3.The Privy Council

The Privy Council originated in the medieval king’s council，which by 13th century had become the Privy Council.It virtually ruled the country in the past when a monarch was weak，but under Henry Ⅶ，it merely approved royal policies.With the Tudors it acquired great importance，wielding legislative，executive，and judicial powers in both civil and criminal cases.In the 17th century the Privy Council’s influence declined.Now its duties are formal.Its members are leading public figures，and eminent people of those Commonwealth countries，who are appointed by the British sovereign.So all the British cabinet members both past and present，the Archbishop of Canterbury，Speaker of the House of Commons，Lords of Appeal，the Lord Chief Justice，retired High Court judges，and high-ranking ambassadors are members of the Council.The Privy Council now exercises certain residual advisory and appellate powers.For instance，it advises the sovereign to approve certain government decrees（so-called Orders in Council）and to issue royal proclamations.There is a distinction between an Order in Council，made when the sovereign is present，and an order of the Council，made with the sovereign’s absence.Indeed the Queen is barred from certain Privy Council committees：prerogative committees concerned with such things as legislation in the Channel Islands⁵，and such statutory committees as those concerned with universities of Oxford and Cambridge and Scottish universities.The most important committee is the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council，which hears appeals from the highest courts of colonies and other dependent territories and of the few independent countries of the Commonwealth.

The Council now consists of about 390Councillors with the Lord President as their head.A quorum is three，however，and most business is discharged by four or six members，usually cabinet ministers，who meet in the Queen’s presence and by tradition stand throughout the session.Privy Council meeting are usually held at Buckingham Palace，but can take place wherever the Queen may be.Privy Councillors carry the prefix“Right Honourable”before their names，usually abbreviated to“Rt.Hon.”