Commonwealth countries in the context of "International organisation"

In jurisprudence, a natural person (also physical person in some Commonwealth countries, or natural entity) is a person (in legal meaning, i.e., one who has its own legal personality) that is an individual human being, distinguished from the broader category of a legal person, which may be a private (i.e., business entity or non-governmental organization) or public (i.e., government) organization. Historically, a human being was not necessarily considered a natural person in some jurisdictions where slavery existed (subject of a property right) rather than a person.

The phrase His Majesty's Government (or Her Majesty's Government during the reign of a female monarch) is a formal term referring to the government of a Commonwealth realm or one of its constituent provinces, states or territories. In use since at least the height of the British Empire, the phrase has been inherited and integrated into the countries that emerged from that polity and which remain Commonwealth realms.

Where Commonwealth countries have transitioned away from monarchical government (e.g. Malta) the term is entirely redundant, excepting historical usage.

A writ of election is a writ issued ordering the holding of an election. In Commonwealth countries writs are the usual mechanism by which By-elections are called and are issued by the head of state or their representative. In the United States, writs are more commonly used to call special elections for political offices.

In some countries, especially in Canada, the process of issuing writs of election is referred to as "dropping the writ", likely derived from the phrase "drawing up the writ".

The Court of St James's serves as the official royal court for the Sovereign of the United Kingdom. The court formally receives all ambassadors accredited to the United Kingdom. Likewise, ambassadors representing the United Kingdom are formally accredited from this court.

The marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, known as Master of the Ceremonies before 1920, serves as the liaison between the British monarch and foreign diplomatic missions. The marshal is stationed permanently at St James's Palace. As of 1886, there were merely six ambassadors in London, while 37 other countries were represented by ministers. (The custom, developed in the 18th century, was that only monarchies sent ambassadors, while others sent ministers; this distinction was abrogated toward the end of the 19th century.) By 2015, the number of foreign missions accredited to the Court of St James's had risen to 175, including 47 high commissions from Commonwealth countries and 128 embassies from non-Commonwealth countries.

The General Certificate of Education (GCE) is a subject-specific family of academic qualifications used in awarding bodies in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Crown dependencies and a few Commonwealth countries. For some time, the Scottish education system has been different from those in the other countries of the United Kingdom.

The GCE is currently composed of three main levels; they are, in increasing order of difficulty:

First Lady or First Gentleman is a title used in some countries, especially presidential republics, most often for the spouse of the head of state. Occasionally another relative may be designated in the role, especially for unmarried or widowed officeholders. The term may also be used for the spouses of mayors, governors, et cetera.

In the English-Speaking world, the term is primarily associated with the United States, however the title has also occasionally been used to refer to the spouse of a head of government in some commonwealth countries. The traditional duties and social function of the role of First Lady in many ways echo the role of a queen consort in countries with a monarchy.

Secondment is the temporary assignment of a member of one organization to another organization. In some jurisdictions, (e.g., India) such temporary transfer of employees is called "on deputation". The term is particular to Great Britain and Commonwealth countries.