Privy Council of Barrayar

The His Majesty's Privy Council is the supreme state advisory body to the Emperor of Barrayar, composed of people whom the Emperor could trust. The original Privy Council was established by Emperor Dorcas after the end of the First Cetagandan War, and was violently disestablished by Emperor Yuri shortly after his accession to the Imperial rule in the Defenestration of the Privy Council. In 2992, Emperor Gregor re-established a similar body, but without the extensive powers it had under the two previous Emperors: nowadays, the Privy Council is both a chamber filled by reliable and expert civilian officials tasked with some administrative duties and an advisory body to the Emperor. The main official duty of the Council is the preliminary investigation for promulgation and abrogation of laws according guidelines issued by the Emperor himself; in practice, the Privy Council is an influential body over all matters of State.
There are four Boards of the Council; in addition to the Boards there are several Committees, less formal than the Boards. There are also plenary sessions of the whole Council, presided over by the Lord President of the Privy Council, if the Emperor chooses to do not preside.
Membership is generally for life, although the death of an Emperor brings an immediate dissolution of the Council. By mere tradition, however, the new Emperor reappoints all members of the Council after its dissolution. The Emperor can at any time remove an individual from the Council: individuals may choose to resign to avoid expulsion.
The Privy Council Office provides secretariat and administrative support to the Lord President of the Council in his capacity of president of the Privy Council. The head of the office is the Clerk of the Privy Council.

Membership

The number of members can vary at the Emperor's decision: however, by custom, half of its members are appointed by the Emperor from persons distinguished at civil and military service. ;embers have no right to attend all meetings of the Privy Council, and only some are summoned to each meeting.
The Privy Council consists of a Lord President, a Lord Deputy President, Councilors and a Lord Secretary. All privy councilors including the president and the vice president are appointed by the Emperor for life, although they can either be removed or resign (formally they request to be removed). In addition to the appointeed privy councilors, the prime minister is ex officio member of the council. The Imperial Princes (both the Crown Prince and the other Emperor's sons) over the age of majority are requested to attend meetings of the Privy Council and could participate in its proceedings. The Lord President has extraordinary power, as he is he who calls and controls the meetings of the Council. The Council always meets in secret, with the Emperor often in attendance.
The Council is composed mostly of persons distinguished at civil and military service, politicians (be they from the Imperial government, political parties, or Komarran and Sergyaran governments), both current and retired (since membership is for life). Among those politicians sworn of the council are Ministers, the most senior figures of the registered parties, the Viceroys and a couple of the most senior figures in the Komarran and Sergyaran. Besides these, the Council includes a some members of the Imperial Family (usually the consort and heir apparent only), a few dozen judges and a few Counts.

Term of office

Membership is conferred for life. The death of an Emperor brings an immediate dissolution of the Council, as all Crown appointments automatically lapsed; by 2991 Privy Council Order, it is stated that the Council would not be dissolved until up to six months after the death of the Emperor. Emperor Serg, however, confirmed and reappointed all the former members.
The Emperor however may remove an individual from the Privy Council at his pleasure. Individuals can choose to resign, sometimes to avoid Rights and privileges of members

Rights and privileges

The Privy Council as a whole is termed "The Right Honourable" whilst its members individually, the Privy Counsellors, are entitled to be styled "The Honourable". Counts who are not members of the Privy Council are nowadays customarily prefixed with "The" before their title, omitting "The Honourable". All Counts sworn of the Privy Council are accorded the style "The Right Honourable".
Privy Counsellors are accorded a formal rank of precedence, if not already having a higher one. Each Privy Counsellor has the right of personal access to the Emperor.

Functions

The Privy Council performs two types of functions, both generated by the nature of the public administrations as Emperor's personal retinue: one one hand, the Council as a whole examines projects of law and of administration proposed by ministers, who are ex-officio members, and other officials and issues a non-binding advice to the Emperor in these matters; on the other hand, it performs activities related to the resolution of controversies related to the public administration.
With regard to law-making, Counsellors have authority to make non binding proposals of changes to the law or to administration, but they cannot examine anything that is not submitted to them for examination by the Emperor. In this case The Council only makes recommendations to the monarch, who may support the majority, minority or disregard the Council's recommendations completely as he sees fit.
With regard to the legal adviser role, the Privy Council acts both as legal adviser of the Emperor (and therefore for the executive branch) and as the supreme body for legal controvesies related to the public administration. In this sector, the Privy Council formally advises the Emperor, who in practice always follows its suggestions. The Council's decisions are final and unappealable.

Structure

The Privy Council is primarily structured as a collection of subordinate bodies, whose members can also meet in plenary sessions. The main components of the Privy Council are the Boards, the Committees and the Council of Ministers, which is, from a formal point of view, part of the Privy Council itself.
There are four Boards of the Council: Legislative Board; Civil Administration Board; State Economy Board; Industry Board, Science and Commerce Board. Each board has its own presiding officer (Secretary) and meets separately to discuss matters assigned, as well as various subsections. The Boards are intended for reviewing legislation drafts or to solve particular cases.
In addition to the Boards there are several Committees, less formal than the Boards, in charge for elaborting policy suggestions and to provide advice to the Sovreign. Currently there are seven Committees:

• Honours Committee;
• Committee for the Affairs of the Crown Domains;
• Judicial Committee of the Privy Council: it consists of senior judges who are Privy Counsellors. The decision of the Committee is presented as "advice" to the Monarch, who may approve the recommendation of the Judicial Committee;
• Universities Committee;
• Committee on Military Affairs;
• Strategic Political Committee;
• Crimson Chamber: the Crimson Chamber is established to ensure the fair enforcement of laws against socially and politically prominent people so powerful that ordinary courts would likely hesitate to convict them of their crimes; it is also tasked with dealing with legal controversies related to the public administration. It deals cases with strict, arbitrary rulings and secretive proceedings.

Meetings

Departmental meetings of the Privy Council are normally held twice each month, while plenary sessions are held once a trimester and subcommittee meetings are held on need. The quorum is three. The Emperor attends the meeting, although this is not mandatory.
Full meetings of the Privy Council are mandatory to be held when the reigning Sovereign announces his own engagement; or when there is a Demise of the Crown, either by the death or abdication of the monarch and in case of a Regency. In the case of a demise of the crown, the Privy Council makes a proclamation declaring the accession of the new Sovereign. It is also customary for the new Sovereign to make an allocution to the Privy Council on that occasion.