| Country name | conventional long form: Bailiwick of Jersey conventional short form: Jersey former: Norman Isles etymology: the name is of Old Norse origin, but the meaning of the root "Jer(s)" is uncertain; the "-ey" ending means "island" |
| Dependency status | British crown dependency |
| Government type | parliamentary democracy (Assembly of the States of Jersey) |
| Capital | name: Saint Helier geographic coordinates: 49 11 N, 2 06 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: named after Saint Helier, the patron saint of Jersey, who was reputedly martyred on the island in A.D. 555 |
| Administrative divisions | none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 12 parishes; Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement, Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary, Saint Ouen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, and Trinity |
| Independence | none (British Crown dependency) |
| National holiday | Liberation Day, 9 May (1945) |
| Constitution | history: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice amendments: proposed by a government minister to the Assembly of the States of Jersey, by an Assembly member, or by an elected parish head; passage requires several Assembly readings, a majority vote by the Assembly, review by the UK Ministry of Justice, and approval of the British monarch (Royal Assent) |
| Legal system | the laws of the UK apply where applicable; includes local statutes |
| Citizenship | see United Kingdom |
| Suffrage | 16 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Lieutenant Governor Sir Stephen DALTON (since 13 March 2017) head of government: Chief Minister John LE FONDRE (since 8 June 2018); Bailiff William BAILHACHE (since 29 January 2015) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed individually by the states elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; Council of Ministers, including the chief minister, indirectly elected by the Assembly of States; lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch |
| Legislative branch | description: unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (49 elected members; 8 senators to serve 4-year terms, and 29 deputies and 12 connetables, or heads of parishes, to serve 4-year terms; 5 non-voting members appointed by the monarch include the bailiff, lieutenant governor, dean of Jersey, attorney general, and the solicitor general) elections: last held on 16 May 2018 (next to be held on 16 May 2022) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 49; composition - men 36, women 13, percent of 26.5% |
| Judicial branch | highest courts: Jersey Court of Appeal (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, and 12 judges); Royal Court (consists of the bailiff, deputy bailiff, 6 commissioners and lay people referred to as jurats, and is organized into Heritage, Family, Probate, and Samedi Divisions); appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) judge selection and term of office: Jersey Court of Appeal bailiffs and judges appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; bailiffs and judges appointed for "extent of good behavior;" Royal Court bailiffs appointed by the Crown upon the advice of the Secretary of State for Justice; commissioners appointed by the bailiff; jurats appointed by the Electoral College; bailiffs and commissioners appointed for "extent of good behavior;" jurats appointed until retirement at age 72 subordinate courts: Magistrate's Court; Youth Court; Petty Debts Court; Parish Hall Enquires (a process of preliminary investigation into youth and minor adult offenses to determine need for presentation before a court) |
| Political parties and leaders | one registered party: Reform Jersey [Sam MEZEC] note: most senators and deputies sit as independents |
| International organization participation | UPU |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: none (British Crown dependency) none (British Crown dependency) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | embassy: none (British Crown dependency) |
| Flag description | white with a diagonal red cross extending to the corners of the flag; in the upper quadrant, surmounted by a yellow crown, a red shield with three lions in yellow; according to tradition, the ships of Jersey - in an attempt to differentiate themselves from English ships flying the horizontal cross of St. George - rotated the cross to the "X" (saltire) configuration; because this arrangement still resembled the Irish cross of St. Patrick, the yellow Plantagenet crown and Jersey coat of arms were added |
| National symbol(s) | Jersey cow; national colors: red, white |
| National anthem | name: "Isle de Siez Nous" (Island Home) lyrics/music: Gerard LE FEUVRE note: adopted 2008; serves as a local anthem; as a British Crown dependency, "God Save the Queen" is official (see United Kingdom) |
Source: CIA World Factbook
This page was last updated on September 18, 2021
