Chancellor

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Various governments have a Chancellor who serves as some form of junior or senior minister.

Chancellor or chancellour (archaic) (Latin: cancellarius), an official title used by most of the peoples whose civilization has arisen directly or indirectly out of the Roman empire. At different times and in different countries it has stood and stands for various duties, and has been, and is, borne by officers of various degrees of dignity. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice - ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the audience. A Chancellor's office is called a chancellery or chancery.

Contents 1 Austria 2 China 3 Denmark 4 Egypt 5 Finland 6 France 7 Germany 8 Latin America 9 Lithuania 10 Japan 11 Malaysia 12 Poland 13 Russia 14 Sweden 15 Switzerland 16 United Kingdom 17 United States 17.1 State Chancellors 17.2 New York City 18 See also

Austria

The Chancellor of Austria or Bundeskanzler, is the title for the head of government in Austria. In Austrian politics the Bundeskanzler position is somewhat equivalent to that of a Prime Minister.

China

The Chancellor of China was the second highest rank after the Emperor of China.

Denmark

The office as chancellor (Royal Chancellor) seems to have appeared in the 12th century and until 1660 it was the title of the leader of the state administration (a kind of a “Home Office” but often with foreign political duties). Often he appeared the real leader of the government. 1660-1848 it continued as “Grand Chancellor“ or “President of the Danish Chancellery” being 1848 replaced by the “Minister of Domestic Affairs”. The title as “German Chancellor” 1524-1660 anticipated the Minister of Foreign Affairs while the “Chancellor of the Realm” from the 1370s to 1660 was something between a Minister of Juridical Affairs and a President of the Supreme Court.

Egypt

There are two ancient Egyptian titles translated as chancellor. There is the "royal sealer" (xtmty-bity), a title attested since the First Dynasty (about 3000 BC). People holding the post include Imhotep or Hemaka [1]. The other title translated as chancellor is "Keeper of the Royal Seal" (or overseer of the seal or treasurer - imy-r xtmt). Officials holding the post include Bay or Irsu, Khety, Meketra [2], and Nakhti [3]. The first title (royal sealer) announced a certain rank at the royal court, the second (treasurer) was responsible for the state's income. This position appears around 2000 BC.

Finland

In Finland the Chancellor of Justice (Oikeuskansleri, Justitiekanslern) supervises the legality of actions taken by Government and monitors the implementation of basic civil liberties. In this special function the Chancellor also sits in the Finnish Cabinet, the Finnish Council of State.

France

For centuries, the King of France appointed a Chancellor or Chancelier de France, a Great Officer of the Crown, an office associated with that of keeper of the seals. The chancelier was responsible for some judicial proceedings. During the reigns of Louis XVIII, Charles X and Louis Philippe, the Chancellor of France presided over the Chamber of Peers, the upper house of the royal French parliament.

Germany

As in Austria, the Chancellor of Germany or Bundeskanzler (meaning "Federal Chancellor"), is the title for the head of government in Germany. Bundeskanzlerin is the feminine form. In German politics the Bundeskanzler position is somewhat equivalent to that of a Prime Minister, and is elected by the Bundestag, the German Parliament, every four years.

After the unification of Germany, in the year 1871, the Chancellor of the Reich or Reichskanzler (meaning "Imperial Chancellor"), served not only as head of government, but also as presiding officer of the Bundesrat, the upper house of the German imperial parliament. After the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918, the German chancellor no longer presided over the upper house of parliament, but was head of the republic's government.

Adolf Hitler was appointed to the chancellorship in 1933 by President Hindenburg. On the 23rd of March, 1933, after the Reichstag fire, the parliament passed the Enabling Act, which gave to Mr. Hitler legal right to pass legislation without the approval or consent of the parliament: he was made a legal dictator. The office of "Chancellor" was combined with that of the "President" and called the Führer und Reichskanzler (meaning "Leader and Imperial Chancellor") after President Hindenburg's death in the year 1934.

Since the defeat of Nazi Germany and the formation of the Federal Republic in 1949, the chancellorship has adhered to its role as dictated by the Basic Law. It differs from the chancellorship of Weimar Germany, primarily, in that the office is not appointed by the President, but through a majority Bundestag vote.

Latin America

In Latin America, the title of Chancellor (Spanish: Canciller) is usually given to the government ministers (or equivalent Cabinet-level positions) in charge of foreign policy or foreign-language affairs. In Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken, it is called "Chanceler". In Mexico, The Canciller (Chancellor) is the title given to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.

Lithuania

See Poland below.

Japan

The Daijō Daijin or Chancellor of the Realm was the head of the Daijō-kan, or Department of State in Heian Japan and briefly under the Meiji Constitution.

Malaysia

In Malaysia, the Chancellor position is given to dignitaries such as royalties or prominent politicians by universities to represent the universities in the political arena. Recently, the university UCSI [4] in Kuala Lumpur has given recognition to Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Abdul Rahman Arshad as its first chancellor.

Poland

In the Kingdom of Poland, from the 14th century, there was a royal chancellor. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (1569-1795), the four Chancellors were among the ten highest officials of the state. Poland and Lithuania each had a Grand Chancellor and a Deputy Chancellor, each entitled to a senatorial seat, responsible for the affairs of the whole Kingdom, each with his own chancery. See Offices in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Russia

In Russian Empire, the Chancellor was highest rank of civil service as defined by Table of Ranks, on the same grade as Field Marshal and General Admiral. Only the most distinguished government officials were promoted to this grade, such as Foreign ministers Alexander Gorchakov and Alexey Bestuzhev-Ryumin.

