Editing Privy Council (United Kingdom) (section)

=== Composition ===

[[File:Thomas Rowlandson - The Privy Council of a King - Google Art Project.jpg|300px|thumb|[[Caricature]] by [[Thomas Rowlandson]] titled ''Privy Council of a King'' (1815);  enthroned is [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV, then Prince Regent]].]]

The Sovereign, when acting on the Council's advice, is known as the ''[[King-in-Council]]'' or ''[[Queen-in-Council]]'', depending on the sex of the reigning monarch.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.assemblywales.org/legislativecompetenceorders.pdf |title=Legislative Competence Orders |work=Constitutional Quick Guides No. 3 |publisher=Welsh Assembly |year=2007 |access-date=12 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001162114/http://www.assemblywales.org/legislativecompetenceorders.pdf |archive-date=1 October 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> The members of the Council are collectively known as ''The Lords of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council''<ref>e.g. {{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19881162_en_1.htm |title=Statutory Instrument 1988 No.&nbsp;1162 |publisher=Office of Public Sector Information |access-date=11 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080808181939/https://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1988/Uksi_19881162_en_1.htm |archive-date=8 August 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> (sometimes ''The Lords and others of&nbsp;...'').<ref>e.g. {{cite web |url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19991379.htm |title=Statutory Instrument 1999 No.&nbsp;1379 |publisher=Office of Public Sector Information |access-date=11 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080809102633/https://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1999/19991379.htm |archive-date=9 August 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> The chief officer of the body is the [[Lord President of the Council]], who is the fourth-highest [[Great Officer of State]],<ref>H.&nbsp;Cox, p. 388.</ref> a [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet member]] and normally, either the Leader of the House of Lords or of the House of Commons.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/pdf/Business%20Plan.pdf |title=Departmental Plan 2004/05 |publisher=Privy Council Office |access-date=11 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081001162114/http://www.privy-council.org.uk/files/pdf/Business%20Plan.pdf |archive-date=1 October 2008 }}</ref> Another important official is the [[Clerk of the Privy Council (United Kingdom)|Clerk]], whose signature is appended to all orders made in the Council.<ref>Brazier, p. 199, note 109.</ref>

Both ''Privy Counsellor'' and ''Privy Councillor'' may correctly be used to refer to a member of the Council. The former, however, is preferred by the [[Privy Council Office (United Kingdom)|Privy Council Office]],<ref name="business-faq">{{cite web|title=Privy Council Office FAQs|url=http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/work-of-the-privy-council-office/faqs/|publisher=Privy Council Office|access-date=13 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405035812/http://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/work-of-the-privy-council-office/faqs/|archive-date=5 April 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> emphasising English usage of the term ''Counsellor'' as "one who gives [[counsel]]", as opposed to "one who is a member of a council". A Privy Counsellor is traditionally said to be "''sworn of''" the Council after being received by the sovereign.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=56070|date=30 December 2000|page=1 |supp=y}}</ref>

The sovereign may appoint any person as a Privy Counsellor,<ref>Blackstone, I. 174.</ref> but in practice, appointments are made only on the advice of [[His Majesty's Government]]. The majority of appointees are senior politicians, including ministers of the Crown, the leader of [[His Majesty's Most Loyal Opposition (United Kingdom)|the main opposition party]], the leader of the third-largest party in the House of Commons, the heads of the devolved administrations, and senior politicians from Commonwealth countries. Besides these, the Council includes a small number of members of the [[British Royal Family|Royal Family]], some senior British and Commonwealth judges, some senior clergy, and a small number of senior civil servants.

There is no statutory limit to the membership of the Privy Council.<ref name="gay-p3">Gay, p. 3.</ref> Members have no automatic right to attend all Privy Council meetings, and only some are summoned regularly to meetings (in practice at the [[Powers of the prime minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister's discretion]]).

