An executive council is a constitutional organ found in a number of

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

countries, where it exercises executive power and (notionally) advises the governor, governor-general, or lieutenant governor, and will typically enact decisions through an

Order in Council An Order in Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom, this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' ...

. In several Commonwealth countries, the executive council is usually referred to as the ''cabinet''. However, the use of the word '' cabinet'' as a synonym for the executive council is not universally practised throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, with some Commonwealth countries using the term ''cabinet'' to refer to a distinct group of high-ranking officials. Executive councillors are informally called "ministers". Some executive councils, especially in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and the

provinces and territories of Canada Canada has ten provinces and three territories that are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Constitution of Canada, Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North Amer ...

, are chaired by a President or a

Vice-President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

. In other Commonwealth countries there is no formal president of the executive council, although meetings are held in the presence of the governor-general, governor or president (except in rare cases) and decisions require his or her assent. These councils have almost the same functions as the privy councils in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, and decisions of the cabinet gain legal effect by being formally adopted by the executive council, if the cabinet itself is not also the executive council.

Current executive councils

Australia

* : Federal Executive Council, the formal body holding executive authority under the Australian constitution. ** : Executive Council of New South Wales, the body which exercises the supreme executive authority in New South Wales. ** : Executive Council of Queensland ** : Executive Council of Tasmania ** : Executive Council of South Australia ** : Executive Council of Western Australia ** : Executive Council of Victoria

Other Commonwealth Countries

* : Executive councils in Canada (more commonly known as cabinets) are constitutional organs of the provinces; they are headed by the provincial lieutenant governor. Territories also have executive councils, which are headed by the territorial commissioner. At the federal level, the Cabinet is a subcommittee of the

King's Privy Council for Canada The King's Privy Council for Canada (), sometimes called His Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council (PC), is the full group of personal advisors to the monarch of Canada on State (polity), state and constitutional affair ...

. * : The

Council of Ministers of the Isle of Man The Council of Ministers (; often abbreviated informally to "CoMin") is the principal executive organ of the Isle of Man Government. Its role is similar to, though not identical with, that of the Cabinet in the United Kingdom. Until 1990, its ti ...

is the executive body of the Isle of Man, formerly known as the Executive Council of the Isle of Man from 1949 to 1990. * : Federal Executive Council of Nigeria, an alternative name to the Cabinet of Nigeria. ** State executive councils in Nigeria, name for the cabinets of

Nigerian states Nigeria is a federation of 36 states, each of which is a semi-autonomous political unit that shares power with the federal government as enumerated under the Constitution of Nigeria, Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. In additi ...

. * :

Executive Council of New Zealand The Executive Council of New Zealand () is the full group of " responsible advisers" to the governor-general, who advise on state and constitutional affairs. All government ministers must be appointed as executive councillors before they ar ...

, the body which serves the functions of the Cabinet in New Zealand. * : National Executive Council of Papua New Guinea, an alternative name to the Cabinet of Papua New Guinea. * :

Executive Council of the Falkland Islands The Executive Council of the Falkland Islands is the policy making body of the Government of the Falkland Islands, exercising executive power by advising the Governor. It has an equivalent role to that of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom. ...

, the policy making body of the Government of the Falkland Islands.

Former executive councils

* :

Executive Council of Ceylon The Executive Council of Ceylon was the executive council created in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) by the British colonial administration on the recommendations of the Colebrooke-Cameron Commission along with the Legislative Council of Ceylon in March 1 ...

(1804–1947) - replaced by the

Cabinet of Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, the Cabinet of Ministers is the council of senior ministers responsible and answerable to the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The President is a member of the cabinet and its head. The Dissanayake cabinet is the incumbent central gov ...

following independence *

British North America British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...

** :

Executive Council of Lower Canada The Executive Council of Lower Canada was an appointive body created by the Constitutional Act 1791. Its function was to advise the Governor or his representative on the administration of the colony's public affairs. It was replaced by the Executiv ...

(1791–1841) ** : Executive Council of Upper Canada (1791–1841) **

Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

: Executive Council of the Province of Canada (1841–1867), replaced the executive councils for

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

and

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...

; and was later replaced by the Privy Council for Canada **

Colony of British Columbia The Colony of British Columbia refers to one of two colonies of British North America, located on the Pacific coast of modern-day Canada: * Colony of British Columbia (1858–1866) * Colony of British Columbia (1866–1871) See also * History of ...

: Executive Council of the Colony of British Columbia (1858–1871) ** Colony of Vancouver Island: Executive Council of Vancouver Island, absorbed by the Executive Council of the Colony of British Columbia in 1866. * : Executive Council of British Honduras (1840–1961) * : Executive Council, a form of government in Fiji. * : Executive Council of the Straits Settlements (1867–1946) *

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

: Executive Council of Singapore (1946–1959) *

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

: Executive Council of the Irish Free State (1922–1937)

Other executive councils

* : Executive Council of Hong Kong is a body that holds executive authority in

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

. Hong Kong was a colony/ British Dependent Territory of the United Kingdom from 1841 to 1997, when the territory was transferred to China. Although it is no longer a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the Executive Council still functions. In accordance with the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance, the members of the Executive Council should take the Oath of Fidelity after his/her appointment and promise not to reveal any matters being discussed in the council. The aim of this principle was to ensure that the members could speak freely without any fears and pressure, so as to facilitate the Chief Executive to receive prompt and objective advices in the policy making process. * : Executive Council of Macau has similar functions to the one in Hong Kong.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Executive Council (Commonwealth Countries) Governance of the British Empire * * Cabinets of country subdivisions