Politics of Guernsey
Encyclopedia
Politics of Guernsey
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
representative democratic
British Crown dependency
.
|Peter Walker
|
|15 April 2011
|-
|Bailiff
|Geoffrey Rowland
|
|2005
|-
|Chief Minister
|Lyndon Trott
|
|2008
|}
The Lieutenant Governor is the representative of "the Crown
in right of the république of the Bailiwick of Guernsey". The official residence
of the Lieutenant Governor is Government House, Queens Road, St Peter Port
. Since 15 April 2011, the incumbent is Peter Walker
.
The Bailiff is the first civil officer in the Bailiwick
of Guernsey
, serving as president of the legislature and the Royal Court. Since 2004, Guernsey's head of government is the Chief Minister
. The Bailiff is appointed by the Crown
, and generally holds office until retirement age (65). He presides at the Royal Court, and takes the opinions of the Jurat
s, elected lay judges; he also presides over the States, and represents the Crown in all civil matters.
of Guernsey, officially called the States of Deliberation
, consists of 45 People's Deputies, elected from multi- or single-member districts every four years. There are also two representatives from Alderney
, a self-governing dependency of the Bailiwick, but Sark
sends no representative. There are also two non-voting members - HM Procureur and HM Comptroller, appointed by the Crown.
Laws made the States are known as Projet(s) de Loi before they are passed and Loi or Law(s) afterwards (e.g. The Human Rights (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2000.
A Project de Loi is the equivalent of an English Bill, and a Law is the equivalent of an English Act of Parliament. Laws have no effect until promulgated as Orders-in-Council of the Crown. They are given the Royal Sanction at regular meetings of the Privy Council
in London after, which they are returned to the Islands for formal registration at the Royal Court.
The States also make delegated legislation known as Ordinances (Ordonnances) and Orders (Ordres) which do not require Royal Assent. Commencement orders are usually in the form of Ordinances.
French and English common law, justice being administered through a combination of Magistrates Court and the Royal Court. The Royal Court is presided over by the Bailiff and 12 Jurat
s (a permanent elected jury), the ultimate court of appeal being the Privy Council
.
s carry out the decisions of the Douzaine, serving for between one and three years. The longest serving Constable is known as the Senior Constable and his or her colleague as the Junior Constable.
Following the machinery of government changes in 2004, Guernsey has the following electoral districts, loosely based on the parish system:
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
British Crown dependency
Crown dependency
The Crown Dependencies are British possessions of the Crown, as opposed to overseas territories of the United Kingdom. They comprise the Channel Island Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey in the English Channel, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea....
.
Executive branch
|Lieutenant Governor|Peter Walker
Peter Walker (RAF officer)
Air Marshal Peter Brett Walker CB CBE is a former Royal Air Force officer who is now Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.-RAF career:Educated at Pocklington School and Durham University, Walker joined the Royal Air Force in 1975. He served as a fighter pilot flying the Phantom FGR2 and Tornado F3...
|
|15 April 2011
|-
|Bailiff
|Geoffrey Rowland
Geoffrey Rowland
Sir Geoffrey Robert Rowland, QC, is the current Bailiff of Guernsey .-Life:Rowland was called to the English Bar at Gray's Inn in 1970 and admitted as an Advocate of the Royal Court, Guernsey, in 1971. He was in practice as an Advocate of the Royal Court in the firm of Collas, Day & Rowland 1971 -...
|
|2005
|-
|Chief Minister
Chief Minister of Guernsey
The Chief Minister of Guernsey chairs the Policy Council, which consists of the heads of each of the ten government departments of the States of Guernsey. Guernsey operates a system of consensus, committees-based government...
|Lyndon Trott
Lyndon Trott
Lyndon Trott was born on 17 July 1964 from St. Sampson, Guernsey and he is the current Chief Minister of Guernsey. He was elected to the position on 1 May 2008 and his term of office will expire on 30 April 2012. He was re-elected as a Deputy for the electoral district of St. Sampson in the...
|
|2008
|}
The Lieutenant Governor is the representative of "the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
in right of the république of the Bailiwick of Guernsey". The official residence
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Lieutenant Governor is Government House, Queens Road, St Peter Port
St Peter Port
Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. The population in 2001 was 16,488. In Guernésiais and in French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port. The "port" distinguishes this parish from...
. Since 15 April 2011, the incumbent is Peter Walker
Peter Walker (RAF officer)
Air Marshal Peter Brett Walker CB CBE is a former Royal Air Force officer who is now Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey.-RAF career:Educated at Pocklington School and Durham University, Walker joined the Royal Air Force in 1975. He served as a fighter pilot flying the Phantom FGR2 and Tornado F3...
.
