1988 No. 1162
CLERK OF THE CROWN IN CHANCERY
The Crown Office (Preparation and Authentication of Documents Rules) Order 1988
Made 6th July 1988
Laid before Parliament 6th July 1988
Coming into force 1st September 1988

AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, WHITEHALL
The 6th day of July 1988
By a Committee of the Lords of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council
A Committee of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, comprising the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Privy Seal and the Right Honourable Douglas Hurd, one of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State, in exercise of the powers conferred upon them by section 5 of the Crown Office Act 1877, do hereby make the following Order:
1877 c. 41.

1 Citation, commencement and interpretation
1 This Order may be cited as the Crown Office (Preparation and Authentication of Documents Rules) Order 1988 and shall come into force on 1st September 1988.
2 References in this Order to documents are to documents to which the Crown Office Act 1877 applies and references to a Schedule are references to a Schedule to this Order.

2 Authentication by means of the Wafer Great Seal
Except where the Lord Chancellor, thinking it more convenient that a particular document should be passed under the Great Seal, has so directed, all the documents specified in Schedule 1 shall be authenticated by the impression of the Wafer Great Seal.

3 Printing or writing
The documents specified in Schedule 1 may be printed or written or partly printed and partly written.

4 Paper or parchment
Except where the Lord Chancellor, thinking it more convenient that a particular document should be prepared on the material employed for such documents at any earlier time, has so directed, all the documents specified in Part I of Schedule 1 shall be prepared on parchment, those specified in Part II may be prepared on paper or parchment, and those specified in Part III shall be prepared on paper.

5 Authentication
The name of the Clerk of the Crown shall be subscribed or printed at the end of all documents, by way of authentication of their having passed through the Crown Office.

6 Marginal decoration and illumination
Any document may, with the leave of the Lord Chancellor, be illuminated with the Royal Arms and any other decoration in one or more colours by hand, in such manner as the Lord Chancellor may approve.

7 Revocations
The Rules set out in the instruments specified in Schedule 2 are hereby revoked.
G. I. de Deney Clerk of the Privy Council

SCHEDULE 1 DOCUMENTS AUTHENTICATED BY THE IMPRESSION OF THE WAFER GREAT SEAL
Rules 2 to 4

PART I DOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED ON PARCHMENT
1 Commissions of the Peace
2 Ratification of Treaties

PART II DOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED ON PAPER OR PARCHMENT
3 Royal Proclamations
4 Royal Assent Commissions
5 Confirmation of Lambeth Degrees

PART III DOCUMENTS TO BE PREPARED ON PAPER
6 Parliamentary Writs, of Summons or Attendance
7 Writs for Parliamentary Elections
8 Writs of Convocation
9 Commissions other than the Defence Council Commission, the Commission for Custody of the Great Seal and the Commissions specified above
10 Letters Patent for the conferment of Knighthood
11 Letters Patent for
(a) Cong d'lire
(b) Restitution of Temporalities (including Writs to escheators)
12 Letters Patent for the appointment of
(a) Suffragan Bishops
(b) High Almoner
(c) Master of the Temple
13 Letters Patent for the appointment of
(a) Queen’s Counsel
(b) Heralds
14 Letters Patent for appointments to Office other than Judicial Office
15 Presentations to Crown Livings
16 Pensions and Annuities
17 Instruments of Accession by Her Majesty to International Treaties
18 Instruments or Notifications of Acceptance or Approval by Her Majesty of International Treaties
19 All Full Powers granted by Her Majesty

SCHEDULE 2 REVOCATIONS
Rule 7
Description or Title	Reference
Rules made by Order of the Committee of Council in pursuance of section 5 of the Crown Office Act 1877 on 22nd February 1878	S.R. & O. (Rev.III) p. 1017
Rules similarly made on 8th August 1878	S.R. & O. (Rev.III) p. 1020
Rules similarly made on 16th August 1878	not printed in S.R. & O. Rev.
Rules similarly made on 30th August 1916	S.R. & O. 1916 No. 673
Rules similarly made on 4th January 1917	S.R. & O. 1917 No. 22
Rules similarly made on 7th October 1919	S.R. & O. 1919 No. 1558
The Crown Office Rules (Preparation of Documents)Order, 1927	S.R. & O. 1927 No. 730
The Wafer Great Seal Rules Order, 1955	S.I. 1955 No. 503

(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order consolidates, with minor modifications, all the Rules made under section 5 of the Crown Office Act 1877 (as to the preparation and authentication of documents to which the Act applies) which are in current use. The lists of documents specified in the Rules revoked by this Order have been reduced in number by the removal of those documents which have become obsolete or spent or which are no longer required.