Privy Council

The UK Privy Council’s original and official function is to advise the Queen on carrying out her duties. Nowadays, many of its powers are ceremonial and its advisory functions are fictional; it is now mostly a vehicle through which government decisions are formally issued in the Monarch’s name. Also known as the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, or JCPC, it is one of the UK’s highest courts and its advisors are known as Privy Counsellors. Some of its main functions are extending the span of legislation to British Overseas Territories, granting Royal Charters, issuing proclamations (such as announcing Bank Holiday dates), making legislation from Crown Dependencies (e.g. the Channel Islands) officially valid, and acting (as the JCPC) as the final appeal court for the UK’s Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories. The Privy Council’s decisions are expressed as legally-enforced “Orders”. There are two kinds of Orders: those that are approved personally by the Queen (Orders of Council), and those that are approved by the Lords of the Privy Council or government ministers without requiring the Queen’s approval (Orders in Council).