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Every reference to the royal assent in the body of this article is in lower case. Assuming this is correct this article should be moved to "Royal assent" (small 'a').
Iota 01:54, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)
All the references in the article are wrong. Royal Assent is a proper noun, the formal name of a constitutional process. While in some contexts when referring in a generalised form to royal assent, rather than referring to the specifically defined constitutional process, the lower case for both words is acceptable, a capital R and small a would be fundamentally wrong, the equivalent of writing President of the united states or indeed, when referring to the country, United states. One can lower case a reference to a set of united states, when writing generically, but the specific name United States is always capitalised. Ditto with president and President of Ireland. The same principles apply here. One can write about a process of royal assent, but the granting of the Royal Assent. JtdIrL.
The article dates the last withholding of assent at 1707. Withholding of assent was the first grievance in America's Declaration of Independence, so apparently it happened later in the century as well.
The UK Parliament web site gives March 11, 1708 (see http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/lareyne.pdf ) for Queen Anne's withholding of assent on the Scottish Militia Bill. I put the date in the article and cut the following note:
The note is probably correct, as March 11 is in the ambiguous part of the year. But now we have the full and correct (I hope) date I don't think it's necessary to mention this in the article any more. Gdr 21:53, 2004 Jul 6 (UTC)
Although http://www.parliament.uk/works/newproc.cfm another parliamentary website says 1707
---
Well, in the Federalist Papers, the founders point out that the King had not vetoed a bill since 1707. "A very considerable period has elapsed since the negative of the crown has been exercised." (Federalist #73, by Hamilton). They said, however, that absolute veto power (which is what royal assent is) is not acceptable, and that's why the Constitution of the United States says that the President's veto can be overridden by a 2/3 majority of Congress. In Britain, the legislature could vote 99% for a bill, and if the Queen is against it, she can still refuse assent. In the United States, the President could veto, but it would be overruled by the 2/3 majority of Congress. One example of this is where the current President tried to veto the bill against torture of POWs/enemy combatants proposed by Senator John McCain. (actually the 8th amendment of the Constitution already forbids this, but McCain's bill reasserted it) McCain had a 2/3 majority in Congress so the President lost that battle. Our President is not a King or Queen and never will be; since July 4th, 1776, there has been no Monarch of the United States. Here, it is We the People collectively who are the Sovereign. LONG LIVE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION!!! :-) --Brian 71.116.89.82 ( talk) 18:40, 1 July 2008 (UTC)
(Uncontested -- July 7)
This is a self-nomination. -- Emsworth 02:34, Jul 7, 2004 (UTC)
Anyone like to comment on the factors for and against Royal Assent and Royal assent before someone moves the page again? -- ALoan (Talk) 21:10, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC)
This is the first I've heard of it, and Google turns up very little. Also I assume what is meant here is that the government refused consent to the bill's hearing, using the mechanism of the monarch withholding consent, rather than the Queen actually deciding the matter for herself. I think this needs rewording if anyone knows what actually happened here. — Trilobite (Talk) 20:29, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Dalyell's bill is the really scandalous occasion, but there have been others, now published: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21024828 and continuing discussion in the Guardian. It still isn't quite clear what happened, but it seems never to have amounted to a refusal of assent to legislation that had been passed. The "university visitor" occasion is daft, since (at least in practice) the position is merely ceremonial. -- Wikiain ( talk) 22:09, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
The reference to Canada's Constitution Act 1982 as a case where the Governor-General chooses to defer assent to the monarch was deleted as inappropriate on 5 April 2005. The Constitution Act 1982 was enacted by the UK Parliament as a schedule to the Canada Act in accordance with the pre-1982 conventions. (Though the conventions required Canadian consent, only the UK Parliament could amend the Canadian constitution until this act was passed; one of the provisions it added was an amending procedure, and the UK Parliament renounced further amending powers in the Canada Act proper.) The Governor-General of Canada cannot assent to legislation of the UK Parliament; only Buckingham Palace can do that. --RBBrittain
(1) I'm fairly sure the Australia Act abolished or limited the power of the Sovereign to assent to bills for Australia, including the Australian states. I'll check it and perhaps post a small edit. (2) The article needs to be clearer that this power (like the rest of the Royal Prerogative) is always exercised on ministerial advice. There have been a couple of cases in Australia where bills were vetoed on government advice because some technical defect was discovered after they had passed the House of Representatives and the Senate. I suspect we could find them elsewhere in the Commonwealth of Nations as well. Update - See Australian Senate Practice Alan 00:52, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
This section claims that Royal Assent in the Commonwealth realms is given on advice of Ministers. However, at least at a Federal level in Australia, no such advice is given formally. Presumably if such advice was proferred it would, in most circumstances, be accepted.
Also, for a recent case where assent was denied on advice, see: http://www.anzacatt.org.au/prod/anzacatt/anzacatt.nsf/ca3cb73640e4b7d4ca2567ee0016638b/505b80874bb16c24ca2573c800834661/$FILE/Kate%20Murray%20on%20assent%20in%20Vic.pdf Sir rupert orangepeel ( talk) 04:10, 6 April 2009 (UTC)
I have yesterday detected an error in the article and I had removed it. It has been restored and today I again removed it. The error is: the article stated that under the procedure created by the Royal Assent Act, 1967 the Royal Assent also involved notification by Royal Commissioners, but that those did not come to Parilament, instead giving notice of the Royal Assent in Buckingham Palace, and that, in turn, the Lord Chancellor/Speaker, notified the grant of Assent to each House. This is simply wrong.
