Privy Council

The chief council of the sovereign, called, by pre-eminence, "The Council," composed of those whom the king appoints. 1 Bl. Comm. 229-232. By St. Charles II., in 1679, the number was limited to thirty, — fifteen the chief officers of the state ex virtute officii, the other fifteen at the king's pleasure; but the number is now indefinite. A committee of the privy council is a court of ultimate appeal in admiralty causes and causes of lunacy and idiocy (3 P. Wms. 108), and from all dominions of the crown except Great Britain and Ireland (1 Wooddeson, Lect. 157b; 2 Steph. Comm. 479; 3 Steph. Comm. 425, 432).

The chief council of the sovereign, called, by pre-eminence, “the Council,” composed of those whom the king appoints. 1 Bla. Com. 229. The number was anciently twelve; afterwards it was increased to an inconvenient number and was thereupon (1679) limited to thirty, of whom fifteen were the principal officers of state viriute officii, ten were lords and five were commoners. The number is now indefinite. With the exception of those of them who are cabinet ministers, the Privy councillors are not now ordinarily summoned to advise the king. The cabinet ministers are those members of the Council who actually conduct the business of the government. Privy councillors are made by the king’s nomination, without either patent or grant. They have the title of “Right Honourable” during the life of the monarch who created them; they are subject to removal at his discretion. Formal meetings of the Council for the discharge of official business are held about ten times a year, but only a small number of the members are summoned to these meetings. Orders in Council, and other matters resolved on by the cabinet, with the approval of the king, are brought forward and passed without discussion. A committee of the Privy Council is called the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and possesses extensive appellate jurisdiction. See that title; Courts of England; Curia Regis; Cabinet; Orders in Council.

In English law. The principal council of the sovereign, composed of the cabinet ministers, and other persons chosen by the king or queen as privy councillors. 2 Steph. Comm. 479, 480. The judicial committee of the privy council acts as a court of ultimate appeal in various cases.

Defined under Privy in Black's Law Dictionary.

In English law. A tribunal composed of members of the privy council, being judges or retired judges, which acts as the queen’s adviser in matters of law referred to it, and exercises a certain appellate jurisdiction, chiefly in eeclesiastical causes, though its power in this respect was curtailed by the judicature act of 1873.