Public Service Medal Regulations

Administered by Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

Legislation au C2010Q00075 In force Prerogative Instrument

Legislation content

 

Regulations Governing the Award of the Public Service Medal

as amended

made under

Letters Patent

This compilation was prepared on 23 November 2009
taking into account Amendments to the Public Service Medal Regulations – 2003

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General’s Department, Canberra

 

 

Short title [see Note 1]

1  These Regulations may be cited as the Public Service Medal Regulations.

Interpretation

2  In these Regulations:

authority includes:

 (a) a body corporate in which the Commonwealth, a State or a local government has a direct or indirect pecuniary interest; or

 (b) an unincorporated body established by or for the Commonwealth, a State or a local government.

local government means a local government body established under a law of a State.

Medal means the Public Service Medal.

service means remunerated service.

State includes the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory and the Territory of Norfolk Island.

Conditions for award of the Medal [see Note 2]

3 (1) The Medal shall be awarded to a person only for outstanding public service by the person:

 (a) with the Commonwealth, a State or a local government or with an authority of the Commonwealth, a State or a local government; or

 (b) in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the Commonwealth, a State or a local government.

 (2) The Medal shall not be awarded to a person in respect of:

 (a) service with the Commonwealth or with an authority of the Commonwealth; or

 (b) service in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the Commonwealth;

if that award would result in the number of awards made in respect of that type of service during a calendar year exceeding 30.

 (3) The Medal shall not be awarded to a person in respect of:

 (a) service with a State specified in the following table, or with an authority of that State;

 (b) service with a local government of that State or an authority of that local government; or

 (c) service in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of that State or that local government;

if that award would result in the number of awards made in respect of that type of service during a calendar year exceeding the number set out opposite the name of that State in the following table:

 

New South Wales

22

Victoria

17

Queensland

11

Western Australia

6

South Australia

6

Tasmania

3

Australian Capital Territory

3

Northern Territory

2.

 (4) The Medal shall not be awarded to a person in respect of:

 (a) service with the Territory of Norfolk Island or with an authority of that Territory; or

 (b) service in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of that Territory;

if that award would result in the number of awards made in respect of that type of service during a period of 3 calendar years exceeding one.

Making of awards

4 (1) An award of the Medal shall be made by the Governor‑General and notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.

 (2) The Medal shall not be awarded except upon the nomination of the responsible Minister.

 (3) For the purposes of subregulation (2), the responsible Minister is:

 (a) in the case of service with the Commonwealth, with an authority of the Commonwealth or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the Commonwealth — the Prime Minister or a Minister of State for the Commonwealth acting for and on behalf of the Prime Minister;

 (b) in the case of service with a State, a local government of the State, an authority of the State or of the local government or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the State or the local government ‑ the Premier of that State or a Minister of the Crown of that State acting for and on behalf of the Premier;

 (ba) in the case of service with the Australian Capital Territory or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the Territory — the Chief Minister of that Territory or a Minister of that Territory acting for and on behalf of the Chief Minister; or

 (c) in the case of service with the Northern Territory, a local government of the Territory, an authority of the Territory or of the local government or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the Territory or the local government — the Chief Minister of that Territory or a Minister of that Territory acting for and on behalf of the Chief Minister; or

 (d) in the case of service with the Territory of Norfolk Island, an authority of the Territory or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the Territory — the Minister of State for the Commonwealth responsible for the administration of that Territory on the advice furnished by the executive member of the Legislative Assembly of that Territory responsible for public service matters or an executive member acting for and on behalf of that member.

Design of the Medal

5  The design of the Medal shall be as prescribed.

Wearing of the Medal

6  The manner of wearing the Medal shall be as determined by the Governor‑General.

Designation of holder of the Medal

7  Persons to whom the Medal has been awarded are entitled to have the letters “PSM” placed after their names on all occasions when the use of such letters is customary.

Registrar of Awards

8 (1) There shall be a Registrar of Awards who shall be appointed by the Governor‑General and shall maintain a Register of the names of persons to whom the Medal has been awarded.

 (2) The Registrar shall keep such other records relating to the award of the Medal as the Governor‑General directs.

Cancellation and reinstatement

9 (1) The Governor-General may cancel the award of the Medal to a person and may reinstate an award so cancelled.

 (2) When an award of the Medal is cancelled, the name of the person to whom the award was made shall be erased from the Register and that person shall return the Medal to the Registrar.

 (3) Where an award that has been cancelled is reinstated, the Registrar shall restore the entry in the Register that had been erased.

Notes to the Regulations Governing the Award of the Public Service Medal

Note 1

The Regulations Governing the Award of the Public Service Medal (in force under Letters Patent) as shown in this compilation are amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Instruments

Title

Date of notification
in Gazette

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

Regulations Governing the Award of the Public Service Medal

28 Nov 1989
(see Gazette 1989, No. S369)

18 Oct 1989

 

Amendments to the Public Service Medal Regulations – 1995

3 Apr 1995
(see Gazette 1995, No. S124)

16 Mar 1995

—

Amendment to the Public Service Medal Regulations – 2003

8 Oct 2003
(see Gazette 2003, No. S376)

14 Aug 2003

[see Note 2]

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

R. 2.................

am. 1995

R. 3.................

am. 1995

R. 4.................

am. 1995

Note 2

The following amendments to the Public Service Medal were detailed in the Letters Patent and Regulations, gazetted on 8 October 2003 in Gazette No. S376.

