Editing Guernsey (section)

==Politics==
{{main|Politics of Guernsey}}
Guernsey is a [[Parliamentary system|parliamentary]] [[representative democracy]] and a British [[Crown Dependencies|Crown Dependency]]. The [[Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey]] is the "representative of [[the Crown]] in right of the ''république'' of the Bailiwick of Guernsey".<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 March 2010 |title=Review of the Roles of the Jersey Crown officers |url=http://www.gov.je/SiteCollectionDocuments/Government%20and%20administration/R%20Guernsey%20LOs%20Submission%2020100330%20HR%20v1.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110621222617/http://www.gov.je/SiteCollectionDocuments/Government%20and%20administration/R%20Guernsey%20LOs%20Submission%2020100330%20HR%20v1.pdf |archive-date=21 June 2011 |url-status=live |access-date=31 May 2011}}</ref> The [[official residence]] of the Lieutenant Governor is Government House. Since 2022 the incumbent has been [[Lieutenant general (United Kingdom)|Lieutenant General]] [[Richard Cripwell]] {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|CB|CBE|CStJ}}. The post was created in 1835 as a result of the abolition of the office of Governor. Since that point, the Lieutenant Governor has always resided locally.<ref>{{harvnb|Crossan|2015|p=8}}</ref>

The jurisdiction is not part of the [[United Kingdom]], although defence and most foreign relations are handled by the British Government.<ref name="Ogier" />

The entire jurisdiction lies within the [[Common Travel Area]] of the [[British Islands]] and the [[Republic of Ireland]]. Taken together with the separate jurisdictions of [[Alderney]] and [[Sark]] it forms the [[Bailiwick of Guernsey]].

===States of Guernsey===
{{main|States of Guernsey}}
[[File:Lieutenant Governor and Bailiff of Guernsey.jpg|thumb|right|Bailiff Richard Collas (right) attending [[Elizabeth II]]'s birthday parade 2016 in his formal robes]]
The deliberative assembly of the States of Guernsey ({{lang|fr|États de Guernesey}}) is called the States of Deliberation ({{lang|fr|États de Délibération}}) and consists of 38 People's Deputies, elected on an islandwide basis every four years.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 December 2020 |title=Guernsey Election 2020: Island-wide vote 'successful' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-guernsey-55216328 |access-date=27 December 2020}}</ref> There are also two representatives from [[Alderney]], a semi-autonomous dependency of the Bailiwick, but [[Sark]] sends no representative since it has its own legislature. The [[Bailiff of Guernsey|Bailiff]] or Deputy Bailiff preside in the assembly. There are also two non-voting members: H.M. Procureur (analogous to the role of [[Attorney General]]) and H.M. Comptroller (analogous to [[Solicitor General]]), both appointed by the Crown and collectively known as the Law Officers of the Crown.

A ''projet de loi'' is the equivalent of a UK bill or a French ''projet de loi'', and a law is the equivalent of a UK [[Act of Parliament in the UK|act of parliament]] or a French ''loi''. A draft law passed by the States can have no legal effect until formally approved by His Majesty in Council and promulgated by means of an [[order in council]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dawes |first=Gordon |title=Laws of Guernsey |publisher=Hart Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=978-1847311856 |location=Oxford}}</ref> Laws are given the Royal Sanction at regular meetings of the Privy Council in London, after which they are returned to the islands for formal registration at the [[Courts of Guernsey#Royal Court|Royal Court]]. The States also make delegated legislation known as Ordinances (''Ordonnances'') and Orders (''ordres'') which do not require the [[Royal Assent]]. Commencement orders are usually in the form of ordinances.

The [[Policy and Resources Committee of Guernsey|Policy and Resources Committee]] is responsible for Guernsey's constitutional and external affairs, developing strategic and corporate policy and coordinating States business. It also examines proposals and Reports placed before Guernsey's Parliament (the States of Deliberation) by Departments and Non States Bodies. The President of the committee is the de facto head of government of Guernsey.<ref name="P&R">{{Cite web |title=Policy & Resources |date=15 April 2016 |url=https://www.gov.gg/article/152833/Policy--Resources |publisher=States of Guernsey}}</ref>

===Legal system===
{{main|Law of Guernsey}}
Guernsey's legal system originates in Norman Customary Law, overlaid with principles taken from [[English common law]] and [[Equity (law)|Equity]] as well as from statute law enacted by the competent legislature(s) – usually, but not always, the States of Guernsey. Guernsey has almost complete autonomy over internal affairs and certain external matters. However, the Crown – that is to say, the UK Government – retains an ill-defined reserved power to intervene in the domestic affairs of any of the three Crown Dependencies within the [[British Islands]] "in the interests of good government".<ref>{{cite court|litigants=Hotchkiss v. Channel Islands Knitwear Company Limited|date=2001|pinpoint=207}}</ref> The UK Parliament is also a source of Guernsey law for those matters which are reserved to the UK, namely defence and foreign affairs.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Conventions and Treaties |url=https://www.gov.gg/conventions |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=The official website for the States of Guernsey}}</ref>