Sweden

In Sweden the Chancellor of Justice or Justitiekanslern acts as the Solicitor General for the Swedish Government. The office was introduced by Charles XII of Sweden in 1713. Historically there was also Lord High Chancellor or Rikskansler as the most senior member of the Privy Council of Sweden. There is in addition to this a University Chancellor or Universitetskansler, who leads the National Agency for Higher Education.

Switzerland

In Switzerland, the Federal Chancellor (Bundeskanzler, Chancelier fédéral, Cancelliere della Confederazione) is elected by the Swiss parliament. He or she heads the Federal Chancellery, the general staff of the seven-member executive Federal Council, the Swiss government. The Chancellor participates in the meetings of the seven Federal Councilors with a consultative vote and prepares the reports on policy and activities of the council to parliament. The chancellery is responsible for the publication of all federal laws.

United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, a number of cabinet ministers hold offices containing the word Chancellor.

• The Lord Chancellor (Lord High Chancellor, King's Chancellor) is the occupant of one of the oldest offices of state, dating back to the Kingdom of England, and older than Parliament itself. Theoretically, the Lord Chancellor is the "Chancellor of Great Britain"; there was formerly an office of "Chancellor of Ireland" which was abolished in 1922, when all but Northern Ireland left the United Kingdom. The Lord Chancellor, the second highest non-Royal subject in precedence (after the Archbishop of Canterbury), fulfills a threefold role:
  • The Lord Chancellor was the head of the English, but not Scottish, judiciary. Previously, the Lord Chancellor was the sole judge in the Court of Chancery. Since that court has been combined with others to form the High Court, the Lord Chancellor has served as the head of the Chancery division, but that role has been delegated to the Vice-Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor was also permitted to participate in judicial sittings of the House of Lords; he also chooses the committees that hear appeals in the Lords. The latter role was in practice fulfilled by the Senior Lord of Appeal in Ordinary. The current Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer of Thoroton, has indicated that he does not desire to take part in the House's judicial business in the interests of separation of powers. All judicial function have been move to the new Supreme Court under the Constitutional Reform Act of 2005.
  • Head of the Department for Constitutional Affairs (formerly the Lord Chancellor's Department), as the head of which he sits in the Cabinet.
  • He was also formerly the de facto speaker of the House of Lords. However, as of 2006, following reforms made by the Labour government these duties are now undertaken by the Lord Speaker. The Lord Chancellor no longer sits on the Woolsack.

• Chancellor of the Exchequer, the minister with overall responsibility for the Exchequer or Treasury. This, too, is an ancient title dating back to the Kingdom of England. It is roughly the equivalent of the Minister of Finance or Secretary of the Treasury in other governmental systems. In recent years, when the term "Chancellor" is used in British politics, it is taken as referring to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. As Second Lord of the Treasury, the Chancellor has an official residence at Number 11, Downing Street, next door to the First Lord of the Treasury, the Prime Minister, at 10 Downing Street, in London.

• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, another ancient office of state, the Chancellor being the Minister of the Crown responsible in theory for the running of the Duchy of Lancaster, a duchy in England belonging to the Crown but historically maintained separately from the rest of the kingdom, whose net revenues personally belong to the monarch. In reality, the post of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, effectively like a chairman of trustees, carries minimal work and responsibilities, so it is used in effect as a Minister without Portfolio position, often given to the chairman of the party in power to give him or her a seat in cabinet.

The current chancellor of UK is Gordon Brown.

United States

In the United States, the only "chancellor" established by the Federal government is the Chancellor of the Smithsonian Institution, a largely-ceremonial office held by the Chief Justice of the United States. As the Smithsonian is a research and museum system, its use of the title is perhaps best thought of as akin to a university's chancellor).

State Chancellors

Some U.S. states, like Delaware, still maintain a separate Court of Chancery with jurisdiction over equity cases. Judges who sit on those courts are called chancellors.

Among the states that once had the judicial office of chancellor, but have now abolished it, was New York State. In 1789, after George Washington had been elected the first President of the United States, he traveled to the temporary national capital, New York City, to be sworn in to office. By tradition, the presidential oath is administered by the Chief Justice of the United States except in cases of emergency. Of course, at the time Washington took office there was no chief justice or any other federal judges, as there was not yet a president to appoint them. Therefore, the oath of office was administered to Washington by the highest-ranking judge available, Robert Livingston, the chancellor of New York State.

New York City

The title of the head of the New York City Department of Education is Chancellor.

See also

• Logothete
• Supreme Chancellor

Head of government offices
Chancellor | Chief Minister | First Minister | Minister-President | Premier | President of the Executive Council | President of the Council of Ministers | President of the Government | Prime Minister | Taoiseach

ca:Canceller

da:Kansler de:Kanzler el:Καγκελάριος fr:Chancelier lt:Kancleris nl:Kanselier ja:宰相 pl:Kanclerz ru:Канцлер simple:Chancellor fi:Kansleri ur:چانسلر zh:德國總理

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