When the 1967 Act's procedure is followed (as is almost always the case nowadays -- with the exception of the end of sesssion), no Royal Commissioners are appointed (see the model of Letters Patent - those I have also added to the article yesterday). Istead, the Letters Patent are delivered directly to the Lord Chancellor/Speaker, or their deputies, who, in turn, notify the grant of Royal Assent to the Houses of Parliament sitting separately. Thus, the 1967 Act procedure dispenses with the joint assembly of both Houses and with the appointment of Royal Commissioners.
For further information see the Compagnion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords.-- Antonio Basto 16:24, 29 October 2005 (UTC)
Did he really threaten to sell the palace to Bill Gates? That sounds terribly fishy to me. If we can't find a source for it, it could be just vandalism. Let's address this before the article hits the front page tomorrow. -- Zantastik talk 18:48, 17 July 2005 (UTC)
Quoth the article:
I'm assuming that there must be some mechanism by which the UK government can override laws passed by colonial/crown dependency legislatures, yes? Otherwise, they wouldn't really be dependencies, would they? So how do they do it if not by withholding royal assent from the laws? -- Jfruh 02:19, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
The Privy Council, not the House of Lords, is the final court of appeal for Crown colonies and dependencies and for some Commonwealth realms. Royal Assent is no longer used to control legislation in British Crown colonies. The relationship between a Crown colony and the UK (including legislative competence) is defined by UK legislation. The situation with Crown dependencies is more complex. The article should be expanded to describe Royal Assent to Scottish legislation and Northern Irish legislation. Alan 08:58, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
The Vatican also is a Monarchy in which consent can be witheld by the sovereign.-- Samuel J. Howard 10:51, August 26, 2005 (UTC)
Does anyone know the Fromula for Assent/Withholding Assent in the Commonwealth?
I seem to remember the Queen maybe reserving Royal assent on the Labour government's Closed shop legislation ? It passed in the end, but can someone else remember ? Wizzy… ☎ 15:37, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
While the monarch does not routinely give royal assent in person, it is still done on special occasions. In particular, and in contradiction to the article, Queen Elizabeth II personally signed the Canada Act#Enactment of the Act in Ottawa on 1982.
Actually, that article is a little confusing, and I'll have to research history. I think that the Canada Act was U.K. legislation, and I'm not sure who gave assent, but appendix B, the (Canadian) Constitution Act, was separately enacted in Canada, and given royal assent in person. So the caption of the picture in the Canada Act article may be incorrect.
This myth has been disproved.
Georg Ludwig was fluent in several languages, but preferred French.
He opened his first Parliament with the words “My Lords and Gentlemen, I have ordered my Lord Chancellor to declare to you, in my name, the causes of calling this Parliament” (which would seem to indicate that the King’s Speech was beyond his abilities at that time).
When Lord Cowper was reappointed as Lord Chancellor he had a private audience with the King: he spoke to the King in English, but the King replied in French (so the King certainly understood English, even though he liked to use French himself).
Following the return to government of Lord Townshend and Sir Robert Walpole, the King is said to have remarked “What did they go away for? It was their own faults” (imperfect but adequate English).
From 1723 there is a note to the King from Townshend on which the King wrote “I agree with you in everything contain’d in this letter, and desire you to communicate your opinion either to the Duke of Newcastle or H. Walpole, that instructions to the Ambassadors may be sent according to your opinion. GR.”
