A commission is a formal document issued to appoint a named person to high office or as a
commissioned officer
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
in a territory's armed forces. A commission constitutes documentary authority that the person named is vested with the powers of that office and is empowered to execute official acts. A commission often takes the form of
letters patent.
Commissions are typically issued in the name of or signed by the
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
. In
Commonwealth realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state in the Commonwealth of Nations whose monarch and head of state is shared among the other realms. Each realm functions as an independent state, equal with the other realms and nations of the Commonwealt ...
s, the documentation is referred to a King's Commission or Queen's Commission (depending on the gender of the reigning monarch). However, in Commonwealth realms other than the United Kingdom, they may be signed by the
governor-general
Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
, the representative of the monarch of that realm.
Terminology
Because the word "commission" can also refer generally to an individual's duty, the more specific terms commissioning parchment or commissioning scroll are often used to specify the commissioning document. However the document is not usually in the form of a
scroll
A scroll (from the Old French ''escroe'' or ''escroue''), also known as a roll, is a roll of papyrus, parchment, or paper containing writing.
Structure
A scroll is usually partitioned into pages, which are sometimes separate sheets of papyrus ...
and is more often printed on
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, rags, grasses or other vegetable sources in water, draining the water through fine mesh leaving the fibre evenly distributed ...
instead of
parchment
Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves, and goats. It has been used as a writing medium for over two millennia. Vellum is a finer quality parchment made from the skins of ...
. In Canada, there is a differentiation in terminology according to rank; officers are accorded commissioning scripts.
Military and naval examples
Canada
Here is an example from Canada:
Canadian Commissioning Scripts, as they are properly called by
NDHQ
National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) (French: ''Quartiers généraux de la Défense nationale'' (''QGDN'')) was created through the integration of Canadian Armed Forces Headquarters (CAF HQ) with the civilian Department of National Defence (DND) ...
, are signed by the
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, t ...
and countersigned by the
Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the
King of Canada
The monarchy of Canada is Canada's form of government embodied by the Canadian sovereign and head of state. It is at the core of Canada's constitutional Canadian federalism, federal structure and Westminster system, Westminster-style Parliamentar ...
.
Here is an example of the Royal Canadian Navy's Commission from pre-1968:
Sweden
Officers in the
Swedish Armed Forces
The Swedish Armed Forces ( sv, Försvarsmakten, "the Defense Force") is the government agency that forms the armed forces of Sweden, tasked with the defense of the country as well as with promoting Sweden's wider interests, supporting internati ...
have not received written commissions since 1982 when a new employment structure was instituted by law. They are nowadays hired on contracts, as in any other civil service position. Prior to 1982 all officers received written certificates of commission, each signed by the
King of Sweden
The monarchy of Sweden is the monarchical head of state of Sweden,See the Instrument of Government, Chapter 1, Article 5. which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system.Parliamentary system: see the Instrument o ...
.
The wording used prior to 1982 in translation would be;
United Kingdom
The following is typical of the wording of a British commission, and comes from the
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original Ro ...
:
The above would be signed by the King (although a facsimile signature may be used) and countersigned by two members of the
Admiralty Board
The Admiralty Board is the body established under the Defence Council of the United Kingdom for the administration of the Naval Service of the United Kingdom. It meets formally only once a year, and the day-to-day running of the Royal Navy is ...
.
Royal Navy pre-1964
Before the
Board of Admiralty were merged into the
Ministry of Defence in 1964, with the title of
Lord High Admiral reverting to the Crown, the naval officer's commission was signed not by the Sovereign but by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, executing the office of Lord High Admiral. The naval officer's commission was worded as follows:
Similarly the following is the wording of a Lieutenant's Commission from 1800:
It was signed by two
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
The Board of Admiralty (1628–1964) was established in 1628 when Charles I put the office of Lord High Admiral into commission. As that position was not always occupied, the purpose was to enable management of the day-to-day operational requi ...
and a Secretary, i.e. a quorum of the
Board of Admiralty.
