At Her Majesty's Pleasure

At Her Majesty's Pleasure (possibly also at His Majesty's Pleasure ; German  at Her Majesty's discretion ) is an English legal term that is mainly used to describe the length of service of persons appointed by the British monarch. The length of time is not specified, in principle the monarch can revoke the appointment at any time.

The term, which is common throughout the Commonwealth , mostly applies to the tenure of governors , judges or special ministers ( Minister of the Crown ). If the appointment is not made by the British monarch but by the local governor, the term “at / during the pleasure of the Governor (-General)” is used. The Australian Ministers of the Crown are appointed “during the Pleasure of the Governor-General”. In the Commonwealth of Botswana , India and Singapore , the term During the President's pleasure is used instead.

The term is also used in English criminal law . A prison sentence for a serious criminal offense or a forced admission to a psychiatric institution can be pronounced for an indefinite period - "at Her Majesty's Pleasure". Then it must be checked regularly throughout the entire detention period whether the act has been served and the perpetrator can be released again. Such checks are not carried out by the ruling monarch, but by a deputy (e.g. the Home Secretary for England and Wales ). In the UK , since 2000, minor offenders who have committed life imprisonment have been sentenced to “at Her Majesty's Pleasure”. In Hong Kong , the term since the handover to China in 1997 to life imprisonment at executive discretion (at the discretion of the executive branch) is used.