Commission (document)

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.^[1] 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.