sometimes reserved in order to allow the British Government to examine a bill before advising the Governor-General.

Since the 1920s, Governors-General have acted solely on the advice of the local ministers, rather than on that of the British Government. As in the United Kingdom, the ministers generally maintain the support of the legislature and are the ones who secure the passage of bills; therefore, they are unlikely to advise the Sovereign's representative to withhold Assent. The power to withhold the Royal Assent was notably exercised by Alberta's Lieutenant Governor, John C. Bowen, in 1937, in respect of three bills passed under William Aberhart's Social Credit Government. Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 John Campbell Bowen ( October 3, 1872 – January 2, 1957) was a Clergyman and was the longest-serving Lieutenant-Governor William Aberhart ( December 30, 1878 &ndash May 23, 1943) also known as Bible Bill for his religious preaching was a Canadian Social Credit is a socio-economic Philosophy wherein Consumers fully provided with adequate Purchasing power, establish the policy of production Two bills sought to put banks under the authority of the province, thereby interfering with the federal government's powers. The third, the Accurate News and Information Bill, purported to force newspapers to print government rebuttals to stories to which the provincial cabinet objected. The unconstitutionality of all three bills was later confirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada and by the Privy Council. The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom, established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 ^[28]

In Australia, a technical issue arose with the Royal Assent in both 1976 and 2001. In 1976, a bill originating in the House of Representatives was mistakenly submitted to the Governor-General and assented to. The House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers of the Parliament of Australia; it is the Lower house, the Upper house being the Senate However, it was later discovered that it had not been passed by each House. The error arose because two bills of the same title had originated from the House. The Governor-General revoked the first assent, before assenting to the bill which had actually passed. The same procedure was followed to correct a similar error which arose in 2001. ^[29]

Ceremony

In Commonwealth Realms, Assent may be granted by the Sovereign in person, by the Governor-General in person, or by a deputy acting for the Governor-General. In all of the Realms, however, Assent is more often granted or signified outside the legislature, with each House being notified separately.

In Australia, the formal ceremony of granting Assent in Parliament has not been regularly used since the early twentieth century. Now, the bill is sent to the Governor-General's residence by the House in which it originated. The Governor-General then signs the bill, sending messages to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who notify their respective Houses of the Governor-General's action. ^[30] A similar practice is followed in New Zealand, where the Governor-General has not personally granted the Royal Assent in Parliament since 1875. ^[30]

In Canada, the traditional ceremony for granting Assent in Parliament was regularly used until the twenty-first century, long after it had been discontinued in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth Realms. Under the Royal Assent Act, 2002, however, the alternative practice of granting Assent in writing, with each House being notified separately, was introduced. As the Act provides, the Royal Assent is signified in the Senate Chamber at least twice each calendar year: for the first appropriation measure and for the first non-appropriation measure passed. The Senate of Canada (Le Sénat du Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the sovereign (represented by the governor general However, the Act provides that a grant of Royal Assent is not rendered invalid by a failure to employ the traditional ceremony where required. Assent may be granted in the Senate Chamber by the Governor General, or, more often, by a Deputy, usually a Justice of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of Canada ( French: Cour suprême du Canada) is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeal in the Canadian ^[21]

British Crown dependencies

The Lieutenant Governors of the Channel Islands do not grant Royal Assent. The Channel Islands ( Norman: Îles d'la Manche, French: Îles Anglo-Normandes or Îles de la Manche) are a group of Islands Instead, the Sovereign directly grants Royal Assent by use of Orders in Council. An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in Commonwealth Realms. Assent is granted or refused on the advice of the Ministry of Justice in the UK.

The Isle of Man is an exception. The Lieutenant Governor is able to grant Royal Assent to bills passed by Tynwald, the Island's parliament. Tynwald (Tinvaal or more formally the High Court of Tynwald (Ard-whaiyl Tinvaal is the Bicameral Legislature of the Isle of Man. ^[31] In doing so, he acts on the advice of the Ministry of Justice in the UK, the UK having responsibility for defence, international relations, and 'good governance'. The terms Governance and good governance are increasingly being used in development literature There are therefore occasions when consent is denied. Some important bills are still reserved to be approved by the Sovereign directly. There is no ceremony used in granting consent, as even though it converts the Bill into an Act of Tynwald, it is insufficient for the new Act to take effect. Acts of Tynwald are legislative enactments of Tynwald, the Parliament of the Isle of Man. Within eighteen months of passage an Act of Tynwald must be promulgated, or it will lapse. ^[32] A special promulgation ceremony is held each year on Tynwald Day (July 5). Tynwald Day (Laa Tinvaal is the National Day of the Isle of Man, usually occurring on 5 July. Events 1295 - Scotland and France form an alliance the beginnings of the Auld Alliance, against England. Members of Tynwald assemble for a religious service at the Royal Chapel, and then proceed to Tynwald Hill, where the Acts are officially promulgated by two Deemsters, who read aloud the titles of the Acts in English and Manx in turn. A deemster (briw is a Judge in the Isle of Man. The Isle of Man High Court is presided over by a deemster or the Judge of Appeal. Manx ( Gaelg or Gailck, ɡilk or) also known as Manx Gaelic, is a Goidelic language once spoken on the Isle Tynwald then reconvenes in the Royal Chapel, where the promulgation is certified. ^[33]