See: Raghild Hatton “George I: Elector and King” (1978)
Hovite 14:29, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
I'm not sure that this phrase is quite right: "In the United Kingdom the Royal Assent is a constitutional convention..." So far as I know the Royal Assent is a legal requirement - it is the non-exercise of the right to refuse it that has become convention. But please let me know if I am wrong. Art Markham ( talk) 12:11, 6 February 2009 (UTC)
Was Queen Victoria really the last to grant Royal Assent in person? I was under the impression that for important/historic bills (eg: the repatriation of the canadian constitution) Queen Elizabeth has signed in person in some ceremony. Am I mistaken? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.144.148.53 ( talk) 07:33, 22 May 2010 (UTC)
The MoS says that any article with an inherent nationality should be in that version of the language. Given that most of this article is given to Royal Assent in the UK, and the US doesn't have Royal Assent at all, surely this should be in British English? I will change all this later if no-one objects. Jess xx ( talk) 11:06, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
There is no mention of 'commencement orders' in this article; according to the parliamentary website it is possible to creat a delay between royal assent and commencement of the terms of an Act into law. To quote "The legislation within the Bill may commence immediately, after a set period or only after a commencement order by a Government minister. A commencement order is designed to bring into force the whole or part of an Act of Parliament at a date later than the date of the Royal Assent. If there is no commencement order, the Act will come into force from midnight at the start of the day of the Royal Assent. The practical implementation of an Act is the responsibility of the appropriate government department, not Parliament." [3] In some cases a part of an Act may never receive the necesary 'enabling' legislation. A good example of this is the failure to enable Section 24 of the Road Traffic Act 1974 which would have banned parking on pavements across the UK. [4] They were still asking questions in the house about this one in 1982. [5] Here is a summary of the whole saga [6]. Another example is the failure so far to enable part of the Traffic Management Act 2004 banning the parking of cars in mandatory cycle lanes. [7] PeterEastern ( talk) 15:11, 28 August 2011 (UTC)
What about Thailand?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 223.132.52.94 ( talk) 08:05, 2 September 2011 (UTC)
Does British and/or Commonwealth law provide for the case where the sovereign is incapable of giving assent (e.g. because he/she is too ill, or is a minor, or hides in in the attic or whatever)? Please add. -- 78.50.188.146 ( talk) 16:38, 14 December 2012 (UTC)
When the question whether caps should be used was raised at the end of 2004 (see sections above), it was asserted that the term royal assent was a proper noun and caps should be used accordingly. That was an error, which has persisted in the article, unsupported by normally correct usage such as in this quote from the current UK parliament website: Once a bill has completed all the parliamentary stages in both Houses, it is ready to receive royal assent. [8] It is usual for caps to be used in documents such as letters patent of notification issued under the royal sign manual (another uncapped phrase), but in such documents the customary style is also to use FULL CAPITALS for certain words and phrases, in a way which would not be used in normal text. In some contexts, such as Hansard, the use of caps is customary as a matter of courtesy or dignity, such as when the Speaker is recorded to have spoken the customary formula: I have to notify the House in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967 that the Queen has signified Her Royal Assent to the following Act:.... Such usage is not suited in other contexts such as Wikipedia - see: "Constitutional and Administrative Law" by Bradley and Ewing (2007): But by the Royal Assent Act 1967, the assent, having been signified by letters patent... [9] and "Modernisation of Royal Assent in Canada"(Richardson, Last Updated: 2013-10-08). Qexigator ( talk) 23:34, 16 October 2013 (UTC)
+ Nowadays, the use of caps in print is usually a solecism [10]. In the United Kingdom, with caps the "Royal Assent" properly refers to the ceremony for which the Lord Great Chamberlain [11] is chiefly responsible, when, by the laws and customs of Parliament, which derive from the 14c. (i.e, before Henry VIII, and modified by statute in and after his reign), the members of the House of Commons are summoned by Black Rod to witness the giving of the monarch's assent to bills previously passed or assented to by the Commons and by the Lords "in parliament assembled". The Clerk of the Parliaments (not the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery) is chiefly responsibe for inscribing a note on the documents recording that the assent has been given, as authorised by other documents (in modern parlance, a paper trail), such as letters patent, by which the monarch authorises his/her assent to be declared (in his/her absence) in due form, in the House of Lords, where the lords of parliament are seated, and with members of the House of Commons in attendance outside the bar of the House of Lords. When the monarch's assent was last given in person (see Royal Assent by Commission Act 1541) (at a prorogation in August 1854 ( Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice, 19th edn. p.564), it is said that when the name of the bill presented was read out by the clerk she (Queen Victoria) inclined her head, and this was noted on the bill by the clerk as assent given, and so recorded by the clerks in the parliamentary records for which they are responsible. See also Clerk of the Parliaments Act 1824 [12], [13] and [14], [15] and [16]. Likewise caps are properly used referring to the ceremony of Trooping the Colour, also known as "The Queen's Birthday Parade", but not for the (archaic) practice of marching a regiment's colours through the troops parading by companies, before and after battle. -- Qexigator ( talk) 09:31, 17 October 2013 (UTC)
The wording of the article is also inaccurate and confusing when it begins by stating that R/royal A/assent includes "promulgation" on the part of the monarch. Qexigator ( talk) 01:18, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
+ A constitutional monarch's assent to a bill presented by a legislature is distinct from promulgation of the legislation when it has been given such assent, whether or not promulgation also is "by" or in the name of the monarch. In a homely way we distinguish between the act of showing witnesses, by voice or gesture, a grant of permission for something contained in a document (assenting), and the act of putting a signature to the document, and then the act of mailing it (single or multiple copies), or (promulgating by) having copies displayed on public notice boards or advertised in the press. In this respect the article needs (some more) revision:
This is a topic about a part of a country's constitution, and in this context, "their" is not a good substitute for "his or her". For instance, while the term "monarch" is gender neutral (used for a person of either sex) a monarch is either male or female. A monarchy may be constitutionally restricted to say, males as kings, excluding females. It is usual for the wife of a male monarch regnant to be known as Queen (consort) but not the husband of a Queen regnant to be known as King (consort). A Queen consort may have come from another "nation". Such gender differences should not be smoothed over by "their". There have been instances of coregency such as William and Mary, where a monarchy has had a married couple as King and Queen regnant for the remainder of their joint lives. Before that, there were the " Catholic Monarchs" Ferdinand and Isabella. Qexigator ( talk) 17:05, 9 February 2014 (UTC)
+ In the case of Mary I of England's Spanish marriage: under the English common law doctrine of jure uxoris, the property and titles belonging to a woman became her husband's upon marriage, and it was feared that any man she married would thereby become King of England in fact and in name. While Mary's grandparents, Ferdinand and Isabella, had retained sovereignty of their own realms during their marriage, there was no precedent to follow in England. Under the terms of Queen Mary's Marriage Act, Philip was to be styled "King of England", all official documents (including Acts of Parliament) were to be dated with both their names, and Parliament was to be called under the joint authority of the couple, for Mary's lifetime only. Qexigator ( talk) 18:45, 9 February 2014 (UTC)
"Formally, this [letters patent] remains the standard method, a fact that is recited 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 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...")."
