Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Crown Office (Preparation and Authentication of Documents Rules) Order 1988 and shall come into force on 1st September 1988.

(2) References in this Order to documents are to documents to which the Crown Office Act 1877 applies and references to a Schedule are references to a Schedule to this Order.

Authentication by means of the Wafer Great Seal

2.  Except where the Lord Chancellor, thinking it more convenient that a particular document should be passed under the Great Seal, has so directed, all the documents specified in Schedule 1 shall be authenticated by the impression of the Wafer Great Seal.

Printing or writing

3.  The documents specified in Schedule 1 may be printed or written or partly printed and partly written.

Paper or parchment

4.  Except where the Lord Chancellor, thinking it more convenient that a particular document should be prepared on the material employed for such documents at any earlier time, has so directed, all the documents specified in Part I of Schedule 1 shall be prepared on parchment, those specified in Part II may be prepared on paper or parchment, and those specified in Part III shall be prepared on paper.

Authentication

5.  The name of the Clerk of the Crown shall be subscribed or printed at the end of all documents, by way of authentication of their having passed through the Crown Office.

Marginal decoration and illumination

6.  Any document may, with the leave of the Lord Chancellor, be illuminated with the Royal Arms and any other decoration in one or more colours by hand, in such manner as the Lord Chancellor may approve.

Revocations

7.  The Rules set out in the instruments specified in Schedule 2 are hereby revoked.

Rules 2 to 4

SCHEDULE 1DOCUMENTS AUTHENTICATED BY THE IMPRESSION OF THE WAFER GREAT SEAL

PART IDOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED ON PARCHMENT

1.  Commissions of the Peace

2.  Ratification of Treaties

PART IIDOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED ON PAPER OR PARCHMENT

3.  Royal Proclamations

4.  Royal Assent Commissions

5.  Confirmation of Lambeth Degrees

PART IIIDOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED ON PAPER

6.  Parliamentary Writs, of Summons or Attendance

7.  Writs for Parliamentary Elections

8.  Writs of Convocation

9.  Commissions other than the Defence Council Commission, the Commission for Custody of the Great Seal and the Commissions specified above

10.  Letters Patent for the conferment of Knighthood

11.  Letters Patent for

(a)Cong d'lire

(b)Restitution of Temporalities (including Writs to escheators)

12.  Letters Patent for the appointment of

(a)Suffragan Bishops

(b)High Almoner

(c)Master of the Temple

13.  Letters Patent for the appointment of

(a)Queen’s Counsel

(b)Heralds

14.  Letters Patent for appointments to Office other than Judicial Office

15.  Presentations to Crown Livings

16.  Pensions and Annuities

17.  Instruments of Accession by Her Majesty to International Treaties

18.  Instruments or Notifications of Acceptance or Approval by Her Majesty of International Treaties

19.  All Full Powers granted by Her Majesty

Rule 7

SCHEDULE 2REVOCATIONS

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order consolidates, with minor modifications, all the Rules made under section 5 of the Crown Office Act 1877 (as to the preparation and authentication of documents to which the Act applies) which are in current use. The lists of documents specified in the Rules revoked by this Order have been reduced in number by the removal of those documents which have become obsolete or spent or which are no longer required.