British overseas territories

The Governors (or Lieutenant Governor) of each British overseas territories grants or refuses the Royal Assent for the territory's legislation. The British Overseas Territories are fourteen territories that are under the Sovereignty of the United Kingdom, but which do not form part of the United Kingdom They may also reserve a bill to allow the Sovereign to make a personal decision. When Hong Kong was under British rule, bills passed by the Legislative Council were required constitutionally to have the royal assent signified by the Governor. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders The Legislative Council ( LegCo) is the Unicameral Legislature of Hong Kong. The Governor of Hong Kong ( abbreviated 港督 was the head of the Hong Kong Government, ex-officio Commander-in-Chief and Vice-Admiral ^[34] After the territory's transfer of sovereignty to become a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, bills are signed and promulgated by the Chief Executive, who is both the head of the territory and the head of government, to become ordinances. The transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China, often referred to as the Handover A Special Administrative Region ( SAR) is a high autonomous administrative division of the People's Republic of China. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Chief Executive of Hong Kong ( is the head of Hong Kong Government and the principal representative of the Hong Kong.

Other countries

Other nations usually have a process whereby laws are promulgated. Promulgation or enactment is the act of formally proclaiming or declaring new statutory or Administrative law when it receives final approval In Commonwealth states that are not Realms, the phrase "Assent" is usually employed. As in the United Kingdom, the grant of Assent by the head of state is usually a ceremonial procedure. In the United States and most other presidential republics, the President "signs bills into law"; the power may trace its roots to the British concept of the Royal Assent, but is substantive rather than ceremonial, as the president also has the option to veto bills^[35]. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A presidential system is a System of government where an executive branch exists and presides (hence the term separately from the Legislature A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. In most other nations, the head of state "sanctions" or "promulgates" the law. Promulgation or enactment is the act of formally proclaiming or declaring new statutory or Administrative law when it receives final approval

In many monarchies, such as Spain, Belgium, Norway, Denmark, Luxembourg, Malaysia and Japan, the monarch is responsible for promulgating laws. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. In other monarchies, such as the Netherlands and Sweden, the Government officially promulgates laws. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. In both cases, however, the process is usually ceremonial, whether by constitutional convention or by an explicit provision of the Constitution. In Belgium the "sanction royale" has the same legal effect as Royal Assent. The government is responsible if the King refuses the royal sanction. The King promulgates the law. This means the King formally publishes the law and orders that it be executed. In 1990, when King Baudouin advised the government he could not, in conscience, sign a bill decriminalizing abortion, the Council of Ministers declared him incapable of exercising his powers at his own request. Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Baudouin I (Baudouin Albert Charles Léopold Axel Marie Gustave or Dutch: Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Marie Gustaaf ( 7 September 1930 – An The bill was then assented to by all members of the council on the King's behalf. Both houses of Parliament declared the King capable of exercising his powers again the next day. ^[36]

Articles 77–79 of the Norwegian constitution specifically grant the King of Norway the right to withhold Royal Assent from any bill passed by the Storting, or parliament. The Storting ( Stortinget, literally "the Great Thing /Assembly" is the Norwegian Parliament, and is located in the capital city ^[37] Should the king ever choose to exercise this privilege, Article 79 provides a means by which his veto may be overridden: "If a Bill has been passed unaltered by two sessions of the Storting, constituted after two separate successive elections and separated from each other by at least two intervening sessions of the Storting, without a divergent Bill having been passed by any Storting in the period between the first and last adoption, and it is then submitted to the King with a petition that His Majesty shall not refuse his assent to a Bill which, after the most mature deliberation, the Storting considers to be beneficial, it shall become law even if the Royal Assent is not accorded before the Storting goes into recess. "^[37] This prerogative has not been used by a Norwegian king since the country gained independence in 1905, though it was used by Swedish kings when they ruled Norway.

The other European monarchy to allow the monarch withhold Royal Assent of his or her own will is Liechtenstein. The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland ^[38] When Prince Hans Adam II, in an unprecedented move for the constitutional monarchy, refused to give Royal Assent to a bill legalising abortion, he pushed for a bill to give him sweeping powers in the government beyond only ceremonial matters, including the power to appoint judges. Hans-Adam II (Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano Pius von und zu Liechtenstein styled HSH The Sovereign Prince of Liechtenstein; born 14 February Though in a moment of pique, he had once quipped that he would sell the country to Bill Gates and rename it Microsoft, he did seriously threaten to move to Austria with the Princely Family. If you would like to experiment with Wikipedia please copy Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer ^[39] The bill did pass, and the Prince now has many additional powers, including the power to withhold Royal Assent on his own accord.

Notes

Further reading

• "Act of Parliament". Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed. London (1911): Cambridge University Press.
• "Parliament". Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed. London (1911): Cambridge University Press.
• Bond, M. F. (1956). "La Reyne le Veult: The making and keeping of Acts at Westminster". "History Today", (Vol. 6, pp. 756–773). Retrieved on 11 April 2007. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Davies, M. (2003). "Companion to the Standing Orders and guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords". 19th ed. Retrieved on 11 April 2007. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Farnborough, T. E. May, 1st Baron. (1896). "The Constitutional History of England since the Accession of George the Third 1760–1860" 11th ed. (Vol. 1). London: Longmans, Green and Co. Retrieved on 11 April 2007. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• Robertson, J. R. (2001). "Bill S-13: The Royal Assent Act". Retrieved on 11 April 2007. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• "Governor-General’s assent". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved on 11 April 2007. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• "The Honourable John C. Bowen, 1937–50. Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Retrieved on 11 April 2007. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.
• "Royal Assent Act. (2002, c. 15)" Department of Justice Canada, 2002. Retrieved on 11 April 2007. Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century.