The quoted passage from the letters patent specifically maintains the fiction that the usual way to grant royal assent is by the monarch in person in the House of Lords (even though that no longer happens), which is the opposite of acknowledging that letters patent have become the standard method. The sentence contradicts itself; the quote does not support the fact asserted in the first part of the sentence. It needs changing. Richard75 ( talk) 12:21, 4 December 2014 (UTC)
The result of the move request was: moved. Number 5 7 13:13, 18 June 2015 (UTC)
Royal Assent → Royal assent – Not a proper noun, but rather a class of various ceremonies and legal instruments used in many countries. Should be downcased per MOS:CAPS, which specifies the removal of "unnecessary" capitalisation. As sentence case is used for Wikipedia article titles, this article from the British parliament website makes clear that "royal assent" is not capitalised in prose by convention. Regardless, this article is not only about the British tradition, but about others. As this article is not referring to specific instance of "Royal Assent" in one country, the title cannot be considered a proper noun. RGloucester — ☎ 20:18, 10 June 2015 (UTC)
Since Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy does it have a similar procedure as the British one or its own native way of doing things? Sion8 ( talk) 03:06, 10 February 2018 (UTC)
Both Queen Victoria and Edward VII, by construction, refused to sign the proposed Acts that were to become the 1911 Parliament Act, essentially on the grounds that the Act would be unconstitutional, which many believe was and still is, including the 1948 amendment. The liberal government had to wait until Edward had died in 1910. These facts contribute to the emerging notions that the perceived constitutional arrangements currently held to be true by Diciests and Parliamentary absolutists are mere opinion, no matter how much conventions and judicial precedents are held to be constitutionally forceful. A growing number of academics and constitutionalists are becoming Cokeists. The two Supreme Court judgements resulting from Miller v Government in 2017 and 2019, which few Parliamentary absolutists, junior lawyers and judiciary have yet to learnedly extrapolate meaning from, are about to become a Battle Royal in the defining issue of Boris Johnson's government if he follows through with his declared intention to clip the wings of the Courts. It would amount to the tyranny of arbitrary government if he did so, which is the central core purpose of the Glorious Revolution and Declaration of Rights 1688.
"The Crown is as much Sovereign in the Courts as it is Sovereign in Parliament" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.96.30.119 ( talk) 15:31, 11 March 2020 (UTC)
This older Featured Article is in need of a review.
There is significant unsourced text, particularly in the "Other countries" section. Malaysia and Thailand are mentioned once and never expanded upon. The Netherlands part is completely unsourced and the Spanish subsection is not much better. There are unsourced, stubby subsections like "Church of England Measures" and "In the other Commonwealth realms". The unsourced single sentence at the end masquerading as a section is conflating royal assent with presidential vetoes in European republican systems (!!!!), which is baffling considering the diversity of European countries that use the presidential veto.
This needs work to rise to current FA standards. RetiredDuke ( talk) 17:38, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
El Rey está obligado en todo caso a sancionar la ley aprobada por el Parlamento; y deberá hacerlo en el plazo de quince días, promulgándola y ordenando su inmediata publicación, como taxativamente determina el artículo 91. - which emphasizes the King's obligation to give the assent.
la sanción pasa a ser una función nominal, vaciada de contenido real, en el sentido de estar desprovista de cualquier atisbo de veto absoluto o meramente suspensivo.- "The sanción has become a nominal function, with no real content, in the sense of being devoid of any hint of absolute or merely suspensive veto."
I don't fully understand why the 'United Kingdom' section header, was changed into 'Commonwealth realms', etc, at 22:53, 31 May, 2023. Perhaps @ DrKay:, @ DeCausa: & @ Celia Homeford: may understand the point behind that change, better then I. For now, I've reverted (sorta) back to what the section heading previously was. I won't spend too much time around this topic 'here', but I am curious, why it was initially changed. GoodDay ( talk) 20:08, 4 June 2023 (UTC)
The change has been made 'again', which highlights my question. GoodDay ( talk) 20:40, 4 June 2023 (UTC)
See the version I put in. Replacing "Commonwealth realms", with "Usage". Since we're going to add non-UK Commonwealth realms & are keeping in mind that the page is about 'royal ascent'. GoodDay ( talk) 19:10, 6 June 2023 (UTC)
If my change is reverted? I have another version to present, which will solve the heading/sub-heading bit, IMHO. GoodDay ( talk) 19:20, 6 June 2023 (UTC)
Royal assent is a former featured article. Please see the links under Article milestones below for its original nomination page (for older articles, check the nomination archive) and why it was removed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on July 18, 2005. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
This article is rated B-class on Wikipedia's
content assessment scale. It is of interest to the following WikiProjects: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Every reference to the royal assent in the body of this article is in lower case. Assuming this is correct this article should be moved to "Royal assent" (small 'a').
