Antigua and Barbuda's constitution is made up of a variety of statutes and conventions, which gives Antigua and Barbuda a similar parliamentary system of government as the other Commonwealth realms. All powers of state are constitutionally reposed in the monarch, who is represented in the country by a governor-general — appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the
prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. As head of state, the sovereign is at the apex of the Order of Precedence of Antigua and Barbuda. The role of the monarch and the governor-general is both legal and practical; the Crown is regarded as a corporation, in which several parts share the authority of the whole, with the monarch as the person at the centre of the constitutional construct. The Antiguan and Barbudan government is also thus formally referred to as ''
His Majesty's Government in Antigua and Barbuda''. The vast powers that belong to the Crown are collectively known as the
Royal Prerogative, which includes many powers such as the ability to make treaties or send ambassadors, as well as certain duties such as to defend the realm and to maintain the
King's peace. Parliamentary approval is not required for the exercise of the Royal Prerogative; moreover, the Consent of the Crown must be obtained before either House may even debate a bill affecting the Sovereign's prerogatives or interests.
Executive ,
St. John's, the official residence of the governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda One of the main duties of the Crown is to appoint a
prime minister, who thereafter heads the
Cabinet and
advises the monarch or governor-general on how to execute their executive powers over all aspects of government operations and foreign affairs. The monarch's, and thereby the viceroy's role is almost entirely symbolic and cultural, acting as a symbol of the legal authority under which all governments and agencies operate, while the Cabinet directs the use of the Royal Prerogative, which includes the privilege to declare war, maintain the
King's peace, and direct the actions of the
Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force, as well as to
summon and prorogue parliament and
call elections. However, the Royal Prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of the ministers, though it might have sometimes appeared that way, and the constitution allows the governor-general to unilaterally use these powers in relation to the dismissal of a prime minister, dissolution of parliament, and removal of a judge in exceptional,
constitutional crisis situations. There are also a few duties which are specifically performed by the monarch, such as appointing the governor-general. The governor-general, to maintain the stability of government of Antigua and Barbuda, appoints as prime minister the individual most likely to maintain the support of the
House of Representatives. The governor-general additionally appoints a Cabinet, at the direction of the prime minister. The monarch is informed by his viceroy of the acceptance of the resignation of a prime minister and the swearing-in of a new prime minister and other members of the ministry, and he remains fully briefed through regular communications from his Antiguan and Barbudan ministers.
Parliament The Sovereign is one of the three components of the
Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda; the others are the
Senate and the
House of Representatives. The monarch does not, however, participate in the legislative process; the viceroy does, though only in the granting of
Royal Assent. Further, the constitution outlines that the governor-general alone is responsible for appointing senators. The viceroy must make eleven senatorial appointments on the advice of the prime minister, four on the advice of leader of the opposition, and one on their own discretion. The viceroy additionally summons,
prorogues, and
dissolves parliament; after the latter, the
writs for a general election are issued by the governor-general at Government House, St. John's. The new parliamentary session is marked by the State Opening of Parliament, during which the monarch or the governor-general reads the
Speech from the Throne. All laws in Antigua and Barbuda are enacted only with the viceroy's granting of
royal assent in the monarch's name, which cannot be refused if a bill has met all constitutional requirements for passage. In Antigua and Barbuda, criminal offences are legally deemed to be offences against the sovereign and proceedings for
indictable offences are brought in the sovereign's name in the form of
The King [or Queen] versus [Name]. Hence, the common law holds that the sovereign "can do no wrong"; the
monarch cannot be prosecuted in his or her own courts for criminal offences. The governor-general, on behalf of the monarch of Antigua and Barbuda, can also grant immunity from prosecution, exercise the
power of pardon, and pardon offences against the Crown, either before, during, or after a trial. The granting of a pardon and the commutation of prison sentences is described in section 84 of the Constitution. Any attempt to kill the monarch or the governor-general is considered "high treason", and the person guilty of the offence is sentenced to death. ==Cultural role==