The Honourable (Commonwealth English) or The Honorable (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: Hon., Hon'ble, or variations) 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, , 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.This is referenced in the Los Angeles Country Protocol Register: "Following the practice of the U.S. Department of State Office of Protocol, all heads of post are accorded the courtesy style of 'The Honorable' before their names." ceo.lacounty.gov Los Angeles has the highest density of consulates and consulates-general of any city in the world. Furthermore, for example, phoenix.gov or oakgov.com An authoritative source can be found at bmeia.gv.at where the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists all honorary consuls with the style of The Hon. 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. [Last Name], [First Name] or Honourable [Last Name] or Honourable [Position] (e.g. Honourable Speaker).
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.
Nigeria All members of the House of Representatives of Nigeria, the lower chamber of Nigeria's legislature or National Assembly are entitled to the honourific prefix The Honourable whereas members of the upper house (senate) enjoy the style distinguished senator to their names. Also in use is as a reference style for high ranking members of the Nigerian judiciary (The Honourable Justice or The Honourable Chief Justice) like judges of State High Courts, Federal High Courts, Courts of Appeal and Justices of the Supreme Court.
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 '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.
or , the literal translation of 'honourable', is used for Catholic clergy and religiouswith the exceptions of priests and abbesses, who are 'reverend'. A subdeacon is 'very honourable'; a deacon is '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.For a case of a former parliamentarian who was called, in an institutional hearing, "honorable" or "senator" (and even "president", a position he had held much earlier in his life), see Commissione stragi, X legislatura, Seduta n. 74 del 21 febbraio 1991, pp. 4-144 , in Archivio storico del Senato, ASSR, Terrorismo e stragi (X-XIII leg.), 1.74.
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. 'the honourable lord/lady' is used for the genteel bourgeoisie. The middle classes are instead addressed with 'sir/madam', which is the equivalent of Mr/Ms in English.
Also typical is the use of '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, is a formal and academic title, for both men and women, protected by Dutch law. It stands for 'master', and is strictly reserved for holders of a master's degree in law (LL.M.) who are qualified to practice law. Holders are addressed as 'the honourable strict lord/lady master', followed by their name.
Spain In the Spanish Autonomous Community of Catalonia, the style Honorable (Catalan: Honorable) is used for current and former members of the cabinet (consellers) of the Catalan Government (Generalitat de Catalunya). Former and current heads of government or president of the Generalitat are given the style of Molt Honorable ("Very 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 (including the holders of life peerages) and the younger sons of earls are styled with this prefix (the daughters and younger sons of dukes and marquesses and the daughters of earls have the higher style of Lord or Lady before their first names, and the eldest sons of dukes, marquesses and earls are known by one of their father's or mother's subsidiary titles). 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 (royal attendants) 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 (e.g. ambassadors) 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. Judges of the High Court and other superior courts in the Commonwealth (if the judge is a knight, the style Sir John Smith is used socially instead of The Honourable Mr Justice Smith); and Members of Commonwealth executive and legislative councils (or senates) where the legislature is bicameral.
Several corporate entities have been awarded the style by royal warrant, for example: The Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable East India Company The four Inns of Court (for example The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple) The Honourable Company of Master Mariners The Honourable Company of Air Pilots
Usage The style The Honourable is usually used in addressing envelopes (where it is usually abbreviated to The Hon.) 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. An example of the use after recommended abolition. An example of the use after recommended abolition. 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 (often abbreviated to Hon.) 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: Senators Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada (mostly members or former members of the federal Cabinet) Lieutenant governors Members of the executive councils (provincial ministers), and living former ministers as of a specified date, of four provinces: Nova Scotia (since 2009, initially only those who ended their ministerial service after 2009. In 2010 the privilege was extended to all living former ministers who ended their service earlier. In 2014 the privilege was further granted to six living former speakers.) Saskatchewan (since 2019) Alberta (since 2022) Ontario (since 2025)
People who have the honorific only while in office include: The speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, though it is customary for former speakers to be appointed to the privy council after their term Members of provincial and territorial executive councils (premiers, cabinet ministers and deputy premiers). Some executive councillors (see above) have the honorific for life. Speakers of provincial and territorial legislatures Government house leaders of provinces and territories Territorial commissioners Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada Justices of the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeals, Tax Court of Canada Justices of the Court Martial of Canada and Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada Justices of provincial superior courts (trial and appellate) Provincial inferior court judges
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 (who may already be eligible as a privy councillor), territorial commissioners, and judges of certain courts (e.g., the Supreme Court of Canada). The most recent former justice granted such privileges was Frank Iacobucci.