United States
Article II, section 3, of the U.S. Constitution provides that the President "shall Commission all the Officers of the United States," including officers of the
uniformed services
Uniformed services is an abstract term that are generally bodies of people in employment of a state who wear a distinct uniform that differentiates them from the public and private sector. Their purpose is to maintain the peace, security, safety, ...
as well as civilian officers. Commissions of officers in the
armed services
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
are issued in the name of the
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
, although authority to sign on the President's behalf is generally exercised by the secretary of the department in which the officer is being commissioned. This includes not only "commissioned officers" but also "commissioned warrant officers" (
warrant officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...
s in the
pay grade A pay grade is a unit in systems of monetary compensation for employment. It is commonly used in public service, both civil and military, but also for companies of the private sector. Pay grades facilitate the employment process by providing a fix ...
s of W-2 through W-5). Warrant officers at the grade of W-1 are appointed by warrant by the secretary of their respective service, except in the Coast Guard where they are appointed by secretarial commission.
The commission of a newly commissioned officer reads :
At higher grade levels, appointments (including promotions) require Senate confirmation, and the wording of the commission reflects that fact: "... I have nominated and, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, do appoint..."
Examples of commissions to civil offices
United States
The Constitutional requirement mentioned above, that the President commission all
officers of the United States An officer of the United States is a functionary of the executive or judicial branches of the federal government of the United States to whom is delegated some part of the country's sovereign power. The term "officer of the United States" is not a ...
, includes a wide range of civilian officials, including justices of the Supreme Court and other
federal judges Federal judges are judges appointed by a federal level of government as opposed to the state/provincial/local level.
United States
A US federal judge is appointed by the US President and confirmed by the US Senate in accordance with Article 3 of ...
, the
heads of executive departments, subcabinet level officials down to the level of
assistant secretary,
U.S. attorneys and
marshals
Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used for elevated o ...
, diplomatic representatives, and members of the Foreign Service, among others. Commissions are issued in the name of the President, either under his own signature or that of an official delegated to act on his behalf, and under either the
Great Seal of the United States or, the seal of the executive department in which the appointment is made.
A typical commission for a Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed civilian official in the Executive Branch would read:
For heads of executive departments and independent agencies, the
Seal of the United States and the signature of the Secretary of State appears, but if the position is subordinate to the head of a different executive department, the seal of said executive department appears instead of the Seal of the United States and the signature of beforementioned head replaces the Secretary of State.
For certain positions, other characteristics such as "prudence" (for ambassadors) or "wisdom, uprightness, and learning" (for judges) may be used in addition to or instead of "integrity and ability." If a position is for a fixed term of years or "during good behavior," the appropriate wording replaces the clause beginning "during the pleasure of the President."
Commissions of officers in the
U.S. Foreign Service are also signed by the
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. The commission of a newly commissioned officer reads:
The commission is countersigned by the Secretary of State, and the singular Great Seal of the United States, entrusted to the Secretary under the 1789 statute creating the
Department of State, is affixed.
States
Similar to the U.S. Constitution's provisions directing the President to commission executive officers of the U.S. Government, the state constitutions and/or laws provide for state (and sometimes local) officers to be commissioned; for example, Texas law directs the Texas governor to commission most state officers and elected county officers.
[Texas Gov't Code § 601.005]
A person applying for a license to be a
notary public receives a ''commission'', generally indicating what political jurisdiction (state or District of Columbia) issued it, when it is valid (usually four years from issue) and the signature of the issuing authorities (usually the Governor and countersigned by the Secretary of State).
See also
*
Dormant commission
A dormant commission is a commission in a Commonwealth realm that lies dormant or sleeping until it is triggered by a particular event.
Historically, a dormant commission was given in relation to a military command. During the Crimean War, Sir ...
*
Roving commission A roving commission details the duties of a commissioned officer or other official whose responsibilities are neither geographically nor functionally limited.
Where an individual in an official position is given more freedom than would regularly be ...
*
Purchase of commissions in the British Army
The purchase of officer commissions in the British Army was the practice of paying money to the Army to be made an officer of a cavalry or infantry regiment of the English and later British Army. By payment, a commission as an officer could be sec ...
References
External links
Army.ca Junior Officer's GuideCovey Crump (naval information)appointing
George Vancouver fourth
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
of
HMS ''Fame''
Putting a Ship in commissionThe London Saturday Journal, 16 February 1839
{{DEFAULTSORT:Commission (Document)
Military personnel
Identity documents