Iota 01:54, 22 Jun 2004 (UTC)
All the references in the article are wrong. Royal Assent is a proper noun, the formal name of a constitutional process. While in some contexts when referring in a generalised form to royal assent, rather than referring to the specifically defined constitutional process, the lower case for both words is acceptable, a capital R and small a would be fundamentally wrong, the equivalent of writing President of the united states or indeed, when referring to the country, United states. One can lower case a reference to a set of united states, when writing generically, but the specific name United States is always capitalised. Ditto with president and President of Ireland. The same principles apply here. One can write about a process of royal assent, but the granting of the Royal Assent. JtdIrL.
The article dates the last withholding of assent at 1707. Withholding of assent was the first grievance in America's Declaration of Independence, so apparently it happened later in the century as well.
The UK Parliament web site gives March 11, 1708 (see http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/lareyne.pdf ) for Queen Anne's withholding of assent on the Scottish Militia Bill. I put the date in the article and cut the following note:
The note is probably correct, as March 11 is in the ambiguous part of the year. But now we have the full and correct (I hope) date I don't think it's necessary to mention this in the article any more. Gdr 21:53, 2004 Jul 6 (UTC)
Although http://www.parliament.uk/works/newproc.cfm another parliamentary website says 1707
---
Well, in the Federalist Papers, the founders point out that the King had not vetoed a bill since 1707. "A very considerable period has elapsed since the negative of the crown has been exercised." (Federalist #73, by Hamilton). They said, however, that absolute veto power (which is what royal assent is) is not acceptable, and that's why the Constitution of the United States says that the President's veto can be overridden by a 2/3 majority of Congress. In Britain, the legislature could vote 99% for a bill, and if the Queen is against it, she can still refuse assent. In the United States, the President could veto, but it would be overruled by the 2/3 majority of Congress. One example of this is where the current President tried to veto the bill against torture of POWs/enemy combatants proposed by Senator John McCain. (actually the 8th amendment of the Constitution already forbids this, but McCain's bill reasserted it) McCain had a 2/3 majority in Congress so the President lost that battle. Our President is not a King or Queen and never will be; since July 4th, 1776, there has been no Monarch of the United States. Here, it is We the People collectively who are the Sovereign. LONG LIVE THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION!!! :-) --Brian 71.116.89.82 ( talk) 18:40, 1 July 2008 (UTC)
(Uncontested -- July 7)
This is a self-nomination. -- Emsworth 02:34, Jul 7, 2004 (UTC)
Anyone like to comment on the factors for and against Royal Assent and Royal assent before someone moves the page again? -- ALoan (Talk) 21:10, 10 Nov 2004 (UTC)
This is the first I've heard of it, and Google turns up very little. Also I assume what is meant here is that the government refused consent to the bill's hearing, using the mechanism of the monarch withholding consent, rather than the Queen actually deciding the matter for herself. I think this needs rewording if anyone knows what actually happened here. — Trilobite (Talk) 20:29, 15 Dec 2004 (UTC)
Dalyell's bill is the really scandalous occasion, but there have been others, now published: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21024828 and continuing discussion in the Guardian. It still isn't quite clear what happened, but it seems never to have amounted to a refusal of assent to legislation that had been passed. The "university visitor" occasion is daft, since (at least in practice) the position is merely ceremonial. -- Wikiain ( talk) 22:09, 7 February 2013 (UTC)
The reference to Canada's Constitution Act 1982 as a case where the Governor-General chooses to defer assent to the monarch was deleted as inappropriate on 5 April 2005. The Constitution Act 1982 was enacted by the UK Parliament as a schedule to the Canada Act in accordance with the pre-1982 conventions. (Though the conventions required Canadian consent, only the UK Parliament could amend the Canadian constitution until this act was passed; one of the provisions it added was an amending procedure, and the UK Parliament renounced further amending powers in the Canada Act proper.) The Governor-General of Canada cannot assent to legislation of the UK Parliament; only Buckingham Palace can do that. --RBBrittain
(1) I'm fairly sure the Australia Act abolished or limited the power of the Sovereign to assent to bills for Australia, including the Australian states. I'll check it and perhaps post a small edit. (2) The article needs to be clearer that this power (like the rest of the Royal Prerogative) is always exercised on ministerial advice. There have been a couple of cases in Australia where bills were vetoed on government advice because some technical defect was discovered after they had passed the House of Representatives and the Senate. I suspect we could find them elsewhere in the Commonwealth of Nations as well. Update - See Australian Senate Practice Alan 00:52, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
This section claims that Royal Assent in the Commonwealth realms is given on advice of Ministers. However, at least at a Federal level in Australia, no such advice is given formally. Presumably if such advice was proferred it would, in most circumstances, be accepted.
Also, for a recent case where assent was denied on advice, see: http://www.anzacatt.org.au/prod/anzacatt/anzacatt.nsf/ca3cb73640e4b7d4ca2567ee0016638b/505b80874bb16c24ca2573c800834661/$FILE/Kate%20Murray%20on%20assent%20in%20Vic.pdf Sir rupert orangepeel ( talk) 04:10, 6 April 2009 (UTC)
I have yesterday detected an error in the article and I had removed it. It has been restored and today I again removed it. The error is: the article stated that under the procedure created by the Royal Assent Act, 1967 the Royal Assent also involved notification by Royal Commissioners, but that those did not come to Parilament, instead giving notice of the Royal Assent in Buckingham Palace, and that, in turn, the Lord Chancellor/Speaker, notified the grant of Assent to each House. This is simply wrong.
