Politics of Saint Helena

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Politics of Saint Helena takes place in a framework of limited self-government as a dependent territory of the United Kingdom, whereby the governor is the head of government. Saint Helena, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean, is a part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

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It has had its present constitution since 1 September 2009. Executive power is exercised by the governor and the Executive Council. Legislative power is vested in both the governor and the Legislative Council. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

The territory maintains its own police service, the Royal Saint Helena Police Service, while defence is the responsibility of the United Kingdom. No British military forces are stationed on Saint Helena, although the Royal Air Force maintains a staging base on constituent Ascension Island.

Saint Helena had until 2009 two dependencies: Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha. These territories have their own political structures with Administrators under the governor of Saint Helena. They are now equal parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha along with St Helena itself.

Executive branch

Main office-holders
OfficeNamePartySince
Monarch Charles III 8 September 2022
Governor and Commander-in-Chief Nigel Phillips 13 August 2022

The Executive Council consists of the governor, three ex officio officers (one, the attorney general, having no vote), and five elected members of the Legislative Council. The monarch is the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The chief secretary is the main advisor to the governor on the island and runs the administrative side of the government, which is based at The Castle in the capital, Jamestown.

Currently, the five elected members of the Legislative Council (along with the committees they were selected to chair on) who now serves on the Executive Council are: [1]

  1. Lawson Arthur Henry (Economic Development Committee)
  2. Christine Scipio-O'Dean (Education Committee)
  3. Derek Franklin Thomas (Public Health Committee)
  4. Anthony Green (Social and Community)
  5. Russell Yon (Environment & Natural)

In January 2013 it was proposed that the Executive Council would be led by a "chief councillor" who would be elected by the members of the Legislative Council and would nominate the other members of the Executive Council. [2] [3] These proposals were put to a referendum on 23 March 2013 where they were defeated by 158 votes to 42 on a 10% turnout. [4]

Legislative branch

The Legislative Council has 15 members, 12 members elected for a four-year term by popular vote and 3 members ex officio. This arrangement gives the governing of Saint Helena an aspect of representative democracy.

Political parties and elections

Saint Helena, along with both Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha, does not have any active political parties, but no law forbids the formation of political parties; hence, the territory is a de facto non-partisan democracy. The Saint Helena Labour Party and Saint Helena Progressive Party existed until 1976.

In the most recent general election, the twelve elected members are: [5]

  1. Julie Dorne Thomas (888 votes)
  2. Andrew James Turner (834 votes)
  3. Corinda Sebastiana Stuart Essex (827 votes)*
  4. Martin Dave Henry (750 votes)
  5. Jeffrey Robert Ellick (688 votes)*
  6. Ronald Arthur Coleman (678 votes)
  7. Karl Gavin Thrower (611 votes)
  8. Gillian Ann Brooks (561 votes)
  9. Mark Alan Brooks (533 votes)
  10. Christine Lilian Scipio (532 votes)*
  11. Robert Charles Midwinter (485 votes)
  12. Rosemary June Bargo (456 votes)
An asterisk (*) denotes a sitting incumbent MLC who was duly re-elected.

Judicial branch

The territory has four courts of its own:

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London, is the final court of appeal for the territory however, as is the case with all other British overseas territories.

International organization participation

Related Research Articles

This article is about the demographics of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a British overseas territory in the south Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Overseas Territories</span> Territories under the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United Kingdom

The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former British Empire and do not form part of the United Kingdom itself. The permanently inhabited territories are internally self-governing, with the United Kingdom retaining responsibility for defence and foreign relations. Three of the territories are inhabited, chiefly or only, by a transitory population of military or scientific personnel. All but one of the rest are listed by the UN Special Committee on Decolonization as non-self-governing territories. All fourteen have the British monarch as head of state. These UK government responsibilities are assigned to various departments of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and are subject to change.

