The Honourable


The Honourable or The Honorable is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain people, usually with official governmental or diplomatic positions.

Use by governments

International diplomacy

In international diplomatic relations, representatives of foreign states are often styled as The Honourable. Deputy chiefs of mission, chargés d'affaires, consuls-general, consuls and honorary consuls are always given the style. All heads of consular posts, whether they are honorary or career postholders, are accorded the style according to the State Department of the United States. However, the style Excellency instead of The Honourable is used for ambassadors and high commissioners only.

Africa

Democratic Republic of the Congo

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the prefix 'Honourable' or 'Hon.' is used for members of both chambers of the Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Informally, senators are sometimes given the higher style of 'Venerable'.

Ghana

The style of Honourable is accorded members of parliament in Ghana. It is also extended to certain grades of Royal Orders awarded by Ghana's sub-national Kingdoms.

Kenya

The style Honourable is used to address members of the Kenyan parliament. Traditionally, members of Parliament are not allowed to call each other by name in the chambers, but rather use the terms "Honourable colleague" or "Honourable Member for...". The written form is Hon. , or Honourable or Honourable .

Mauritius

Recipients of the rank of Grand Officer or above of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean and persons knighted by Queen Elizabeth II are automatically entitled to prefix The Hon, Hons or The Honourable to their name. Commanders and Officers may request permission from the President to use this prefix. Recipients of the order who are not Mauritian citizens may not use the prefix or post-nominals unless granted permission by the President. All 70 members of the National Assembly also use this prefix, including all Cabinet ministers.

South Africa

All members of the South African parliament and the nine provincial legislatures are entitled to this prefix.

Europe

Germany

A rough equivalent of the style Honourable would be Hochwohlgeboren 'high well-born', which was used until 1918 for all members of noble families not having any higher style. Its application to bourgeois dignitaries became common in the 19th century, though it has faded since and was always of doubtful correctness.
Ehrwürdig or Ehrwürden, the literal translation of 'honourable', is used for Catholic clergy and religiouswith the exceptions of priests and abbesses, who are Hochwürden 'reverend'. A subdeacon is Wohlehrwürden 'very honourable'; a deacon is Hochehrwürden 'right honourable'.

Ireland

In Ireland, all judges of the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court are referred to as The Honourable Mr/Ms Justice.

Italy

In Italy, the style The Honourable is customarily used to refer to a member of the Chamber of Deputies. Former members of parliament can maintain the style.

Malta

All members of the unicameral Parliament of Malta are entitled to this prefix.

The Netherlands

An extensive system of honorifics used to be in place in the Netherlands. In a more formal setting it still is. De weledele heer/vrouwe 'the honourable lord/lady' is used for the genteel bourgeoisie. The middle classes are instead addressed with De heer/mevrouw 'sir/madam', which is the equivalent of Mr/Ms in English.
Also typical is the use of De weledelgeboren heer/vrouwe 'the well-born lord/lady', for students at universities, traditionally children of the genteel bourgeoisie.
The system adds honorifics based on prestige for military officers based on rank, barristers, prosecutors, judges, members of parliament, government ministers, nobles, clergy, and for academic degrees of master's and above.
In the Dutch language, Mr is a formal and academic title, for both men and women, protected by Dutch law. It stands for Meester 'master', and is strictly reserved for holders of a master's degree in law who are qualified to practice law. Holders are addressed as De weledelgestrenge heer/vrouwe Mr 'the honourable strict lord/lady master', followed by their name.

Spain

In the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia, the style Honorable is used for current and former members of the cabinet of the Catalan Government. Former and current heads of government or president of the Generalitat are given the style of Molt Honorable. This also applies to current and former heads of government of the Autonomous Communities of Valencia and Balearic Islands.

United Kingdom

Entitlement
In the United Kingdom, all sons and daughters of viscounts and barons and the younger sons of earls are styled with this prefix. The style is only a courtesy, however, and on legal documents they may be described as, for instance, John Smith, Esq., commonly called The Honourable John Smith. As the wives of sons of peers share the styles of their husbands, the wives of the sons of viscounts and barons and the younger sons of earls are styled, for example, The Hon. Mrs John Smith. Likewise, the married daughters of viscounts and barons, whose husbands hold no higher title or dignity, are styled, for example, The Hon. Mrs Smith.
In 1912, King George V granted maids of honour the style of the honourable for life, with precedence next after daughters of barons.
The Honourable is also customarily used as a form of address for most foreign nobility that is not formally recognised by the sovereign when in the UK.
Some people are entitled to the prefix by virtue of their offices. Rules exist that allow certain individuals to keep the prefix The Honourable even after retirement.
Several corporate entities have been awarded the style by royal warrant, for example:
The style The Honourable is usually used in addressing envelopes and formally elsewhere, in which case Mr or Esquire are omitted. In speech, however, The Honourable John Smith is usually referred to simply as Mr John Smith.
In the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, as in other traditionally lower houses of Parliament and other legislatures, members must as a minimum refer to each other as the honourable member or my honourable friend out of courtesy, but they are not entitled to the style in writing. Members who are 'senior' barristers may be called the honourable and learnèd member, serving or ex-serving members of the military the honourable and gallant member, and ordained clergy in the House the honourable and reverend member, a practice that the Modernisation Committee recommended should be abolished, but the use of which has continued. When anyone is entitled to be styled Right Honourable this is used instead of honourable.
In the Falkland Islands, the style the honourable is given to any serving or former members of the Legislative Assembly or Legislative Council.
In the Isle of Man, the style the honourable is used to refer to a minister while holding office.

North America

Canada

In Canada, while not always enshrined in legislation, some people are commonly referred to as The Honourable. Those who have the honorific for life include:
People who have the honorific only while in office include:
Derivatives include:
  • The Honourable Mr/Madam Justice — justices of federal courts, provincial appellate and superior courts.
  • The Honourable Judge — judges of provincial courts and formerly judges of district or county courts.
In all cases, the governor general of Canada may grant permission to retain the style after they cease to hold office. Persons eligible to retain the style include the speaker of the House of Commons, territorial commissioners, and judges of certain courts. The most recent former justice granted such privileges was Frank Iacobucci.
It is usual for speakers of the House of Commons to be made privy councillors, in which case they keep the style for life. A leader of the Official Opposition who has not previously been a cabinet minister may be appointed to the Privy Council, particularly at times of military conflict or other national security crises, so that they may be given security clearance, granting them the style. In the past, certain provincial premiers were elevated to the Privy Council and gained the style, but such practice is rare.
Members of the House of Commons of Canada and of provincial legislatures refer to each other during proceedings of the house with the courtesy style "honourable member", but their name is not otherwise prefixed with the Honourable.
Current and former governors general, prime ministers, chief justices of Canada and certain other eminent persons use the style of Right Honourable for life. This was originally subject to being summoned to the British Privy Council. Several early prime ministers were not summoned to the British Privy Council, and hence were styled The Honourable: Alexander Mackenzie, Sir John Abbott and Sir Mackenzie Bowell.
Members of the Executive Council of Quebec have not used the style The Honourable since 1968 but retain the ability to do so, and are often accorded the honorific in media and by the federal government.