When the 1967 Act's procedure is followed (as is almost always the case nowadays -- with the exception of the end of sesssion), no Royal Commissioners are appointed (see the model of Letters Patent - those I have also added to the article yesterday). Istead, the Letters Patent are delivered directly to the Lord Chancellor/Speaker, or their deputies, who, in turn, notify the grant of Royal Assent to the Houses of Parliament sitting separately. Thus, the 1967 Act procedure dispenses with the joint assembly of both Houses and with the appointment of Royal Commissioners.
For further information see the Compagnion to the Standing Orders and Guide to the Proceedings of the House of Lords.-- Antonio Basto 16:24, 29 October 2005 (UTC)
Did he really threaten to sell the palace to Bill Gates? That sounds terribly fishy to me. If we can't find a source for it, it could be just vandalism. Let's address this before the article hits the front page tomorrow. -- Zantastik talk 18:48, 17 July 2005 (UTC)
Quoth the article:
I'm assuming that there must be some mechanism by which the UK government can override laws passed by colonial/crown dependency legislatures, yes? Otherwise, they wouldn't really be dependencies, would they? So how do they do it if not by withholding royal assent from the laws? -- Jfruh 02:19, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
The Privy Council, not the House of Lords, is the final court of appeal for Crown colonies and dependencies and for some Commonwealth realms. Royal Assent is no longer used to control legislation in British Crown colonies. The relationship between a Crown colony and the UK (including legislative competence) is defined by UK legislation. The situation with Crown dependencies is more complex. The article should be expanded to describe Royal Assent to Scottish legislation and Northern Irish legislation. Alan 08:58, 18 July 2005 (UTC)
The Vatican also is a Monarchy in which consent can be witheld by the sovereign.-- Samuel J. Howard 10:51, August 26, 2005 (UTC)
Does anyone know the Fromula for Assent/Withholding Assent in the Commonwealth?
I seem to remember the Queen maybe reserving Royal assent on the Labour government's Closed shop legislation ? It passed in the end, but can someone else remember ? Wizzy… ☎ 15:37, 19 September 2006 (UTC)
While the monarch does not routinely give royal assent in person, it is still done on special occasions. In particular, and in contradiction to the article, Queen Elizabeth II personally signed the Canada Act#Enactment of the Act in Ottawa on 1982.
Actually, that article is a little confusing, and I'll have to research history. I think that the Canada Act was U.K. legislation, and I'm not sure who gave assent, but appendix B, the (Canadian) Constitution Act, was separately enacted in Canada, and given royal assent in person. So the caption of the picture in the Canada Act article may be incorrect.
This myth has been disproved.
Georg Ludwig was fluent in several languages, but preferred French.
He opened his first Parliament with the words “My Lords and Gentlemen, I have ordered my Lord Chancellor to declare to you, in my name, the causes of calling this Parliament” (which would seem to indicate that the King’s Speech was beyond his abilities at that time).
When Lord Cowper was reappointed as Lord Chancellor he had a private audience with the King: he spoke to the King in English, but the King replied in French (so the King certainly understood English, even though he liked to use French himself).
Following the return to government of Lord Townshend and Sir Robert Walpole, the King is said to have remarked “What did they go away for? It was their own faults” (imperfect but adequate English).
From 1723 there is a note to the King from Townshend on which the King wrote “I agree with you in everything contain’d in this letter, and desire you to communicate your opinion either to the Duke of Newcastle or H. Walpole, that instructions to the Ambassadors may be sent according to your opinion. GR.”