The [[Church of England]]'s three senior bishops – the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]], the [[Archbishop of York]]<ref name="gay-p3"/> and the [[Bishop of London]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.london.anglican.org/BishopOfLondon |title=Bishop of London |publisher=Diocese of London |access-date=15 August 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509125958/http://www.london.anglican.org/BishopOfLondon |archive-date=9 May 2008 }}</ref> – become privy counsellors upon appointment. Senior members of the Royal Family may also be appointed, but this is confined to the Monarch's [[Prince consort|consort]], [[heir apparent]], and heir apparent's spouse.<ref name="gay-p3"/> The [[Private Secretary to the Sovereign]] is always appointed a Privy Counsellor,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page5715.asp|title=Mailbox January 2007|work=Royal Insight|publisher=Royal Household|access-date=11 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090127174335/http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page5715.asp|archive-date=27 January 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> as are the [[Lord Chamberlain]], the [[Speaker of the House of Commons (United Kingdom)|Speaker of the House of Commons]], and the [[Lord Speaker]]. [[Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom|Justices]] of the [[Supreme Court of the United Kingdom]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3c5b14a6-a61d-11de-8c92-00144feabdc0.html |title=Privy Council hampers Supreme Court |date=20 September 2009 |first1=Michael |last1=Peel |first2=Jabe |last2=Croft |newspaper=[[Financial Times]] |access-date=5 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110219085446/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3c5b14a6-a61d-11de-8c92-00144feabdc0.html |archive-date=19 February 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> judges of the [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm#part4 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070306162822/http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm#part4 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 March 2007 |title=English Judges and the Bar: Court of Appeal and High Court |work=Forms of address |publisher=Ministry of Justice |year=2008 |access-date=15 August 2008}}</ref> senior judges of the [[Court of Session|Inner House of the Court of Session]] (Scotland's highest law court)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm#part5 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070306162822/http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm#part5 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 March 2007 |title=Scottish Judges and the Bar |work=Forms of address |publisher=Ministry of Justice |year=2008 |access-date=15 August 2008}}</ref> and the [[Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm#part6 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20070306162822/http://www.dca.gov.uk/dept/titles.htm#part6 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 March 2007 |title=Northern Ireland Judges and the Bar |work=Forms of address |publisher=Ministry of Justice |year=2008 |access-date=15 August 2008}}</ref> also join the Privy Council ''ex officio''.

The balance of Privy Counsellors is largely made up of politicians. The Prime Minister, [[Cabinet of the United Kingdom|Cabinet]] [[Minister (government)|ministers]] and the [[Leader of the Opposition (United Kingdom)|Leader of HM Opposition]] are traditionally sworn into the Privy Council upon appointment.<ref name="gay-p3"/> Leaders of major [[political parties in the United Kingdom|parties]] in the House of Commons, [[first minister]]s of the [[Devolution in the United Kingdom|devolved administrations]],<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/848851.stm |title=Morgan made Privy Counsellor |publisher=BBC |date=24 July 2000 |access-date=12 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830131047/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/848851.stm |archive-date=30 August 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> some senior ministers outside Cabinet, and on occasion other respected senior parliamentarians are appointed privy counsellors.

Because Privy Counsellors are bound by [[oath]] to keep matters discussed at Council meetings secret, the appointment of the leaders of opposition parties as privy counsellors allows the Government to share confidential information with them "on Privy Council terms".<ref name="gay-p3"/> This usually only happens in special circumstances, such as in matters of [[national security]]. For example, [[Tony Blair]] met [[Iain Duncan Smith]] (then Leader of HM Opposition) and [[Charles Kennedy]] (then [[Leader of the Liberal Democrats]]) "on Privy Council terms" to discuss the [[September Dossier|evidence for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction]].<ref name="so-what">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2589087.stm |title=So what is the Privy Council? |publisher=BBC |date=18 February 2003 |access-date=12 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726205801/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2589087.stm |archive-date=26 July 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Members from other Commonwealth realms====

Although the Privy Council is primarily a British institution, officials from some other [[Commonwealth realm]]s are also appointed.<ref name="gay-p3"/> By 2000, the most notable instance was New Zealand, whose [[Prime Minister of New Zealand|prime minister]], senior politicians, [[Chief Justice of New Zealand|chief justice]] and Court of Appeal justices were traditionally appointed privy counsellors.<ref name="nz-pc">{{cite web |url=http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/honourable_privycouncil.html |title=The title 'The Honourable' and the Privy Council |work=New Zealand Honours |publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |access-date=3 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703221643/http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/honourable_privycouncil.html <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=3 July 2008}}</ref> However, appointments of New Zealand members have since been discontinued. The prime minister, the [[Speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives|speaker]], the [[Governor-General of New Zealand|governor-general]] and the chief justice are still accorded the [[style (manner of address)|style]] ''[[Right Honourable]]'', but without membership of the Council.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/rthon.html |title=DPMC—New Zealand Honours: The Right Honourable |publisher=New Zealand Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |year=2010 |access-date=28 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513234624/http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/overview/rthon.html <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=13 May 2011 }}</ref> Until the late 20th century, the prime ministers and chief justices of Canada and Australia were also appointed privy counsellors.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sencanada.ca/en/Content/Sen/chamber/362/orderpaper/ord-e |title=Order Paper and Notice Paper, 20&nbsp;October 2000 |publisher=Senate of Canada |year=2000 |access-date=12 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070925142356/https://sencanada.ca/en/Content/Sen/chamber/362/orderpaper/ord-e |archive-date=25 September 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/foa-com-judges.htm |title=Commonwealth Judges |work=Forms of address |publisher=Ministry of Justice |year=2008 |access-date=12 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829153353/http://www.justice.gov.uk/guidance/foa-com-judges.htm <!--Added by H3llBot--> |archive-date=29 August 2008}}</ref> Canada also has its own Privy Council, the [[King's Privy Council for Canada]] (''see'' [[#Other councils|below]]). Prime ministers of some other Commonwealth countries that retain the King as their sovereign continue to be sworn of the Council.<ref name="gay-p3"/>