COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
Government House
Canberra ACT 2600
19 April 2018
Constitution of the Order of Australia (Number of Appointments in the General Division) Ordinance 2018
It is notified for general information that the Governor-General has approved the Constitution of the Order of Australia (Number of Appointments in the General Division) Ordinance 2018.
By Her Majesty’s Command
Mark Fraser LVO OAM
Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Constitution of the Order of Australia (Number of Appointments in the General Division) Ordinance 2018
I, General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Ret’d), Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia, make the following Ordinance.
Dated 19 April 2018
By His Excellency’s Command
Contents
1 Name
2 Commencement
3 Authority
4 Definitions
5 Number of appointments in the General Division
1 Name
This Ordinance is the Constitution of the Order of Australia (Number of Appointments in the General Division) Ordinance 2018.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this Ordinance specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
Commencement information |
Column 1 | Column 2 | Column 3 |
Provisions | Commencement | Date/Details |
1. The whole of this Ordinance | The day this Ordinance is made. | |
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this Ordinance as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Ordinance.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this Ordinance. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Ordinance.
3 Authority
This Ordinance is made under section 30A of the Constitution of the Order of Australia.
4 Definitions
In this Ordinance:
Constitution means the Constitution of the Order of Australia.
5 Number of appointments in the General Division
Companions
(1) For the purposes of section 14 of the Constitution, the number of persons is 35.
Officers
(2) For the purposes of section 16 of the Constitution, the number of persons is 140.
Members
(3) For the purposes of section 18 of the Constitution, the number of persons is 365.
Overview
The Constitution of the Order of Australia (Number of Appointments in the General Division) Ordinance 2018 was enacted to provide the numerical parameters for appointments within the General Division of the Order of Australia. This Act was approved by the Governor-General and commenced on the date of its making. The ordinance was created under the authority of section 30A of the Constitution of the Order of Australia and sets specific numbers for the appointments of Companions, Officers, and Members in the General Division, which are 35, 140, and 365, respectively. The intent of this legislation is to ensure that the Order of Australia can be administered within defined limits, maintaining the integrity and purpose of the honour system established by the Constitution.
Scope and Application
The Constitution of the Order of Australia (Number of Appointments in the General Division) Ordinance 2018 applies specifically to the determination of the number of appointments that can be made within the General Division of the Order of Australia. This encompasses the categories of Companions, Officers, and Members as defined under the Constitution of the Order of Australia. The Ordinance sets specific numerical limits for each category: 35 Companions, 140 Officers, and 365 Members. The Ordinance is effective from the date it is made and is applicable across the Commonwealth of Australia. There are no stated exclusions, exemptions, or jurisdictional thresholds in this particular Ordinance; however, the application of these provisions may be further detailed or modified through subordinate instruments or related legislation. This Ordinance is instrumental in governing the allocation of honours within the Australian honours system, ensuring that the appointments are made within the prescribed limits established by the Constitution of the Order of Australia.
Key Provisions
The Constitution of the Order of Australia (Number of Appointments in the General Division) Ordinance 2018 specifies the maximum number of appointments that can be made to the General Division of the Order of Australia. Section 1 names the Ordinance, and section 2 indicates that it commenced on the day it was made. Section 3 states that the Ordinance is made under section 30A of the Constitution of the Order of Australia. Section 4 provides definitions, and section 5 details the number of appointments in the General Division, with 35 for Companions (section 5(1)), 140 for Officers (section 5(2)), and 365 for Members (section 5(3)).
This Ordinance imposes specific limits on the number of individuals who can be appointed to each category within the General Division of the Order of Australia. These limits are clearly outlined in section 5 and are designed to ensure that the Order is awarded to a select and distinguished group of people, reflecting their significant contributions to Australian society.
Under this Ordinance, there are no explicit offences or penalties for breach. However, the fixed limits on appointments may have implications for the administration of the Order. For example, exceeding these limits could result in the appointments not being formally recognised, which could have administrative and symbolic consequences. The Ordinance itself does not outline specific penalties but refers to the Constitution of the Order of Australia for governance and enforcement.