See: Raghild Hatton “George I: Elector and King” (1978)
Hovite 14:29, 8 February 2007 (UTC)
I'm not sure that this phrase is quite right: "In the United Kingdom the Royal Assent is a constitutional convention..." So far as I know the Royal Assent is a legal requirement - it is the non-exercise of the right to refuse it that has become convention. But please let me know if I am wrong. Art Markham ( talk) 12:11, 6 February 2009 (UTC)
Was Queen Victoria really the last to grant Royal Assent in person? I was under the impression that for important/historic bills (eg: the repatriation of the canadian constitution) Queen Elizabeth has signed in person in some ceremony. Am I mistaken? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 218.144.148.53 ( talk) 07:33, 22 May 2010 (UTC)
The MoS says that any article with an inherent nationality should be in that version of the language. Given that most of this article is given to Royal Assent in the UK, and the US doesn't have Royal Assent at all, surely this should be in British English? I will change all this later if no-one objects. Jess xx ( talk) 11:06, 14 June 2011 (UTC)
There is no mention of 'commencement orders' in this article; according to the parliamentary website it is possible to creat a delay between royal assent and commencement of the terms of an Act into law. To quote "The legislation within the Bill may commence immediately, after a set period or only after a commencement order by a Government minister. A commencement order is designed to bring into force the whole or part of an Act of Parliament at a date later than the date of the Royal Assent. If there is no commencement order, the Act will come into force from midnight at the start of the day of the Royal Assent. The practical implementation of an Act is the responsibility of the appropriate government department, not Parliament." [3] In some cases a part of an Act may never receive the necesary 'enabling' legislation. A good example of this is the failure to enable Section 24 of the Road Traffic Act 1974 which would have banned parking on pavements across the UK. [4] They were still asking questions in the house about this one in 1982. [5] Here is a summary of the whole saga [6]. Another example is the failure so far to enable part of the Traffic Management Act 2004 banning the parking of cars in mandatory cycle lanes. [7] PeterEastern ( talk) 15:11, 28 August 2011 (UTC)
What about Thailand?— Preceding unsigned comment added by 223.132.52.94 ( talk) 08:05, 2 September 2011 (UTC)
Does British and/or Commonwealth law provide for the case where the sovereign is incapable of giving assent (e.g. because he/she is too ill, or is a minor, or hides in in the attic or whatever)? Please add. -- 78.50.188.146 ( talk) 16:38, 14 December 2012 (UTC)
When the question whether caps should be used was raised at the end of 2004 (see sections above), it was asserted that the term royal assent was a proper noun and caps should be used accordingly. That was an error, which has persisted in the article, unsupported by normally correct usage such as in this quote from the current UK parliament website: Once a bill has completed all the parliamentary stages in both Houses, it is ready to receive royal assent. [8] It is usual for caps to be used in documents such as letters patent of notification issued under the royal sign manual (another uncapped phrase), but in such documents the customary style is also to use FULL CAPITALS for certain words and phrases, in a way which would not be used in normal text. In some contexts, such as Hansard, the use of caps is customary as a matter of courtesy or dignity, such as when the Speaker is recorded to have spoken the customary formula: I have to notify the House in accordance with the Royal Assent Act 1967 that the Queen has signified Her Royal Assent to the following Act:.... Such usage is not suited in other contexts such as Wikipedia - see: "Constitutional and Administrative Law" by Bradley and Ewing (2007): But by the Royal Assent Act 1967, the assent, having been signified by letters patent... [9] and "Modernisation of Royal Assent in Canada"(Richardson, Last Updated: 2013-10-08). Qexigator ( talk) 23:34, 16 October 2013 (UTC)
+ Nowadays, the use of caps in print is usually a solecism [10]. In the United Kingdom, with caps the "Royal Assent" properly refers to the ceremony for which the Lord Great Chamberlain [11] is chiefly responsible, when, by the laws and customs of Parliament, which derive from the 14c. (i.e, before Henry VIII, and modified by statute in and after his reign), the members of the House of Commons are summoned by Black Rod to witness the giving of the monarch's assent to bills previously passed or assented to by the Commons and by the Lords "in parliament assembled". The Clerk of the Parliaments (not the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery) is chiefly responsibe for inscribing a note on the documents recording that the assent has been given, as authorised by other documents (in modern parlance, a paper trail), such as letters patent, by which the monarch authorises his/her assent to be declared (in his/her absence) in due form, in the House of Lords, where the lords of parliament are seated, and with members of the House of Commons in attendance outside the bar of the House of Lords. When the monarch's assent was last given in person (see Royal Assent by Commission Act 1541) (at a prorogation in August 1854 ( Erskine May: Parliamentary Practice, 19th edn. p.564), it is said that when the name of the bill presented was read out by the clerk she (Queen Victoria) inclined her head, and this was noted on the bill by the clerk as assent given, and so recorded by the clerks in the parliamentary records for which they are responsible. See also Clerk of the Parliaments Act 1824 [12], [13] and [14], [15] and [16]. Likewise caps are properly used referring to the ceremony of Trooping the Colour, also known as "The Queen's Birthday Parade", but not for the (archaic) practice of marching a regiment's colours through the troops parading by companies, before and after battle. -- Qexigator ( talk) 09:31, 17 October 2013 (UTC)
The wording of the article is also inaccurate and confusing when it begins by stating that R/royal A/assent includes "promulgation" on the part of the monarch. Qexigator ( talk) 01:18, 18 October 2013 (UTC)
+ A constitutional monarch's assent to a bill presented by a legislature is distinct from promulgation of the legislation when it has been given such assent, whether or not promulgation also is "by" or in the name of the monarch. In a homely way we distinguish between the act of showing witnesses, by voice or gesture, a grant of permission for something contained in a document (assenting), and the act of putting a signature to the document, and then the act of mailing it (single or multiple copies), or (promulgating by) having copies displayed on public notice boards or advertised in the press. In this respect the article needs (some more) revision:
This is a topic about a part of a country's constitution, and in this context, "their" is not a good substitute for "his or her". For instance, while the term "monarch" is gender neutral (used for a person of either sex) a monarch is either male or female. A monarchy may be constitutionally restricted to say, males as kings, excluding females. It is usual for the wife of a male monarch regnant to be known as Queen (consort) but not the husband of a Queen regnant to be known as King (consort). A Queen consort may have come from another "nation". Such gender differences should not be smoothed over by "their". There have been instances of coregency such as William and Mary, where a monarchy has had a married couple as King and Queen regnant for the remainder of their joint lives. Before that, there were the " Catholic Monarchs" Ferdinand and Isabella. Qexigator ( talk) 17:05, 9 February 2014 (UTC)
+ In the case of Mary I of England's Spanish marriage: under the English common law doctrine of jure uxoris, the property and titles belonging to a woman became her husband's upon marriage, and it was feared that any man she married would thereby become King of England in fact and in name. While Mary's grandparents, Ferdinand and Isabella, had retained sovereignty of their own realms during their marriage, there was no precedent to follow in England. Under the terms of Queen Mary's Marriage Act, Philip was to be styled "King of England", all official documents (including Acts of Parliament) were to be dated with both their names, and Parliament was to be called under the joint authority of the couple, for Mary's lifetime only. Qexigator ( talk) 18:45, 9 February 2014 (UTC)
"Formally, this [letters patent] remains the standard method, a fact that is recited 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 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...")."