An administrator in the constitutional practice of some countries in the Commonwealth is a person who fulfils a role similar to that of a governor or a governor-general.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Saint Helena</span> Flag

The flag of Saint Helena consists of a Blue Ensign defaced with the shield from the British overseas territory's coat of arms. Adopted in 1984 shortly after the island was granted a new coat of arms, it has been the flag since. Saint Helena's flag is similar to the flags of eight other British Overseas Territories, which are also Blue Ensigns with their respective coats of arms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Saint Helena</span>

The Governor of Saint Helena is the representative of the monarch in Saint Helena, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The current governor of Saint Helena has been Nigel Phillips since 13 August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Tristan da Cunha</span> Head of the government of Saint Helena

The Governor of Tristan de Cunha is the representative of the monarch in Tristan da Cunha, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legislative Council of Saint Helena</span> Legislative body

The Legislative Council of Saint Helena is the unicameral legislature of Saint Helena, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The council itself is often referred to as "LegCo" by islanders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of St Helena</span> Supreme Court in Jamestown, Saint Helena

The Supreme Court of St Helena together with the St Helena Court of Appeal are the Senior Courts of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of Ascension</span>

The Governor of Ascension is the representative of the monarch in Ascension Island, a constituent part of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The role of the governor is to act as the de facto head of state.

Andrew Murray Gurr is a British retired politician who served as the Governor of Saint Helena from 2007 to 2011 and the Governor of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha from 2009 to 2011. He took up office on 11 November 2007 in a ceremony in Jamestown at which he declared his commitment to Saint Helena and dependencies in his inaugural speech. He took over from Michael Clancy with Chief Secretary Martin Hallam serving as acting Governor in the interim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Saint Helena</span> Overview of and topical guide to Saint Helena

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Saint Helena:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Tristan da Cunha</span> Overview of and topical guide to Tristan da Cunha

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Tristan da Cunha:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha have gradually evolved over the years. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is banned in the entire territory through the Constitution Order 2009 and same-sex marriage has been legal on the islands since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha</span> British Overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic and consisting of the island of Saint Helena, Ascension Island, and the archipelago of Tristan da Cunha. Its name was Saint Helena and Dependencies until 1 September 2009, when a new constitution came into force giving the three islands equal status as three territories, with a grouping under the Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha</span>

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory, does not have its own flag; however, the three administrative divisions do have their own flags:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha</span> Political structure of UK overseas territories

The politics of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha operate under the jurisdiction of the government of the United Kingdom. The three parts of the territory—Saint Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha—effectively form an asymmetric federacy and collectively constitute one of United Kingdom's fourteen overseas territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ascension Island Council</span>

The Ascension Island Council is an elected body that provides advice to the Administrator of Ascension Island on matters relating to the governance of Ascension Island. The Council is made up of either five or seven Councillors, depending on the number of candidates standing for an election, and its meetings are chaired by the Administrator. The Island's constitution requires the Governor and Administrator to consult with the Council when making laws for Ascension Island. The Governor and Administrator are not bound to accept the advice of the Council but the Council has the right of appeal to the British Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tristan da Cunha Island Council</span>

The Tristan da Cunha Island Council is the unicameral non-partisan legislature of the island of Tristan da Cunha in the Atlantic Ocean. The composition of the Island Council consists of the Administrator of Tristan da Cunha as the presiding officer, plus three appointed and eight elected members. At least one elected member of the council must be a woman.

Same-sex marriage in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha has been legal since 2017. An ordinance to open marriage to same-sex couples in Saint Helena was passed by the Legislative Council in a 9–2 vote on 19 December 2017. It went into force the following day, and the first same-sex marriage was performed on 31 December 2018. Same-sex couples have also been able to marry on Ascension Island since 1 January 2017 and in Tristan da Cunha since 4 August 2017.

References

  1. "Councils/Committees". St. Helena Government. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  2. "Improving Democracy and Accountability" (PDF). Government of St Helena. January 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  3. "Constitutional Reform: A Chief Councillor?". Government of St Helena. 16 January 2013. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2013.
  4. "PROCEEDINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL" (PDF). Government of St Helena. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. "General Election 2021 – The Results". St. Helena Government. Retrieved 28 October 2021.