Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
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An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and (notionally) advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders-in-Council.
Executive Councillors are informally called "ministers". Some Executive Councils, especially in Canada and Australia, are chaired by a President or a Vice-President. In other Commonwealth countries there is no formal president of the Executive Council, although meetings are held in the presence of the Governor-general or Governor (except in rare cases) and decisions require the Governor-general's assent.
These Councils have almost the same functions as the Privy Council in the United Kingdom and Canada, and accordingly, decisions of the Cabinet gain legal effect by being formally adopted by the Executive Council.
Current executive councils
- File:Flag of Australia.svg:
Federal Executive Council, the
formal body holding executive authority under the Australian
constitution.
- File:Flag of New South Wales.svg: Executive Council of New South Wales, the body which exercises the supreme executive authority in New South Wales.
- File:Flag of Canada.svg: Executive Council (Canada), a constitutional organ headed by the lieutenant governor in the provinces and commissioners in the territories.
- File:Flag of Fiji.svg: Executive Council, a form of government in Fiji.
- File:Flag of the Isle of Man.svg: Executive Council of the Isle of Man, the fore-runner to the Council of Ministers of the Isle of Man
- File:Flag of New Zealand.svg: Executive Council of New Zealand, the body which serves the functions of the Cabinet in New Zealand.
Former executive councils
- File:British Ceylon flag.png: Executive Council of Ceylon (1804 – 1972)
- File:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg: British North America
- File:Flag of Ireland.svg: Executive Council of the Irish Free State (1922 – 1937)
Former Commonwealth executive councils
- File:Flag of Hong Kong 1959.svg: Executive Council of Hong Kong (1841 – 1997) The council continues to function from 1997 to present, however, Hong Kong withdrew from the Commonwealth in 1997.