The Bailiff is the first civil officer in the Bailiwick
Bailiwick
A bailiwick is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and may also apply to a territory in which the sheriff's functions were exercised by a privately appointed bailiff under a royal or imperial writ. The word is now more generally used in a metaphorical sense, to indicate a sphere of...
of Guernsey
Guernsey
Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy.The Bailiwick, as a governing entity, embraces not only all 10 parishes on the Island of Guernsey, but also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, and Lihou and their islet...
, serving as president of the legislature and the Royal Court. Since 2004, Guernsey's head of government is the Chief Minister
Chief Minister of Guernsey
The Chief Minister of Guernsey chairs the Policy Council, which consists of the heads of each of the ten government departments of the States of Guernsey. Guernsey operates a system of consensus, committees-based government...
. The Bailiff is appointed by the Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
, and generally holds office until retirement age (65). He presides at the Royal Court, and takes the opinions of the Jurat
Jurat
Jurat is the name given to the clause at the foot of an affidavit showing when, where, and before whom the actual oath was sworn or affirmation was made....
s, elected lay judges; he also presides over the States, and represents the Crown in all civil matters.
Legislative branch
The StatesThe States
The States or the Estates signifies the assembly of the representatives of the estates of the realm, called together for purposes of legislation or deliberation...
of Guernsey, officially called the States of Deliberation
States of Guernsey
The States of Guernsey is the parliament of the island of Guernsey. Some laws and ordinances approved by the States of Guernsey also apply to Alderney and Sark as "Bailiwick-wide legislation" with the consent of the governments of those islands...
, consists of 45 People's Deputies, elected from multi- or single-member districts every four years. There are also two representatives from Alderney
Alderney
Alderney is the most northerly of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is long and wide. The area is , making it the third-largest island of the Channel Islands, and the second largest in the Bailiwick...
, a self-governing dependency of the Bailiwick, but Sark
Sark
Sark is a small island in the Channel Islands in southwestern English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. It is a royal fief, geographically located in the Channel Islands in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, with its own set of laws based on Norman law and its own parliament. It has a population...
sends no representative. There are also two non-voting members - HM Procureur and HM Comptroller, appointed by the Crown.
Laws made the States are known as Projet(s) de Loi before they are passed and Loi or Law(s) afterwards (e.g. The Human Rights (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2000.
A Project de Loi is the equivalent of an English Bill, and a Law is the equivalent of an English Act of Parliament. Laws have no effect until promulgated as Orders-in-Council of the Crown. They are given the Royal Sanction at regular meetings of the Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
in London after, which they are returned to the Islands for formal registration at the Royal Court.
The States also make delegated legislation known as Ordinances (Ordonnances) and Orders (Ordres) which do not require Royal Assent. Commencement orders are usually in the form of Ordinances.
Political parties and elections
Guernsey has no political parties with all representatives being elected as non-partisans.Judicial branch
The legal system is derived from NormanNormans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
French and English common law, justice being administered through a combination of Magistrates Court and the Royal Court. The Royal Court is presided over by the Bailiff and 12 Jurat
Jurat
Jurat is the name given to the clause at the foot of an affidavit showing when, where, and before whom the actual oath was sworn or affirmation was made....
s (a permanent elected jury), the ultimate court of appeal being the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
.
Administrative divisions
Each parish is administered by a Douzaine. Douzeniers are elected for a six year mandate, two Douzeniers being elected by parishioners at a Parish Meeting in November each year. The senior Douzenier is known as the Doyen. Two elected ConstableConstable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
s carry out the decisions of the Douzaine, serving for between one and three years. The longest serving Constable is known as the Senior Constable and his or her colleague as the Junior Constable.
Following the machinery of government changes in 2004, Guernsey has the following electoral districts, loosely based on the parish system:
- St. Peter Port NorthSt. Peter Port NorthSaint Peter Port North is an electoral district in Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It was created following the Machinery of Government changes which came into effect in 2004....
- St. Peter Port SouthSt. Peter Port SouthSt. Peter Port South is an electoral district in Guernsey in the Channel Islands. It was created following the Machinery of Government changes which came into effect in 2004....
- St. Sampson's
- Vale
- Castel
- South-East (St. Martin's and St. Andrew's)
- West (Torteval, Forest, St. Saviour's, St. Pierre-du-Bois)
See also
- Policy Council of GuernseyPolicy Council of GuernseyGuernsey operates a system of government by committees and consensus. There are no political parties and the executive functions of government are under the control not of a central cabinet but of ten policy-specific departments, each run by boards or committees of five political members, all of...
- Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)Royal Commission on the Constitution (United Kingdom)The Royal Commission on the Constitution, also referred to as the Kilbrandon Commission or Kilbrandon Report, was a long-running royal commission set up by Harold Wilson's Labour government to examine the structures of the constitution of the United Kingdom and the British Islands and the...