Guernsey Government Profile 2003

Country name

conventional long form: Bailiwick of Guernsey
conventional short form: Guernsey

Dependency status

British crown dependency

Government type

NA

Capital

Saint Peter Port

Administrative divisions

none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew

Independence

none (British crown dependency)

National holiday

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system

English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Sir John FOLEY (since NA 2000) and Bailiff de Vic Graham CAREY (since NA 1999)
cabinet: Advisory and Finance Committee appointed by the Assembly of the States
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; bailiff appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch

unicameral Assembly of the States; consists of the bailiff, 10 Douzaine (parish council) representatives, 45 people's deputies elected by popular vote, 2 representatives from Alderney, Her Majesty's Procureur (Attorney General), Her Majesty's Comptroller (Solicitor General) and Her Majesty's Greffier (Court Recorder and Registrar General); note - Alderney and Sark have their own parliaments
elections: last held 12 April 2000 (next to be held NA 2004)
election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - all independents

Judicial branch

Royal Court

Political parties and leaders

none; all independents

Political pressure groups and leaders

none

International organization participation

none

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (British crown dependency)

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (British crown dependency)

Flag description

white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross