The Privy Council formally advises the sovereign on the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, and as a body corporate (as King-in-Council) it issues executive instruments known as Orders in Council which, among other powers, enact Acts of Parliament.
All Cabinet Members are appointed to the Privy Council, as are some senior members of the Royal Family, senior judges, two Archbishops, the Speaker of the House of Commons, leaders of Opposition parties, and leading Commonwealth spokesmen and judges.
As nominal leader of the United Kingdom from 1952 to 2022—the country's longest-serving monarch—she exerted influence felt the world over. But despite such enormous impact, the Queen held no real power in British government—and nor does her successor, King Charles III.
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on state affairs.
The monarch plays no role in choosing a new Prime Minister and does not vote in a general election. “As head of state The Queen has to remain strictly neutral with respect to political matters,” the royal household states.
Constitutional convention requires that the declaration of war or commitment of British armed forces is authorised by the Prime Minister on behalf of the Crown. Parliament has no official constitutional role in the process.
The monarch appoints the governor-general and the governors, on the advice of the respective State and Federal executive governments. These are now almost the only constitutional functions of the monarch with regard to Australia.
The Federal Executive Council was established by the Constitution to perform similar functions in Australia to those performed by the Privy Council in the United Kingdom, that is, to advise the Crown.
could be taken to the Privy Council from the High Court, from State Supreme Courts, and even from single judges of State Supreme Courts. Australian appeals were abolished by a gradual, and messy, legislative process that began in 1968 and ended with the Australia Acts 1986.
Abolition of privy council appeals
In 1975, the Privy Council (Appeals from the High Court) Act 1975 was passed, which closed all routes of appeal from the High Court; excepting for those in which a certificate of appeal would be granted by the High Court.
Even in nations such as the United Kingdom, Norway, the Netherlands, Liechtenstein and Monaco which still, in theory, permit their monarch to withhold assent to laws, the monarch almost never does so, except in a dire political emergency or on advice of government.
Prince Harry served for close to a decade in the British armed forces, but since he stepped down from his royal duties in 2020, Prince Harry is considered a non-working royal. Because of this, he cannot wear his military uniform and is not permitted to salute as other working members of the royal family did.
The Queen is the only person to declare war and peace. This dates back from when the Monarch was responsible for raising, maintaining and equipping the Army and Navy. Today, this power can only be exercised on the advice of Ministers.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is the highest court of appeal for a number of Commonwealth countries, crown dependencies and United Kingdom overseas territories.
Councillors do not get paid a salary, however they do receive an annual allowance which reimburses them for time they have spent on council duties, as well as telephone and other office expenses.
The Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Governor-General and the Chief Justice of New Zealand are still accorded the style Right Honourable, but without membership of the Council. Until the late 20th century, the prime ministers and chief justices of Canada and Australia were also appointed privy counsellors.
Only one State superior court judge in Australia was removed from office during the twentieth century. That was Justice Angelo Vasta, a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He was removed under the State constitutional provision similar to that of the Federal Constitution.
In 1973 the Whitlam Labor government definitively renounced the White Australia policy. In its place it established a policy of multiculturalism in a nation that is now home to migrants from nearly 200 different countries.
Over subsequent years Australian governments gradually dismantled the policy with the final vestiges being removed in 1973 by the new Labor government. The origins of the 'White Australia' policy can be traced to the 1850s.
The Australia Act 1986 (Commonwealth) was the final step in Australia's constitutional independence from Britain. This Act and the 6 similar Acts passed by the state parliaments, made all Australian law independent of the British Parliament and legal system.
Almost everywhere you live in Australia you will have three elected governments – Federal, State (or Territory) and Local. Each of these levels of government has its own powers, responsibilities and services and each of them is elected by the people they provide government for.
Despite the chief justice's elevated stature, their vote carries the same legal weight as the vote of each associate justice. Additionally, they have no legal authority to overrule the verdicts or interpretations of the other eight judges or tamper with them.
The Queen receives a yearly sum through what is known as the Sovereign Grant , which is equivalent to £1.29 per person in the UK. In Aussie dollars, that's around $2.23 per person, which last financial year amounted to a whopping $148 million.
Her Majesty (the Sovereign in particular) is the ultimate authority in the United Kingdom and rules over the nation as well as parliament through the Royal Prerogative*, which are powers that are used according to the laws enacted in Parliament or within the confines of precedent and convention.
She is the longest-serving monarch in British history. Busy from morning to night, she carries out more speeches and public meetings than all other members of the Royal family combined.