Parliament

Overview of Parliamentarism: The Use of Right Honourable and The Honourable in Canadian Politics

The Right Honourable

The Right Honourable (abbreviated "The Rt Hon." or "The Right Hon.") is an honorific prefix which is traditionally applied to certain classes of people in the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth Realms, and elsewhere.

In Canada, members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada receive the honorific The Honourable, with only the occupants of the most senior public offices being made The Right Honourable, as they used to be appointed to the British Privy Council.

L'Honorable and le Très Honorable are used in French by the federal government, but the Office québécois de la langue française (the Quebec government body setting standards for the French language) considers them improper loan expressions and advises the use of Monsieur and Madame (Mr. and Ms.) instead.

Although appointments of Canadians to the British Privy Council have ceased, the following public servants are domestically awarded the style The Right Honourable for life:

1. the Governor General of Canada
2. the Prime Minister of Canada
3. the Chief Justice of Canada.

Governors General also use the style His/Her Excellency during their term of office.

The Honourable

The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable (abbreviated to "The Hon.") is a title of quality attached to the names of certain classes of persons.

In Canada, the following people are entitled to the style The Honourable (or l'honorable in French) for life:

1. Members of the Canadian Senate
2. Members of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
3. Provincial Lieutenant-Governors?

In addition, some people are entitled to the style while in office only:

1. The Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
2. Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada and other superior courts
3. Chief judges / judges of provincial / territorial courts
4. Territorial commissioners
5. Provincial premiers
6. Territorial leaders
7. Provincial and territorial cabinet ministers
8. Speakers of provincial legislatures while holding office.

It is usual for Speakers of the House of Commons to be made Privy Councillors, in which case they keep the style for life. Provincial premiers and territorial leaders are sometimes also made Privy Councillors.

Members of the Canadian House of Commons and of provincial legislatures refer to each other as "honourable members" (or l'honorable député) but are not entitled to have The Honourable as a prefix in front of their name.

The Governor General of Canada, the Prime Minister of Canada, the Chief Justice of Canada and certain other eminent persons are entitled to the style The Right Honourable (or le/la Très honorable in French).

Heritage Canada provides detailed information on styles of address for federal dignitaries.