Keeper of the Seals
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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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 office.
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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.
France
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.
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.
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, and an office formerly having substantial legislative, executive, and judicial influence but stripped of its non-executive functions (besides sitting in Parliament when held by an MP or a Peer entitled to a seat in the Lords) by the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. Prior to this act, the Lord Chancellor was not only responsible for the administration of the courts but also served as presiding officer of the House of Lords and was a judge or had judge-like positions on several bodies. The office currently happens to be held by Jack Straw, currently Secretary of State for Justice, and was previously held by the first Justice Secretary, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, who was already Lord Chancellor at the time of his appointment as Justice Secretary.
- Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland: An official entrusted with the Great Seal of Scotland, generally given to holders of Scotland-specific offices. Currently held ex officio by the 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. Before the Scotland Act 1998 created the office of First Minister, the position of Keeper of the Great Seal of Scotland was generally given to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
- Keeper of the Welsh Seal: An office created by the Government of Wales Act 2006 to grant the First Minister of Wales an official position for purposes of the Order of Precedence as well as other ceremonial matters. No Welsh Seal had previously existed.
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.
The seals of individual U.S. states are typically the responsibility of the State Secretary of State.