The quoted passage from the letters patent specifically maintains the fiction that the usual way to grant royal assent is by the monarch in person in the House of Lords (even though that no longer happens), which is the opposite of acknowledging that letters patent have become the standard method. The sentence contradicts itself; the quote does not support the fact asserted in the first part of the sentence. It needs changing. Richard75 ( talk) 12:21, 4 December 2014 (UTC)
The result of the move request was: moved. Number 5 7 13:13, 18 June 2015 (UTC)
Royal Assent → Royal assent – Not a proper noun, but rather a class of various ceremonies and legal instruments used in many countries. Should be downcased per MOS:CAPS, which specifies the removal of "unnecessary" capitalisation. As sentence case is used for Wikipedia article titles, this article from the British parliament website makes clear that "royal assent" is not capitalised in prose by convention. Regardless, this article is not only about the British tradition, but about others. As this article is not referring to specific instance of "Royal Assent" in one country, the title cannot be considered a proper noun. RGloucester — ☎ 20:18, 10 June 2015 (UTC)
Since Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy does it have a similar procedure as the British one or its own native way of doing things? Sion8 ( talk) 03:06, 10 February 2018 (UTC)
Both Queen Victoria and Edward VII, by construction, refused to sign the proposed Acts that were to become the 1911 Parliament Act, essentially on the grounds that the Act would be unconstitutional, which many believe was and still is, including the 1948 amendment. The liberal government had to wait until Edward had died in 1910. These facts contribute to the emerging notions that the perceived constitutional arrangements currently held to be true by Diciests and Parliamentary absolutists are mere opinion, no matter how much conventions and judicial precedents are held to be constitutionally forceful. A growing number of academics and constitutionalists are becoming Cokeists. The two Supreme Court judgements resulting from Miller v Government in 2017 and 2019, which few Parliamentary absolutists, junior lawyers and judiciary have yet to learnedly extrapolate meaning from, are about to become a Battle Royal in the defining issue of Boris Johnson's government if he follows through with his declared intention to clip the wings of the Courts. It would amount to the tyranny of arbitrary government if he did so, which is the central core purpose of the Glorious Revolution and Declaration of Rights 1688.
"The Crown is as much Sovereign in the Courts as it is Sovereign in Parliament" — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.96.30.119 ( talk) 15:31, 11 March 2020 (UTC)
This older Featured Article is in need of a review.
There is significant unsourced text, particularly in the "Other countries" section. Malaysia and Thailand are mentioned once and never expanded upon. The Netherlands part is completely unsourced and the Spanish subsection is not much better. There are unsourced, stubby subsections like "Church of England Measures" and "In the other Commonwealth realms". The unsourced single sentence at the end masquerading as a section is conflating royal assent with presidential vetoes in European republican systems (!!!!), which is baffling considering the diversity of European countries that use the presidential veto.
This needs work to rise to current FA standards. RetiredDuke ( talk) 17:38, 18 December 2020 (UTC)
El Rey está obligado en todo caso a sancionar la ley aprobada por el Parlamento; y deberá hacerlo en el plazo de quince días, promulgándola y ordenando su inmediata publicación, como taxativamente determina el artículo 91. - which emphasizes the King's obligation to give the assent.
la sanción pasa a ser una función nominal, vaciada de contenido real, en el sentido de estar desprovista de cualquier atisbo de veto absoluto o meramente suspensivo.- "The sanción has become a nominal function, with no real content, in the sense of being devoid of any hint of absolute or merely suspensive veto."
I don't fully understand why the 'United Kingdom' section header, was changed into 'Commonwealth realms', etc, at 22:53, 31 May, 2023. Perhaps @ DrKay:, @ DeCausa: & @ Celia Homeford: may understand the point behind that change, better then I. For now, I've reverted (sorta) back to what the section heading previously was. I won't spend too much time around this topic 'here', but I am curious, why it was initially changed. GoodDay ( talk) 20:08, 4 June 2023 (UTC)
The change has been made 'again', which highlights my question. GoodDay ( talk) 20:40, 4 June 2023 (UTC)
See the version I put in. Replacing "Commonwealth realms", with "Usage". Since we're going to add non-UK Commonwealth realms & are keeping in mind that the page is about 'royal ascent'. GoodDay ( talk) 19:10, 6 June 2023 (UTC)
If my change is reverted? I have another version to present, which will solve the heading/sub-heading bit, IMHO. GoodDay ( talk) 19:20, 6 June 2023 (UTC)