Politics of the Pitcairn Islands
Encyclopedia
Politics of the Pitcairn Islands
takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
representative democratic
dependency
, whereby the Mayor is the head of government
. The territories constitution is the Local Government Ordinance of 1964. In terms of population, the Pitcairn Islands is the smallest democracy in the world.
The government's administrative offices are in Auckland
, New Zealand
.
|Elizabeth II
|
|6 February 1952
|-
|Governor
|Victoria Treadell
|
|2 May 2006
|-
|Commissioner (non-resident)
|Jack Piff
|
|September 2003
|-
|Mayor
|Mike Warren
|
|9 December 2007
|}
The Queen is represented by the Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, who is the British
High Commissioner to New Zealand
, currently Victoria Treadell
. The Governor's Representative is the liaison person between the governor and the Island Council. The non-resident Commissioner, appointed by the Governor, is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the island as well as for its economic regeneration. But because the high commissioner does not live on the island, its daily affairs are taken care of by the mayor of Pitcairn from 1999 onwards. Island Magistrate is a governor appointed job. Chairman of the Internal Committee is an elected official. Until 30 October 2004, the mayor was Steve Christian
; after his rape conviction
on October 24, 2004, Christian was dismissed (after refusing to resign). Brenda Christian was selected by the Island Council to be mayor for November and December 2004, until an election was held. Jay Warren
was elected on December 15, 2004. The island Mayor is elected by popular vote for a three-year term. In December 2007, Mike Warren
succeeded Jay Warren as Mayor.
(10 seats - The Mayor and the Chairman of the Island Council both hold membership ex officio; 4 elected by popular vote, 1 co-opted by the Chairman and the 4 other elected members; 2 appointed by the Governor including the Island Secretary (ex officio); the tenth seat is reserved for a Commissioner (non-resident) who liaises between the Council and the Governor. Except for the Mayor, who has a three year term, and the Island Secretary, whose term is indefinite, members serve one-year terms.
Last elections were held on 11 December 2009.
, Pitcairn Islands election, 2005, Pitcairn Islands general election, 2006 and Pitcairn Islands general election, 2007
. Due to its size, this tiny democracy
, indeed, the world's smallest democracy in terms of population, doesn't have political parties
and is classified as a non-partisan democracy
.
The members of the Pitcairn judiciary are all New Zealanders - as are almost all of the lawyers admitted to the Pitcairn Bar - and are all either current or former members of the judiciary, or legal profession (in the case of the magistrates) in that country.
Currently, the members of the judiciary are:
Additionally, several magistrates have been appointed from amongst the ranks of the senior members of the legal profession in New Zealand. The Pitcairn Public Prosecutor - Simon Moore (also the Crown Solicitor at Auckland) and Public Defender - Paul Dacre - were also appointed.
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
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...
dependency
Dependent territory
A dependent territory, dependent area or dependency is a territory that does not possess full political independence or sovereignty as a State, and remains politically outside of the controlling state's integral area....
, whereby the Mayor is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
. The territories constitution is the Local Government Ordinance of 1964. In terms of population, the Pitcairn Islands is the smallest democracy in the world.
The government's administrative offices are in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Executive branch
|Queen|Elizabeth II
|
|6 February 1952
|-
|Governor
|Victoria Treadell
Victoria Treadell
Victoria "Vicki" Marguerite Treadell, CMG, MVO is the current British High Commissioner to New Zealand and Samoa, and the current Governor of Pitcairn....
|
|2 May 2006
|-
|Commissioner (non-resident)
|Jack Piff
|
|September 2003
|-
|Mayor
|Mike Warren
|
|9 December 2007
|}
The Queen is represented by the Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, who is the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
High Commissioner to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, currently Victoria Treadell
Victoria Treadell
Victoria "Vicki" Marguerite Treadell, CMG, MVO is the current British High Commissioner to New Zealand and Samoa, and the current Governor of Pitcairn....
. The Governor's Representative is the liaison person between the governor and the Island Council. The non-resident Commissioner, appointed by the Governor, is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the island as well as for its economic regeneration. But because the high commissioner does not live on the island, its daily affairs are taken care of by the mayor of Pitcairn from 1999 onwards. Island Magistrate is a governor appointed job. Chairman of the Internal Committee is an elected official. Until 30 October 2004, the mayor was Steve Christian
Steve Christian
Steven Raymond Christian is a political figure from the Pacific territory of the Pitcairn Islands.-Mayor:...
