The consular service originally comprised some of the functions and
enjoyed many of the privileges of the diplomatic. It lost those
functions and most of the privileges when the diplomatic service
developed and became common, except in uncivilized countries. The consul
has lost, in the main, his representative character and has retained in
uncivilized countries his judicial power—capacity to act as a judge. The
consul has lost the right of exterritoriality, that is, the right to be
subject to the laws of his own country and not to those of the country
where he is stationed. However, he is under the special protection of
international law and is regarded as the officer “both of the state
which appoints and the state which receives him”. The extent of his
authority is derived from his commission and his exequatur, and the
extent of his privileges is defined for the most part by treaties
between his own government and the one where he is stationed. Among
these we will notice the following: