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The Constitution of the Solomon Islands is the supreme law of the Solomon Islands. It was approved on 31 May 1978 and entered into force on 7 July 1978 at the point of independence from the United Kingdom. It has been amended on a number of occasions and lacks any entrenched provisions, allowing it to be amended by the National Parliament.
The original draft constitution passed by the Legislative Assembly in March 1977 provided for Solomon Islands become a republic one year after independence, unless a two-thirds majority in the national parliament voted to retain the monarchy. Following the transitional period, the governor-general at the time would then become the inaugural president of the new republic. [1] British officials opposed this formula on the grounds that it was too complicated and that Solomon Islands should make a final choice as to become a monarchy or republic upon independence. [2] Negotiations in London in September 1977 between Solomons leaders and the British government eventually produced a final draft constitution which omitted references to a republic. [3]
The constitution establishes Solomon Islands as a unitary state under a constitutional monarchy based on the principles of the Westminster system. [4] Section 35 of the constitution provides for responsible government, with the national cabinet "collectively responsible to parliament". [5] The preamble to the constitution commits Solomon Islands to "democratic principles of universal suffrage and declares that: [6]
All power in Solomon Islands belongs to its people and is exercised on their behalf by the legislature, the executive and the judiciary established by this Constitution.
Section 114 of the constitution requires the National Parliament to "consider the role of traditional chiefs in the provinces". However, conflict between traditional law and society has been a long-standing source of tension in Solomon Islands politics. [7] The constitution also provides for customary law to be recognised, but makes no prescription for conflict between customary law and other sources of law. [5]
The 1978 constitution adopted on independence was widely seen as a transitional document. At the 1980 general election, the Solomon Islands United Party led by Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea emerged as the largest party in the National Parliament, running on a platform that included replacing the monarchy with an indigenous ceremonial presidency. [8] Kenilorea was subsequently replaced as prime minister by his opponent Solomon Mamaloni, who favoured an executive presidency and appointed a committee to revise the constitution on those lines. However, Mamaloni was defeated at the 1984 election and the committee was dissolved. [9]
In 1987, Prime Minister Ezekiel Alebua appointed a Constitutional Review Committee, chaired by his predecessor Solomon Mamaloni. The committee's report presented in 1988 again recommended abolition of the monarchy as part of a wider process of indigenisation, with only indigenous Solomon Islanders eligible to become president. [10] The new president was to have greater powers than the governor-general, such as greater powers to dissolve parliament on their own initiative, but without a full executive presidency. [11] Mamaloni was re-elected prime minister in 1989, but failed to bring about the committee's recommendations. [12]
A further process of constitutional review was initiated in response to civil unrest which broke out in Solomon Islands in the late 1990s, with the Townsville Peace Agreement of 2000 requiring the government to establish a constitutional council. The Federal Constitution of Solomon Islands Bill 2004 produced by the process envisaged Solomon Islands becoming a federal republic. [13] In 2007 the government established the Constitutional Congress, which produced further draft federal constitutions in 2009 and 2011; the latter provided for the country to be renamed the Democratic Federal Republic of Solomon Islands. [14] A further revised draft Constitution of the Republic of Solomon Islands was released by the Solomon Islands government in 2018. [15]
In 2022, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare promised to enact the new federal constitution by 2026, following pressure from Guadalcanal provincial leaders. [16] Sogavare's government amended the constitution in 2023 to establish a process for the repeal of the 1978 constitution, including the creation of a Constituent Assembly which would approve a final constitution based on the 2018 draft for a parliamentary vote. [17]
Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. Constitutional monarchies differ from absolute monarchies in that they are bound to exercise powers and authorities within limits prescribed by an established legal framework.
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in the Melanesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. This page is about the history of the nation state rather than the broader geographical area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which covers both Solomon Islands and Bougainville Island, a province of Papua New Guinea. For the history of the archipelago not covered here refer to the former administration of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate, the North Solomon Islands and the History of Bougainville.
Politics of Solomon Islands takes place within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic, constitutional monarchy. Solomon Islands is an independent Commonwealth realm, where executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and a multi-party parliament.
Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons, is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, to the northeast of Australia. It is directly adjacent to Papua New Guinea to the west, Australia to the southwest, New Caledonia and Vanuatu to the southeast, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, and Tuvalu to the east, and Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia to the north. It has a total area of 28,896 square kilometres, and a population of 734,887 according to the official estimates for mid-2023. Its capital and largest city, Honiara, is located on the largest island, Guadalcanal. The country takes its name from the wider area of the Solomon Islands archipelago, which is a collection of Melanesian islands that also includes the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, but excludes the Santa Cruz Islands.
The president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago and the commander-in-chief of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976, before which the head of state was the Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, Elizabeth II. The last governor-general, Sir Ellis Clarke, was sworn in as the first president on 1 August 1976 under a transitional arrangement. He was formally chosen as president by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of Parliament on 24 September 1976, which is now celebrated as Republic Day.
Patriation is the political process that led to full Canadian sovereignty, culminating with the Constitution Act, 1982. The process was necessary because, at the time, under the Statute of Westminster, 1931, and with Canada's agreement, the British Parliament retained the power to amend Canada's British North America Acts and to enact, more generally, for Canada at the request and with the consent of the Dominion. That authority was removed from the UK by the enactment of the Canada Act, 1982, on March 29, 1982, by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, as requested by the Parliament of Canada.
The governor-general of Solomon Islands is the representative of the Solomon Islands' monarch, currently King Charles III, in Solomon Islands. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch after their nomination by the National Parliament by vote. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by parliament; and issuing writs for election.
Sir Peter Kenilorea was a Solomon Islander politician, officially styled The Rt Hon. Sir Peter Kenilorea as a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom. He was the first prime minister of an independent Solomon Islands, from 1978–1981, and also served a second term from 1984–1986.
The Constitution of the Republic of Iraq is the fundamental law of Iraq. The first constitution came into force in 1925. The current constitution was adopted on September 18, 2005 by the Transitional National Assembly of Iraq, and confirmed by constitutional referendum, held on October 15, 2005. It was published on December 28, 2005 in the Official Gazette of Iraq, in Arabic original, and thus came into force. An official translation into English for international use was produced in cooperation between Iraqi state authorities and the United Nations' Office for Constitutional Support. Since 2006, several proposals for adoption of various constitutional amendments were initiated. The Kurdish language is official at state level.
Manasseh Damukana Sogavare is a Solomon Islander politician serving as Minister of Finance since 2024. He served as the prime minister of Solomon Islands for a total of nine years from 2000–2001, 2006–2007, 2014–2017, and 2019–2024. Sogavare has served in the National Parliament representing East Choiseul since 1997.
The monarchy of Solomon Islands is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Solomon Islands. The monarch and head of state since 8 September 2022 is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Solomon Islands. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Solomon Islands and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Solomon Islands. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
Bartholomew (Bart) Ulufa'alu CMG was the prime minister of Solomon Islands from 27 August 1997 to 30 June 2000.
The monarchy of Papua New Guinea is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Papua New Guinea. The current Papua New Guinean monarch and head of state, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Papua New Guinean Crown. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Papua New Guinea and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Papua New Guinea. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.
The Constitution of Australia is the fundamental law that governs the political structure of Australia. It is a written constitution, that establishes the country as a federation under a constitutional monarchy governed with a parliamentary system. Its eight chapters sets down the structure and powers of the three constituent parts of the federal level of government: the Parliament, the Executive Government and the Judicature.
There are six monarchies in Oceania with an individual hereditary monarch, who is recognised as the head of state. Each is a constitutional monarchy: the sovereign inherits his or her office, usually keeps it until death or abdication, but is bound by laws and customs in the exercise of their powers. Five of these independent states share King Charles III as their head of state, making them part of a global grouping known as the Commonwealth realms; in addition, all monarchies of Oceania are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The only sovereign monarchy in Oceania that does not share a monarch with another state is Tonga. Australia and New Zealand have dependencies within the region and outside it, although five non-sovereign constituent monarchs are recognized by New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and France.
Since Kenya gained independence in 1963, the constitution has been altered many times. During the early years of Kenya's existence, the constitution was abused by the president and the ruling party to gain and consolidate power. This was achieved through the creation of a single-party state, the abolition of secret ballots, and increasing the power and prestige that comes with the presidential position.
The Perth Agreement was made in Australia in 2011 by the prime ministers of what were then the sixteen states known as Commonwealth realms, all recognising Elizabeth II as their head of state. The document agreed that the governments of the realms would amend their laws concerning the succession to their shared throne and related matters. The changes, in summary, comprised:
Elizabeth II was Queen of Trinidad and Tobago from the independence of Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August 1962 until the country became a republic on 1 August 1976. Her constitutional role as head of state was delegated to a governor-general, who acted on the advice of government ministers.
The Constitution of Tuvalu states that it is “the supreme law of Tuvalu” and that “all other laws shall be interpreted and applied subject to this Constitution”; it sets out the Principles of the Bill of Rights and the Protection of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.
Peter Kenilorea Jr. is a Solomon Islander politician. He is the son of Peter Kenilorea, and was elected to the National Parliament of Solomon Islands in 2019.
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