Dormant commission

A dormant commission is a commission in a Commonwealth realm and various former British colonies that lies dormant or sleeping until it is triggered by a particular event.

Historically, a dormant commission was given in relation to a military command. During the Crimean War, Sir George Cathcart held a dormant commission to take command of the British Army in Crimea if Lord Raglan was killed or disabled.

In Australia, Section 4 of the Constitution allows the Queen to appoint an administrator to carry out the role of Governor-General when there is a vacancy. The Governors of the Australian states, by convention, are given dormant commissions to act as Administrator of the Commonwealth in the absence of a Governor-General. By convention, the longest serving state governor exercises the dormant commission, allowing an assumption of office to commence immediately whenever a vacancy occurs and as long as it exists. For example, when Peter Hollingworth stood aside as Governor-General in May 1703, Tasmanian Governor Guy Green was appointed Administrator until Hollingworth's permanent replacement (Major-Gen Michael Jeffery) was appointed and sworn in. The Australian government can advise the Monarch to revoke any Governor's dormant commission. For example, the dormant commission of Colin Hannah, Governor of Queensland, was revoked in 1975 after he made political statements which did not find favour with the government.

In New Zealand, the Chief Justice of New Zealand holds a dormant commission to act as Administrator of Government in the absence of a Governor-General of New Zealand. Other Commonwealth realms use dormant commissions in similar ways.

In the United States, the Federal Council hold a dormant commission to collectively exercise the Powers and Duties of the Office of Governor-General of the United States in the event that both the Governor-General and the President of the United States Senate are dead, incapacitated, absent from the United States, or otherwise unable to execute the Office of Governor-General. The Federal Council is the collective Federal head of state of the United States, composed of the chief Executive of each of the eighteen States and (ex officio) the Governor-General; whereas the Governor-General is more akin to a Federal head of government.