Gibraltar House of Assembly
Encyclopedia
The Gibraltar Parliament is the legislature of the British overseas territory of Gibraltar
. Between 1969 and 2006 it was called the Gibraltar House of Assembly.
. The term "House of Assembly
" has been commonly used for the legislatures of British territories that are less than fully sovereign
. Its replacement institution being called a parliament reflects the increased autonomy that Gibraltar has gained with its new 2006 constitution
.
Under the election system, each voter was allowed to vote for eight members of the Assembly. Due to the small area of Gibraltar and its territorial continuity, precincts served only as polling places, not political units, and there are no electoral districts served by the members, who were instead elected "at large" to serve the territory as a whole.
The system lends itself to block voting
– each of the parties or electoral coalitions tended to nominate a slate of eight candidates and encourage its supporters to vote for all of them. In most cases, the winning party would have all eight of its nominees elected, with the other seven elected members coming from the second-place party.
and John Mackintosh Square
. It was constructed in 1817 and previously served as the Exchange and Commercial Library. In 1951, the building was refurbished to host the Legislative Council. Under the 1969 Constitution
, the House of Assembly was established, superseding the Legislative Council. The first session of the House of Assembly, was opened on 28 August 1969 by the then Governor
Admiral Varyl Begg
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Between 1969 and 2006 it was called the Gibraltar House of Assembly.
Functions
This unicameral body consisted of fifteen members elected by vote of the Gibraltar electorate. The now obsolete House of Assembly also contained two appointed members, including the Attorney-General. This body was mandated by Gibraltar's 1969 constitutionGibraltar Constitution Order 1969
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969 was published on 30 May 1969 as an Order in Council.The constitution was the outcome of the Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd which lasted from July 16 1968 to July 24...
. The term "House of Assembly
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....
" has been commonly used for the legislatures of British territories that are less than fully sovereign
Sovereignty
Sovereignty is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a geographic area, such as a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely legal explanation can be provided...
. Its replacement institution being called a parliament reflects the increased autonomy that Gibraltar has gained with its new 2006 constitution
Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 was taken to a referendum in Gibraltar on 30 November 2006. A coalition of groups opposing the proposal held that a majority of 60% should be required to give effect to a new Constitution, quoting other instances...
.
Under the election system, each voter was allowed to vote for eight members of the Assembly. Due to the small area of Gibraltar and its territorial continuity, precincts served only as polling places, not political units, and there are no electoral districts served by the members, who were instead elected "at large" to serve the territory as a whole.
The system lends itself to block voting
Plurality-at-large voting
Plurality-at-large voting is a non-proportional voting system for electing several representatives from a single multimember electoral district using a series of check boxes and tallying votes similar to a plurality election...
– each of the parties or electoral coalitions tended to nominate a slate of eight candidates and encourage its supporters to vote for all of them. In most cases, the winning party would have all eight of its nominees elected, with the other seven elected members coming from the second-place party.
Parliament Building
The Parliament sits in a building overlooking Main StreetMain Street, Gibraltar
Main Street is the main arterial street in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar.Main Street is recognised today as Gibraltar’s main commercial and shopping district...
and John Mackintosh Square
John Mackintosh Square
John Mackintosh Square is a main square in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. It has been the centre of city life since the 14th century and takes its name from John Mackintosh, a local philanthropist...
. It was constructed in 1817 and previously served as the Exchange and Commercial Library. In 1951, the building was refurbished to host the Legislative Council. Under the 1969 Constitution
Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969
The Gibraltar Constitution Order 1969 was published on 30 May 1969 as an Order in Council.The constitution was the outcome of the Constitutional Conference chaired by Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd which lasted from July 16 1968 to July 24...
, the House of Assembly was established, superseding the Legislative Council. The first session of the House of Assembly, was opened on 28 August 1969 by the then Governor
Governor of Gibraltar
The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Gibraltar is the representative of the British monarch in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. The Governor is appointed by the British Monarch on the advice of the British Government...
Admiral Varyl Begg
Varyl Begg
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Varyl Cargill Begg GCB, DSO, DSC was First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Royal Navy, from 1966 to 1968.-Early life:...
Current membership
The members of the first Gibraltar Parliament, ordered alphabetically, are:- Beltran, Clive George (GSDGibraltar Social DemocratsThe Gibraltar Social Democrats, abbreviated to GSD, is a centre-right political party in Gibraltar.Their current leader is Peter Caruana, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar. The GSD has been the governing party in Gibraltar since 1996.-History:...
) - Bossano, Joseph JohnJoe BossanoJoseph "Joe" John Bossano is a Gibraltarian politician, and the former leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party. He was Chief Minister of Gibraltar from 25 March 1988 to 17 May 1996. He served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Gibraltar Parliament from its founding in 1978 until April...
(GSLPGibraltar Socialist Labour PartyThe Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party is the oldest surviving active political party in Gibraltar. Its grass roots are deep in the Trade Union Movement, as its founder and former leader Joe Bossano was the District Officer of the Transport and General Workers Union...
) - Britto, Ernest Michael (GSD)
- Bruzon, Charles (GSLP)
- Caruana, Peter RichardPeter CaruanaPeter Richard Caruana, QC is a Gibraltarian politician, and has been Chief Minister of Gibraltar since 1996, when his party, the Gibraltar Social Democrats , first came to power. His party was re-elected to office in 2000, 2003 and 2007...
(GSD) - Costa, Neil (GLPGibraltar Liberal PartyThe Gibraltar Liberal Party is a political party in Gibraltar. The party was founded in 1991 as Gibraltar National Party and is led by Dr...
) - Del Agua, Yvette (GSD)
- Feetham, Daniel AnthonyDaniel FeethamThe Hon. Daniel Anthony Feetham MP is a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer.-Political career:He began as a member of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, the party his father had helped to found in 1979 and where the latter had served as a member of the legislature from 1984-1996 under the...
(GSD) - Garcia, JosephJoseph GarciaThe Hon. Dr. Joseph Garcia MP, PhD is a Gibraltarian historian and politician, and the current leader of the Gibraltar Liberal Party, part of the official opposition in the current Government of Gibraltar, controlling two of the fifteen seats in the Gibraltar Parliament...
(GLP) - Holiday, Joseph John (GSD)
- Licudi, Gilbert (GSLP)
- Linares, Steven (GLP)
- Montiel, Joseph (GSD)
- Netto, James Joseph (GSD)
- Picardo, FabianFabian PicardoFabian Picardo , is a Gibraltarian politician and lawyer. In April 2011, he was elected as leader of the Gibraltar Socialist Labour Party, replacing long term leader Joe Bossano....
(GSLP) - Reyes, Edwin Joseph (GSD)
- Vinet, Fabian Joseph (GSD)
See also
- Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006The Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 was taken to a referendum in Gibraltar on 30 November 2006. A coalition of groups opposing the proposal held that a majority of 60% should be required to give effect to a new Constitution, quoting other instances...
- Gibraltarian constitutional referendum, 2006
- List of Speakers of the Gibraltar Parliament