Meaning of appoint

[harry]

can somebody tell me what means to appoint?

harry

[no name]

[Guest]

thank you and could somebody tell me what means commission

[Guest]

to commission

[Yankee]

to commssion means:

- to authorize (to perform a certain function)
- to place an order for (as in "to commission a portrait")
- to equip and put (a ship) into active service

To "appoint a lawyer" is different in that the lawyer already has the function of and authorization as a lawyer. The judge simply decides which of the public defenders (lawyers) is assigned to (appointed) which defendants.

Amy

[Conchita]

[Conchita]

Oops!

Well, at least our dictionaries were different, Amy. Anyway, better two answers than none at all !

[Guest]

when do i use
they have appointed me your public defender
and when
they appointed me your public defender
for the time

[Yankee]

Hi Harry

The sentence "They appointed me your public defender for the time" sounds unfinished to me. Do you have any more context?

If someone said "They appointed me your public defender for the time being", then that would mean your public defender is temporary and a permanent public defender will be appointed for you (your case) at a later date.

Hi Conchita

Yes, it looks like we were both furiously typing at exactly the same time.

Amy

[Guest]

no i heard:"the court has appointed me your public defender"

[Yankee]

Hi Harry

What's your question, then? The difference between have appointed and appointed?

Or has your question been answered?

Amy

[Guest]

yes i want to know when i say they have appointed me and when they appointed me

[Yankee]

Hi Harry

The most likely difference would be:
1. They have appointed me your public defender.
This would be the very first time the public defender has met his client. The idea of when the appointment happened is completely unimportant.

2. They appointed me your public defender last week, but today is the earliest I could come to see you.
In this sentence the idea of when is not only important, but also clearly stated. Therefore you need the simple past tense.

One more thing:
The simple past tense tends to be used more often in American English than in British English (or so I've been told), so it's possible that an American might possibly use the simple past tense in sentence (1):
They appointed me your public defender.

Amy

[Guest]

isn't i like when i say you have commissioned that lawyer
that means the period of time isn't passed yet?

[Yankee]

Hi Harry

First, I would never say "commission a lawyer". I'd prefer "hire a lawyer".

"You have hired that lawyer."

To answer your question, your sentence uses the simple present perfect tense, and the act of hiring (or to use your word, commissioning) the lawyer is in the recently finished past. It is not on-going. It is finished.

Exactly when the lawyer was hired is not stated in and also not important in the sentence. The only thing that's important is that it happened.

It's the lawyer's work that is on-going and not yet finished.

Amy