From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search


In practice, the title of commissioner has evolved to include a variety of senior officials, often sitting on a specific commission. In particular, commissioner frequently refers to senior police or government officials. A High Commissioner is equivalent to an ambassador, originally between the United Kingdom and the Dominions and now between all Commonwealth states, whether Commonwealth realms, republics, or countries having a monarch other than that of the realms. The title is also sometimes given to senior officials in the private sector; for instance, many North American sports leagues.

Domestic public official[edit]


Canadian territories[edit]

Commissioners are the formal head of the territories in Canada (those areas under the formal jurisdiction of the federal Crown-in-Council and without separate constitutional status of a province). Unlike the governor general or a lieutenant governor, commissioners are not viceregal representatives of the Canadian monarch; rather, they are delegates of the federal Crown-in-Council and, under federal statutes governing the territories,[1][2][3] act in accordance with written instructions from Cabinet or the minister responsible (currently the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development). While commissioners formerly had direct day-to-day role in administration and government and chaired the territory's executive council, today they are under instruction to act more like provincial lieutenant governors, as territorial assemblies have taken on more responsibility. Commissioners thus perform ceremonial duties similar to those of the monarch and viceroys, including reading the Speech from the Throne at the opening of the territorial legislature and presenting commendations to Canadian Forces members for long-term or outstanding service to the office.[4] Possible candidates for the position are selected by the Advisory Committee on Vice-Regal Appointments.[5] The official appointment is made by the Governor General-in-Council (the federal government).

Current Canadian commissioners[edit]

Symbol of Office Territory Current commissioner Commissioner since
Crest of the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories.svg Northwest Territories The Honourable George Tuccaro May 28, 2010
Crest of the Commissioner of Nunavut.svg Nunavut The Honourable Edna Elias May 21, 2010
Crest of the Commissioner of Yukon.svg Yukon The Honourable Doug Phillips December 1, 2010

Imperial China[edit]


Isle of Man[edit]

In the local government system of the Isle of Man, a Commissioner is an elected representative equivalent to a Councillor. All town, village, district and parish local government bodies consist of commissioners, with the exception of Douglas, which has a council and councillors.


Malawi's position of District Commissioner refers to the person that in appointed by the President of Malawi to oversea the administration of any of its 28 districts. One commissioner is appointed per district. The position was created during the colonial era, sustained during the Kamuzu Banda era and continues as a prominent position in democratic era in Malawi.


Prior to the Acts of Union 1707, an elected member of the Estates (parliament) of Scotland held the office of Commissioner, representing a constituency (the equivalent of a Member of Parliament in the contemporaneous Parliament of England). There were Burgh Commissioners and Shire or Stewartry Commissioners.

United States[edit]



In California, commissioners are subordinate judicial officers.

Historically, the U.S. government appointed special commissioners for a variety of tasks. For example, the head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1862 to 1889 was a commissioner, not a Cabinet secretary.[6]



In police services in the Commonwealth of Nations and United States, the title of commissioner typically designates the head of an entire police force. In some countries, such as in many Latin American countries and in France and in Italy, the title of commissioner refers to the head of a single police station.

Other emergency services[edit]


International public and colonial context[edit]

British and Commonwealth overseas possessions[edit]





European Union[edit]

The European Commissioners are the members of the European Commission, the highest executive organ of the European Union, which is the closest EU equivalent to a government. Each Commissioner is assigned a portfolio, but they make most important decisions collegially, often subject to approval by the European Parliament and/or the Council of the European Union.

French colonies[edit]


Russian Empire[edit]

After on 17 April 1914 Tannu Tuva (ethnically Mongolian) was declared a Russian 'protected' area (Uryanhay [Urjanhaj] kray), two subsequent Russian Commissioners for the Affairs of Urjanhai Kray (1914 - 1915 A.P. Cererin (Tsererin) and 1915 - 1917 Yu.V. Grigoryev) were appointed, alongside the last native tribal Paramount chief (title Ambyn-noyon), followed by a single Commissar of the Provisional Government (October 1917 - 16 March 1918 Aleksey Aleksandrovich Turchaninov) until czarist rule collapsed for good, giving way to the Soviet regime

United Nations administration[edit]

A UN Commissioner appointed in 1949 supervised the transition of the UN Trust territory of Libya (a former Italian colony; actually Tripolitania and Cyrenaica each were under a British Administrator, in 1949 restyled Resident, Fezzan under a French Military Governor, in 1950 also restyled Résident) to independence as a united monarchy in 1951.

United States[edit]


U.S. Department of Agriculture[edit]






U.S. Department of Commerce[edit]


Non-public entities[edit]

The Salvation Army[edit]

In The Salvation Army, the rank of Commissioner is the second-highest attainable rank and the highest rank by appointment,[14] as the rank of General is by election. It is one of the original ranks of the Army and has been in use since 1880, the first Commissioner was George Scott Railton.




In many North American sports leagues, including nearly all professional leagues, the commissioner is the highest executive position. The exact powers of the commissioner depend on the constitution and/or rules of the league. Commissioners are elected by the owners of the league's clubs, and handle matters such as discipline, arbitration of disputes between the clubs, etc.

The title was first used in 1920, when Kenesaw Mountain Landis was appointed Commissioner of Baseball in the aftermath of the Black Sox Scandal. Landis was titled "Commissioner" partly to distinguish his office from that of the "President" of the American and National Leagues. Landis' title derived from the National Commission, the ruling body for baseball established in 1903, which were largely autonomous organizations at the time. Eager to restore public confidence in their sport's integrity, baseball owners gave Landis absolute power and a lifetime contract,[dubious ] which permitted the former judge to assume more power over the sport than a commissioner in any sport has held since.[citation needed]

The other major professional sports leagues of North America followed suit, replacing their positions of league president with that of commissioner. The National Football League appointed its first commissioner in 1941, the National Basketball Association in 1967, and the National Hockey League in 1993. However, the commissioners' powers and responsibilities in these leagues are not substantially different from those of the presidents that preceded them. Although baseball's subsequent commissioners have not had the absolute power that Landis did, current Commissioner Bud Selig has succeeded in centralizing authority over Major League Baseball in the commissioner's office, relegating the position of league president to an honorary title and giving baseball's commissioner competencies similar to those of his colleagues in the other major sports.[citation needed]

Many minor professional and amateur leagues throughout the United States and Canada have also appointed commissioners. The title has not caught on outside North America. In addition to Selig, the other current commissioners of the North American major professional leagues are Roger Goodell in the NFL, Adam Silver in the NBA, Gary Bettman in the NHL, Don Garber in MLS, and Mark Cohon in CFL.

Compound titles[edit]


See also[edit]


  1. ^
  2. ^
  3. ^
  4. ^ Vice-Regal Commendation
  5. ^ Cheadle, Bruce (4 November 2012), Harper creates new panel to ensure 'non-partisan' vice regal appointments, The Canadian Press, retrieved 4 November 2012 
  7. ^ "Doing Business Abroad: The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service". Retrieved January 18, 2010. 
  10. ^ U.S. Department of Agriculture (issues of 1883-1885). Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture. Washington: USGPO. 
  12. ^ "Twain, Mark, 1835-1910. Innocents Abroad, Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library". 
  13. ^ U.S. Department of State. Biographic Register. Washington: USGPO. 
  14. ^ Info on TSA ranks and terminology

External links[edit]