A commission is a formal document issued to appoint a named person to high office or as a commissioned officer in a territory's armed forces. A commission constitutes documentary authority that the person named is vested with the powers of that office and is empowered to execute official acts. A commission often takes the form of letters patent.
Commissions are typically issued in the name of or signed by the head of state. In Commonwealth realms, the documentation is referred to as a King's Commission or Queen's Commission (depending on the gender of the reigning monarch). However, in Commonwealth realms other than the United Kingdom, they may be signed by the governor-general, the representative of the monarch of that realm.
Terminology
Because the word "commission" can also refer generally to an individual's duty, the more specific terms commissioning parchment or commissioning scroll are often used to specify the commissioning document. However the document is not usually in the form of a scroll and is more often printed on paper instead of parchment. In Canada, there is a differentiation in terminology according to rank; officers are accorded commissioning scripts.
Military and naval examples
Canada
Here is an example from Canada:
Canadian Commissioning Scripts, as they are properly called by NDHQ, are signed by the Governor General of Canada and countersigned by the Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the King of Canada.
Here is an example of the Royal Canadian Navy's Commission from pre-1968:
Sweden
Officers in the Swedish Armed Forces have not received written commissions since 1982 when a new employment structure was instituted by law. They are nowadays hired on contracts, as in any other civil service position. Prior to 1982 all officers received written certificates of commission, each signed by the King of Sweden.
The wording used prior to 1982 in translation would be;
United Kingdom
The following is typical of the wording of a British commission, and comes from the Royal Naval Reserve:
The above would be signed by the King (although a facsimile signature may be used) and countersigned by two members of the Admiralty Board.
Royal Navy pre-1964
Before the Board of Admiralty were merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1964, with the title of Lord High Admiral reverting to the Crown, the naval officer's commission was signed not by the Sovereign but by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, executing the office of Lord High Admiral. The naval officer's commission was worded as follows:
Similarly the following is the wording of a Lieutenant's Commission from 1800:
It was signed by two Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty and a Secretary, i.e. a quorum of the Board of Admiralty.
United States
Article II, section 3, of the U.S. Constitution provides that the President "shall Commission all the Officers of the United States," including officers of the uniformed services as well as civilian officers. Commissions of officers in the armed services are issued in the name of the President, although authority to sign on the President's behalf is generally exercised by the secretary of the department in which the officer is being commissioned. This includes not only "commissioned officers" but also "commissioned warrant officers" (warrant officers in the pay grades of W-2 through W-5). Warrant officers at the grade of W-1 are appointed by warrant by the secretary of their respective service, except in the Coast Guard where they are appointed by secretarial commission.
The commission of a newly commissioned officer reads :
At higher grade levels (Major or Lieutenant Commander and above in the Regular components and Colonel or Captain and above in the Reserve components), appointments and promotions require Senate confirmation, and the wording of the commission reflects that fact: "... I have nominated and, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, do appoint..."
