Royal Charter

A UK royal charter is a legal document that gives organisations a special level of independence and recognition. It is granted by the Privy Council acting on the authority of the sitting monarch. Royal charters have been in existence since the 13th Century, and have been granted to a broad range of institutions, including universities, banks, and charities.

Charters are reserved for organisations that work in the public interest and are able to demonstrate pre-eminence, stability and permanence in their particular field. With the increase in our global engagement, Council has decided the time is right for us to seek formal recognition of our professional membership and mark our status as a unique major player in global railway control. This is essential for our growth globally and places us in a significantly stronger position with government and other stakeholders across the world.

According to the guidance notes issued by the Privy Council:

• The institution concerned should comprise members of a unique profession, and should have as members most of the eligible field for membership, without significant overlap with other organisations.
• A proportion of the corporate members of the institution should be qualified to at least first degree level in a relevant discipline.
• The institution should be financially sound and able to demonstrate a track record of achievement over a number of years.

Yes the list can be found here https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-05-17-Record-of-Charters-Granted.pdf

No. A royal charter is granted by the current monarch but the association is distant. There is no obligation to have a royal patron, for example, and the addition of Royal in the title would not apply to IRSE. The IRSE respects the right of each member to hold their own opinion on all such matters and respects the government and heads of state globally.

Incorporation by royal charter directly impacts on the organisation’s relationship with the UK Government and the Companies Act 2006. Because we have been incorporated in the UK since 1912, we are obligated to meet those standards, which are mirrored in many countries around the world as best practice.

The charter will not impact on the licensing scheme. The licensing scheme operates under the IRSE Enterprises Limited Liability company, which would not change.

Previously, organisations have taken about a year to complete all the documents. It is then down to the privy council’s own workload to progress the application. If members give approval for us to petition, we will be able to start the process immediately. We already have a list of organisations who support our petition, so that will help us complete the process more quickly.

The project will be led by the Chief Executive with support from the a subgroup of Council including the President and Vice Presidents. All documentation will need to be approved by the Council before the Membership are asked to endorse it.

All voting members (AMIRSE, MIRSE and FIRSE) with an active IRSE membership will have the opportunity to vote for or against petitioning for a royal charter at the 2024 AGM, or online if you are not able to attend in person.

No. We need to demonstrate that the Institution and its membership are worthy of this form of recognition. Council believes that we have a good chance of success, but it is not a guaranteed outcome.

Petitions do not fail, but they can be referred. We may then seek to apply to again in future.

We would be under no obligation to change our name. Some organisations, such as the Institution of Railway Operators and the Institution of Highways and Transport, added chartered to the front of their name. But many other professional engineering institutions, including the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, have not. Members would have the chance to vote on any proposed changes.

Achieving chartered status symbolises honour, tradition and the enduring legacy of an institution. It confers independent legal personality on an organisation, signifying excellence, expertise and professionalism, and will further recognise and endorse the talent and expertise of our membership. Chartered status is understood and recognised worldwide and will position us at the right level in our future dealings with global governments, other professional organisations and academia.

The significance of holding a royal charter is recognised by most countries. Having a charter elevates our status within the industry worldwide, and will officially recognise our unique role within the field of railway signalling and communication systems.

The IRSE is already able to issue chartered engineer status to its members by virtue of its licence agreement with the Engineering Council UK. Incorporation by royal charter for the IRSE will not impact on this activity. More information is available at https://www.irse.org/Membership/Apply-for-Professional-Registration

The process of petitioning for a royal charter is free. The costs are those associated with producing the appropriate documents and responding to any additional questions asked during the process. There is a small amount of lost opportunity cost, but most of the work is no different to putting together a strategy document, business plan or an annual report.

The granting of a royal charter is an award to the organisation in perpetuity. There is no ongoing costs or additional financial burden.

There is no additional resource implication on the IRSE. The governance remains the same and there is no additional reporting to another body.

No. There are no additional costs associated with being incorporated by royal charter.