[1] The Supreme Council's rules included a parliamentary procedure which gave the right to free speech for all its members and orderly discussion.

[4] Following the Auspicious Incident, Sultan Mahmud II created a series of advisory councils to assist with legislative and judicial functions of the Ottoman state as these matters took too much time for the Imperial Dîvân to address.

This included the Supreme Council of Judicial Ordinances, which at the recommendation of Mustafa Reşid, was made the sole consultative and legislative body of the state through the Edict of Gülhane.

[5] The Supreme Council was first chaired by War Minister Koca Hüsrev Mehmed Pasha, when it was established on March 24, 1838.

It was initially located in Topkapı Palace, but soon moved to the Bab-ı Âli, opening in a ceremony with Sultan Abdulmecid's presence on 8 March 1840.

The new council received powers to consider legislation on any issue it desired, have legislation from other councils require its approval to become law, the powers to investigate ministries, and was the first institution to allow subjects to play a role in governance by having the capacity to summon both officials and commoners for testimony.

It was now divided into three departments, all of which could initiate discussions on law proposals[7] The Supreme Council of Judicial Ordinances was dissolved in 1867 during the reign of Abdulaziz.