These amendments have not been incorporated in this compilation.

 

ELIZABETH R

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth:

TO ALL to whom these Presents shall come,

GREETING:

WHEREAS it is desirable that the Public Service Medal should be awarded to persons who have rendered outstanding public service in relation to the bombings in Bali:

AND WHEREAS it is desirable that the number of Public Service Medals to be awarded is adequate to accord appropriate recognition to each of those persons:

KNOW YOU that We do, by these Presents, ordain that, in addition to the number of awards of the Public Service Medal that are permitted in accordance with subregulation 3 (2) of the Public Service Medal Regulations, an award of the Public Service Medal may be made in 2003 to not more than 2 other persons in respect of service that is described in paragraph 3 (2) (a) or (b) of those Regulations:

AND KNOW YOU that those awards are to be governed by requirements that are the same as are set out in the Public Service Medal Regulations.

IN WITNESS whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patent.

GIVEN under the Great Seal of Australia at Our Court at St James’s on 14 August 2003

By Her Majesty’s Command,

JOHN HOWARD

Prime Minister

 

Overview

The Public Service Medal Regulations 2003 were enacted under Letters Patent to provide a formal framework for the award of the Public Service Medal, recognising outstanding public service rendered by individuals in various government sectors across Australia. These Regulations were made by the Governor-General and were designed to ensure that awards of the Medal are made fairly and consistently, recognising the significant contributions of public servants. The regulations outline specific conditions for the award of the Medal, including eligibility criteria, limitations on the number of awards that can be made, and the process for making and gazette-notifying the awards. They also detail the design and wearing of the Medal, the designation of holders, and the role of the Registrar of Awards. This legislation aimed to fill a gap by establishing a clear and authoritative system for the recognition of outstanding public service, ensuring that awards are made in a manner that reflects the importance and value of such contributions to the community.

Scope and Application

The Public Service Medal Regulations, which are made under Letters Patent, provide the framework for the award of the Public Service Medal. These regulations apply to persons who have rendered outstanding public service either with the Commonwealth, a State or a local government, or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of these entities. The award is subject to specific conditions, including a limit on the number of awards that can be made in respect of service with the Commonwealth, each State, the Australian Capital Territory, the Northern Territory, and the Territory of Norfolk Island, to prevent the Medal from becoming commonplace. The regulations are applicable nationally, covering the Commonwealth, States, and territories. The award of the Medal requires nomination by the responsible Minister and is ultimately made by the Governor-General, who also has the authority to cancel or reinstate the award. The design and wearing of the Medal are prescribed by the Governor-General, and recipients are entitled to use the letters "PSM" after their names. The Registrar of Awards maintains a Register of recipients and other relevant records.

Key Provisions

The Public Service Medal Regulations, as amended, govern the award of the Public Service Medal. The Medal is awarded to individuals for outstanding public service with the Commonwealth, a State or local government, or an authority of these entities, or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of these entities (Regulation 3(1)). However, the Regulations impose limits on the number of awards that can be made in respect of certain types of service. For instance, not more than 30 awards can be made annually in respect of service with the Commonwealth or an authority of the Commonwealth, or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of the Commonwealth (Regulation 3(2)). Similarly, limits are set for awards related to service with each State or local government, or an authority of these entities, or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of these entities, with the specific limits varying by jurisdiction (Regulation 3(3)). Additionally, no more than one award can be made in respect of service with the Territory of Norfolk Island or an authority of that Territory, or in an office or position remunerated by or on behalf of that Territory, over any period of three calendar years (Regulation 3(4)). The award of the Medal must be made by the Governor-General and notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (Regulation 4(1)). The award is contingent upon nomination by the responsible Minister, who is specified based on the nature of the service for which the award is being considered (Regulation 4(2)). The design of the Medal and the manner of its wearing are prescribed, and recipients are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "PSM" (Regulations 5 and 6). The Regulations also establish the role of a Registrar of Awards, who maintains a Register of recipients and other records related to the award of the Medal (Regulation 8). The Governor-General has the authority to cancel an award and may later reinstate it, with corresponding actions to be taken regarding the Register and the return of the Medal (Regulation 9). The Regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved in the award process. The Governor-General must make the award and notify it in the Gazette, and the responsible Minister must nominate candidates for the Medal. The Registrar of Awards is tasked with maintaining a Register of recipients and any other records as directed by the Governor-General. Recipients must adhere to the prescribed design and manner of wearing the Medal and are entitled to use the post-nominal letters "PSM." The Regulations also permit the Governor-General to cancel an award and reinstate it, with specific procedures for handling these actions. The Regulations do not explicitly detail offences or penalties for breaches, but the authority to cancel an award suggests that misuse of the Medal or non-compliance with the Regulations could lead to the revocation of the award. The seriousness of such consequences would likely depend on the nature and extent of the breach. Given the prestigious nature of the Public Service Medal, any misuse or improper award could have significant implications, potentially including public censure or legal action, though specific penalties are not detailed in the Regulations.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Awards & Decorations Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Conditions for Award
Enforcement Powers
Catchwords
Registrar of Awards
Cancellation and reinstatement

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.