The head of the bailiwick judiciary in Guernsey is the Bailiff, who, as well as performing the judicial functions of a Chief Justice, is also the head of the States of Guernsey and has certain civic, ceremonial and executive functions. The Bailiff's functions may be exercised by the Deputy Bailiff. The posts of Bailiff and Deputy Bailiff are Crown appointments. Sixteen Jurats, who need no specific legal training, are elected by the [[States of Election]] from among Islanders. They act as a jury, as judges in civil and criminal cases and fix the sentence in criminal cases. First mentioned in 1179, there is a list of Jurats who have served since 1299.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurats |date=4 August 2011 |url=http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/3089/Jurats |publisher=Guernsey Royal Court}}</ref>

The oldest [[Courts of Guernsey]] can be traced back to the 9th century. The principal court is the Royal Court and exercises both civil and criminal jurisdiction. Additional courts, such as the Magistrate's Court, which deals with minor criminal matters, and the Court of Appeal, which hears appeals from the Royal Court, have been added to the Island's legal system over the years.{{Citation needed|date=November 2021}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Magistrate's Court - Royal Court |url=https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/6328/The-Magistrates-Court |access-date=9 April 2024 |website=The Magistrate's Court}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Magistrate's Court |url=https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/6328/The-Magistrates-Court |access-date=10 August 2024 |website=The Royal Court of Guernsey}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Criminal and Civil Jurisdiction of the Magistrate's Court |url=https://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/6329/Criminal-and-Civil-Jurisdiction-of-the-Magistrates-Court |access-date=10 August 2024 |website=The Royal Court of Guernsey}}</ref>

===External relations===
{{main|External relations of Guernsey}}
Several European countries have a consular presence within the jurisdiction. The French Consulate is based at [[Victor Hugo]]'s former residence at [[Hauteville House]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consulate of France in Guernsey, United Kingdom |url=https://www.embassypages.com/missions/embassy4446/ |access-date=19 September 2017 |website=Embassypages.com}}</ref>

While the jurisdiction of Guernsey has complete autonomy over internal affairs and certain external matters, the topic of complete independence from the British Crown has been discussed widely and frequently, with ideas ranging from Guernsey obtaining independence as a Dominion to the bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey uniting and forming an independent Federal State within the Commonwealth, whereby both islands retain their independence with regards to domestic affairs but internationally, the islands would be regarded as one state.<ref name=HoG/>

Although it was not a member of the [[European Union]], it had a special relationship with it until [[Brexit]]. It had been treated as part of the European Community with access to the single market for the purposes of the free trade in goods. From 2021 with free travel to the continent ceasing, additional bureaucratic procedures come into force, including the need for international driving licences.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-09-30 |title=Brits, don’t drive into the EU without this new sticker |url=https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021/09/30/brits-don-t-drive-into-the-eu-without-this-new-sticker |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=euronews |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ogier |first=Mark |date=2024-08-29 |title=Visa waivers needed before travelling to Europe next year |url=https://guernseypress.com/news/2024/08/29/visa-waivers-needed-before-travelling-to-europe-next-year/ |access-date=2024-12-07 |website=guernseypress.com |language=en}}</ref>

===Parishes===
[[File:Guernsey (zoom), administrative divisions - en - colored.svg|thumb|450px|The parishes of Guernsey]]
{{main|Parishes of Guernsey}}
Guernsey has ten [[Parish (administrative division)|parishes]], which act as civil administration districts with limited powers. Each parish is administered by a Douzaine, made up of twelve members or more, known as Douzeniers.<ref>{{cite web |title=Douzenier or Constable |url=https://womeninpubliclife.gg/index.php/douzenier/ |access-date=27 August 2023}}</ref> Douzeniers are elected for a four-year mandate, three, four or five Douzeniers being elected by parishioners at a parish meeting each year. The senior Douzenier is known as the Doyen (Dean). Two elected [[Connétable (Jersey and Guernsey)|Constables]] ({{lang|fr|Connétables}}) carry out the decisions of the Douzaine, serving for between one and three years. The longer serving Constable is known as the Senior Constable and his or her colleague as the Junior Constable.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parochial Officers |url=http://www.stppcons.com/information/parochialofficers.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313024623/http://stppcons.com/information/parochialofficers.html |archive-date=13 March 2017 |access-date=29 November 2017 |website=St Peter Port Parish}}</ref> The Douzaines levy an Occupiers Rate on properties to provide funding for running of the administration.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parishes and Douzaines |url=http://www.guernseyroyalcourt.gg/article/1954/Parishes-and-Douzaines |access-date=22 September 2017 |website=The Royal Court of Guernsey|date=22 June 2011 }}</ref>

Guernsey's [[Parish (Church of England)|Church of England parishes]] fall under the [[See of Canterbury]], having split from the [[Bishopric of Winchester]] in 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=13 April 2014 |title=Channel Islands' Anglican churches pay Parish Shares to Canterbury |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27004204 |access-date=19 September 2017}}</ref> The biggest parish is Castel, while the most populated is St Peter Port.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parishes |url=https://www.swoffers.co.uk/relocating-to-guernsey/parishes/ |access-date=4 March 2022 |website=Swoffers |language=en-GB}}</ref>