Keeper of the seals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The title Keeper of the Seals or equivalent is used in several contexts, denoting the person entitled to keep and authorize use of the Great Seal of a given country. The title may or may not be linked to a particular Cabinet- or Ministerial-level office.
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[edit] Canada
The official Keeper of the Great Seal of Canada is the Governor General. However, it is actually kept with the Registrar General of Canada, a title which since 1995 has been linked to the office of Minister of Industry.
[edit] France
Under the Fifth Republic, the French "Keeper of the Seals" (Garde des Sceaux) is a title held by the Minister of Justice. Formerly, as Keeper of the Seals of France, this title belonged to the Chancellor, the ancien régime counterpart of the minister of justice. The title is nowadays often used interchangeably with "Minister of Justice of France."
The Minister of Justice guards the Great Seal of France, dating from 1848, in his or her office, as well as the stamping press. The Seal was used in 1958 to seal the Constitution of France and has since been used to seal certain constitutional amendments.
[edit] Italy
In Italy, the Minister of Justice assumes the duties of Guardasigilli (Keeper of the Seals).
As Guardasigilli, the Minister of Justice countersigns all laws and decrees signed by the president and the decrees issued by other ministries. The Minister of Justice is also the editor of the "Gazzetta Ufficiale" the official bulletin of the Italian republic
[edit] United Kingdom
Several British officials have titles connected to the keeping of seals.
- Lord Privy Seal: Keeper of the Privy Seal of England and one of the five Great Officers of State. A sinecure office used to bring a person into the British Cabinet as a Minister without Portfolio.
- Keeper of the Privy Seal of Scotland: An honor traditionally given to a Scottish Peer, vacant since 1922.
- Lord High Chancellor: Keeper of the Great Seal of the Realm, an office having substantial legislative, executive, and judicial influence but stripped by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Happens to be held by Jack Straw, currently Secretary of State for Justice.
- Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland: Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland. Currently linked to the office of First Minister of Scotland; the position of the First Minister takes its position in the order of precedence by virtue of his or her position as Keeper of the Great Seal.
[edit] United States
The United States Secretary of State is the official keeper of the Great Seal of the United States and its use is by his or her authorization only. Unlike the Great Seals listed above, the Great Seal is the primary graphical emblem of the United States and is used equivalently to a coat of arms.
[edit] External links
- http://www.justice.gouv.fr/presse/sceauappo.htm (in French)
- http://www.elysee.fr/instit/symb4.htm (in French)
- http://www.giustizia.it/glossario/voce_glo/ns/guardasigilli.htm (in Italian)
