Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands

Last updated

The speaker of the Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands. The speaker also administers the oaths of office and allegiance.

The Legislative Council (established in 1845) was presided over by the governor until 2002 when the office of speaker was created. In 2009 the new Constitution of the Falkland Islands replaced the Legislative Council with the Legislative Assembly and also laid out the election, powers and role of the speaker.

The speaker is elected by the Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) at the first meeting of the Assembly after an election. Unlike the speaker of the House of Commons, the speaker of the Legislative Assembly does not need to be a member of the Assembly, although the speaker must be eligible to stand as a MLA. The MLAs also elect a deputy speaker, in the same manner as the speaker, who acts as presiding officer in the absence of the speaker.

The speaker and the deputy speaker are elected for the life of the Legislative Assembly although they can be removed by a motion of no confidence supported by at least six of the eight elected MLAs. During the speaker election, the attorney general acts as presiding officer.

List of office-holders

NameEntered officeLeft office
None
(The Governor of the Falkland Islands )
18452002
Hon. Lionel Geoffrey 'Tim' Blake, OBE, JP 20022005
Hon. Darwin Lewis Clifton, OBE November 2005February 2009
Hon. Keith Biles, JP 27 February 2009Present

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of the Falkland Islands</span>

The politics of the Falkland Islands takes place in a framework of a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary representative democratic dependency as set out by the constitution, whereby the Governor exercises the duties of head of state in the absence of the monarch and the Chief Executive is the head of the Civil Service, with an elected Legislative Assembly to propose new laws, national policy, approve finance and hold the executive to account.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Speaker (politics)</span> Presiding officer of a legislative body

The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.

A member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly. Most often, the term refers to a subnational assembly such as that of a state, province, or territory of a country. Still, in a few instances, it refers to a national legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Governor of the Falkland Islands</span>

The governor of the Falkland Islands is the representative of the British Crown in the Falkland Islands, acting "in His Majesty's name and on His Majesty's behalf" as the islands' de facto head of state in the absence of the British monarch. The role and powers of the governor are set out in Chapter II of the Falkland Islands Constitution. The governor in office resides at Government House, which serves as the official residence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands</span> Local legislative assembly of the Falkland Islands

The Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands is the unicameral legislature of the British Overseas Territory of the Falkland Islands. The Legislative Assembly replaced the Legislative Council when the new Constitution of the Falklands came into force in 2009 and laid out the composition, powers and procedures of the islands' legislature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands</span>

The chief executive of the Falklands Islands is head of the public service responsible for the efficient and effective management of the Falkland Islands Government. The appointment, role and powers of the chief executive are set out in the Constitution of the Falkland Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legislative Council of the Falkland Islands</span>

The Legislative Council of the Falkland Islands was the unicameral legislature of the Falkland Islands from 13 November 1845 until 1 January 2009. The new constitution came into force in 2009 and replaced the Legislative Council with the Legislative Assembly of the Falkland Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sabah State Legislative Assembly</span> Legislative branch of the Sabah state government

The Sabah State Legislative Assembly is a part of the legislature of Sabah, Malaysia, the other being the governor of Sabah. The assembly meets at the Sabah State Legislative Assembly Building at Likas in the state capital of Kota Kinabalu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Executive Council of the Falkland Islands</span>

The Executive Council of the Falkland Islands is the policy making body of the Government of the Falkland Islands, exercising executive power by advising the Governor. It has an equivalent role to that of the Privy Council in the United Kingdom. The first Executive Council for the Falklands was inaugurated on 2 April 1845 by Governor Richard Moody.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of the Falkland Islands</span>

The Falkland Islands Constitution is a predominantly codified constitution documented primarily within the Falkland Islands Constitution Order 2008, a statutory instrument of the United Kingdom. The constitution, in its present form, was made on 5 November 2008 by Queen Elizabeth II in a meeting of the Privy Council at Buckingham Palace. It was laid before Parliament on 12 November 2008 and came into force on 1 January 2009, replacing the 1985 constitution.

The President of the New South Wales Legislative Council is the presiding officer of the upper house of the Parliament of New South Wales, the Legislative Council. The presiding officer of the lower house is the speaker of the Legislative Assembly. The role of President has generally been a partisan office, filled by the governing party of the time. As of May 2023, the president is Ben Franklin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 Falkland Islands general election</span>

The Falkland Islands general election of 2009 was held on Thursday 5 November 2009 to elect members to the Legislative Assembly. It was the first general election in the Falkland Islands since the new constitution came into force on 1 January 2009, which replaced the old Legislative Council with the Legislative Assembly. Chief Executive Tim Thorogood acted as Returning Officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarawak State Legislative Assembly</span> Unicameral legislature of the Malaysian state of Sarawak

The Sarawak State Legislative Assembly is the legislative chamber of the unicameral legislature of the Malaysian state of Sarawak; the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak forms the other part of the legislature. The Assembly is modelled after the traditions of the Westminster parliamentary system, which originates from the practices of the British Parliament. The executive branch of government is drawn from the elected members of the Assembly. The State Legislative Assembly sits at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building located in Petra Jaya in Kuching, the state capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Director of Finance of the Falkland Islands</span>

The director of finance of the Falkland Islands is the government officer responsible for economic and financial matters in the Falkland Islands. The role and powers of the director of finance are set out in Chapter VI of the Falkland Islands Constitution. The position replaced the office of financial secretary in 2009 when the new Constitution came into effect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Summers</span> Falkland islands politician

Michael Victor Summers is a Falkland Islands politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Stanley constituency from 2011 to 2017. He was previously a Member of the Legislative Council from 1996–2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Hansen</span> Falkland Islands politician (born 1958)

Ian Hansen is a Falkland Islander farmer and politician who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the Camp constituency after winning an uncontested by-election in 2011 which filled the seat vacated by Bill Luxton. Hansen had already served on the Legislative Assembly from 2003 until 2009. He was initially elected as a member of the Legislative Council, which was reconstituted into the Legislative Assembly with the implementation of the 2009 Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Falkland Islands general election</span>

The Falkland Islands general election of 2021 was held on Thursday 4 November 2021 to elect all eight members of the Legislative Assembly through universal suffrage using block voting, with the Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands acting as returning officer. It was the fourth election since the new Constitution came into force replacing the Legislative Council with the Legislative Assembly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Next Falkland Islands general election</span>

The next Falkland Islands general election will elect all eight members of the Legislative Assembly through universal suffrage using block voting, with the Chief Executive of the Falkland Islands acting as returning officer. It will be the fifth election since the new Constitution came into force replacing the Legislative Council with the Legislative Assembly.

References