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The islands are a British Overseas Territory which, under the 2009 Constitution, enjoys a large degree of internal self-government, with the United Kingdom guaranteeing good government and taking responsibility for defence and foreign affairs.[1][2] Executive authority is vested in the Queen and is exercised by the Governor on her behalf. The Governor is also responsible for the administration of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as these islands have no native inhabitants. The governor acts on the advice of the Executive Council, composed of himself as chairman, the Chief Executive, Director of Finance and three elected Legislative Assembly Members.[2] The current Governor Nigel Haywood took office in October 2010.[3] The Legislative Assembly consists of the Chief Executive, Director of Finance and the eight members elected for four-year terms by universal suffrage, of whom five are from Stanley and three from Camp.[2] There are no political parties, and no formal opposition. It is presided over by the Speaker,[4] - as of 2012 Keith Biles.[5] The last election, the first under the 2009 constitution, took place on Thursday 5 November 2009.[6] Justice is administered by a resident senior magistrate and a non-resident Chief Justice of the islands who visits the islands at least once a year. The senior magistrate handles petty criminal cases, civil, commercial, admiralty and family cases and is also the island's coroner. The Chief Justice handles serious criminal cases and hears appeals.[7] The constitution binds the judiciary to comply with decisions of the European Court of Human Rights when hearing cases related to human rights.[2] Freedom of expression in the Falkland Islands is guaranteed by the constitution, with the United Kingdom's superior courts explicitly empowered to hear appeals.[2] Freedom of the press is comparable to that of the United Kingdom;[8] which, in turn, in the view of many commentators, is significantly better than that of any other South American country.[9][10] |
 The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory.[11] Under the 2009 Constitution, the islands have greater democratic autonomy, "while retaining sufficient powers for the UK Government to protect UK interests and to ensure the overall good governance of the territory".[1] The Monarch of the United Kingdom is the head of state, but executive authority is exercised on the monarch's behalf by the Governor of the Falkland Islands. The islands' Chief Executive, appointed by the Governor, is the head of government.[2] The islands' current Governor, Nigel Haywood, was appointed on October 2010;[12] the current Chief Executive, Keith Padgett, was appointed on March 2012.[13] The Governor acts on the advice of the islands' Executive Council, composed by the Chief Executive, the Director of Finance, three elected members of the Legislative Assembly, and the Governor as chairman.[2] The Legislative Assembly, a unicameral legislature, consists of the Chief Executive, the Director of Finance, and eight members (five from Stanley and three from Camp) elected for four-year terms by universal suffrage.[2] All politicians in the Falkland Islands are independents; no political parties exist in the islands.[12] The islands' judicial system, overseen by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is largely based on English statutory law. Crime control and prisons are under the responsibility of the Royal Falkland Islands Police (RFIP).[14] Military defense of the islands is provided by the United Kingdom.[15] A British military garrison is stationed in the islands, and the Falkland Islands government funds an additional company-sized light infantry unit of defense.[16] |
References
edit- ^ a b "New Year begins with a new Constitution for the Falklands". MercoPress. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2011Links to the text of the constitution.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) Cite error: The named reference "Constitution" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ a b c d e f g h "The Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008" (PDF). The Queen in Council. 5 November 2008. Retrieved 16 March 2011. Cite error: The named reference "constitutiontext" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Lisa Watson (1 September 2009). "British consul in Basra next Falkland Islands governor". MercoPress. Retrieved 18 March 2011.
- ^ "Welcome to the Falkland Islands Government Legislative Assembly Website". Falkland Islands Government. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ "The Speaker". Falkland Islands Government. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ "Record Turnout in First Falklands Election Held Under New Constitution" (PDF). Falkland Islands Government. 6 November 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ "Government". Falkland Islands Government. Retrieved 14 March 2011.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
pressreferencewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Press Freedom Index 2010". Reporters without borders. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- ^ "Freedom of the Press 2008 – Country Rankings". Information Technology Associates. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
- ^ Cahill 2010, p. "Falkland Islands".
- ^ a b Central Intelligence Agency 2011, p. "Falkland Islands (Malvinas) - Government".
- ^ "Keith Padgett, first Falklands' government CE recruited in the Islands". MercoPress. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
- ^ Sainato 2010, pp. 157–158.
- ^ Central Intelligence Agency 2011, p. "Falkland Islands (Malvinas) - Transportation".
- ^ Fletcher, Martin (6 March 2010). "Falklands Defence Force better equipped than ever, says commanding officer". The Times. Retrieved 18 March 2011.