; after his rape conviction
Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004
On 30 September 2004, seven men living on Pitcairn Island , went on trial facing 55 charges relating to sexual offences. On 24 October, all but one of the defendants were found guilty on at least some of the charges they faced...
on October 24, 2004, Christian was dismissed (after refusing to resign). Brenda Christian was selected by the Island Council to be mayor for November and December 2004, until an election was held. Jay Warren
Jay Warren
Jay Calvin Warren is a political figure from the Pacific territory of the Pitcairn Islands.-Political roles:Jay Warren was elected Mayor of the last remaining British dependency in Oceania in the general election held on 15 December 2004, defeating Brenda Christian, who had held the Mayoralty in...
was elected on December 15, 2004. The island Mayor is elected by popular vote for a three-year term. In December 2007, Mike Warren
Mike Warren (mayor of Pitcairn)
Michael Calvert Warren is the current mayor of Adamstown, the capital city and sole settlement of Pacific territory Pitcairn Islands....
succeeded Jay Warren as Mayor.
Legislative branch
The Pitcairn Islands have a unicameral Island CouncilIsland Council (Pitcairn)
The Island Council is the legislative body of the Pitcairn Islands. It also doubles as the court of the British dependency, making it one of the few bodies in the world to possess both legislative and judicial authority.The Council has ten members...
(10 seats - The Mayor and the Chairman of the Island Council both hold membership ex officio; 4 elected by popular vote, 1 co-opted by the Chairman and the 4 other elected members; 2 appointed by the Governor including the Island Secretary (ex officio); the tenth seat is reserved for a Commissioner (non-resident) who liaises between the Council and the Governor. Except for the Mayor, who has a three year term, and the Island Secretary, whose term is indefinite, members serve one-year terms.
Last elections were held on 11 December 2009.
Political parties and elections
Council elections are held on 24 December every year. See: Pitcairn Islands election, 2004Pitcairn Islands election, 2004
An election was held in the Pitcairn Islands, the last remaining British dependency in Oceania, to elect a Mayor, a Council Chairman, and four Councillors to sit on the Island Council...
, Pitcairn Islands election, 2005, Pitcairn Islands general election, 2006 and Pitcairn Islands general election, 2007
Pitcairn Islands general election, 2007
General elections were held in the Pitcairn Islands on 9 December 2007. Mike Warren was elected mayor, replacing the incumbent Jay Warren, who came in second place in a three-way contest. The Island Council was also renewed....
. Due to its size, this tiny democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, indeed, the world's smallest democracy in terms of population, doesn't have political parties
Political Parties
Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy is a book by sociologist Robert Michels, published in 1911 , and first introducing the concept of iron law of oligarchy...
and is classified as a non-partisan democracy
Non-partisan democracy
Nonpartisan democracy is a system of representative government or organization such that universal and periodic elections take place without reference to political parties.-Overview:...
.
Judicial branch
- Island Court: the island magistrate, appointed by the Governor for a three-year term usually presides over the court, however there has been several non-resident magistrates over the last five years. These magistrates were appointed as part of the judicial structure set up for the purposes of the Pitcairn sexual assault trialsPitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004On 30 September 2004, seven men living on Pitcairn Island , went on trial facing 55 charges relating to sexual offences. On 24 October, all but one of the defendants were found guilty on at least some of the charges they faced...
.
- Supreme Court: while Pitcairn law has made provision for a Supreme Court for a number of years, the court itself formerly existed only on paper - no judges were appointed to it and it never sat. However, the Court was properly activated as part of the constitutional and judicial arrangements put in place for the trial referred to above.
- Court of Appeal: unlike the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal is a recent creation having not formerly existed under Pitcairn law. It was established by an Order in Council in 2000 in preparation for the above trials. Allowances have also been made for both the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal to sit in the islands or at such other country or place as may be permitted by any law. In practice, the Supreme Court has sat both on Pitcairn itself as well as in AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New ZealandNew ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, while the Court of Appeal has only sat in New Zealand.
- Privy CouncilJudicial Committee of the Privy CouncilThe 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...
: the Privy Council is the final court of appeal for Pitcairn. While some appellate jurisdiction may previously have existed (through common law), appeal to the Privy Council were formally permitted by the issuance of an Order in Council in 2000.
The members of the Pitcairn judiciary are all New Zealanders - as are almost all of the lawyers admitted to the Pitcairn Bar - and are all either current or former members of the judiciary, or legal profession (in the case of the magistrates) in that country.
Currently, the members of the judiciary are:
- Chief Justice: John Blackie.
- President of the Court of Appeal: John Henry.
- Judges of the Court of Appeal: Sir Ian Barker, Paul Neazor.
- Judges of the Supreme Court: Jane Lovell-Smith, Russell Johnson.
Additionally, several magistrates have been appointed from amongst the ranks of the senior members of the legal profession in New Zealand. The Pitcairn Public Prosecutor - Simon Moore (also the Crown Solicitor at Auckland) and Public Defender - Paul Dacre - were also appointed.