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. Commissions are typically issued in the name of or signed by the head of state. In Commonwealth realms other than the United Kingdom, they may be signed by the Governor-General, the representative of the monarch of that realm, who is also Commander-in-Chief in and over 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.
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;
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 Queen and countersigned by two members of the Admiralty Board.
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 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, appointments 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..."
Examples of Commissions to Civil Offices
United States
The Constitutional requirement mentioned above, that the President commission all officers of the United States, includes a wide range of civilian officials, including justices of the Supreme Court and other federal judges, U.S. attorneys and marshals, the heads of executive departments, subcabinet officials down to the level of assistant secretary, diplomatic representatives, and members of the Foreign Service, among others. Commissions are issued in the name of the President, either under his own signature or that of an official expressly delegated to act on his behalf, and under either the great seal of the United States or, if prescribed by law, the seal of the department in which the appointment is made. A typical commission for a Presidentially-appointed, Senate-confirmed civilian official in the Executive Branch would read: For certain positions, other characteristics such as "prudence" or "wisdom, uprightness, and learning" may be used in addition to or instead of "integrity and ability." If a position is for a fixed term of years or "during good behavior," the appropriate wording replaces the clause beginning "during the pleasure of the President." Commissions of officers in the U.S. Foreign Service are also signed by the President. The commission of a newly commissioned officer reads: The commission is countersigned by the Secretary of State, and the singular Great Seal of the United States, entrusted to the Secretary under the 1789 statute creating the Department of State, is affixed.
US States
A person applying for a license to be a notary public receives a commission, generally indicating what political jurisdiction issued it, when it is valid and the signature of the issuing authorities.
