Pitcairn Supreme Court

Pitcairn Supreme Court
The coat of arms of the Pitcairn Islands
JurisdictionPitcairn Islands
LocationPitcairn Islands, New Zealand or the United Kingdom
Composition methodAppointed by the Governor of the Pitcairn Islands on the instructions of His Majesty The King[1]
Authorised byPitcairn Constitution Order 2010
Appeals toPitcairn Court of Appeal or the Privy Council
Chief Justice of the Pitcairn Islands
CurrentlyCharles Blackie VRD
Since2004
Politics of the Pitcairn Islands
Monarchy
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Related topics

The Pitcairn Supreme Court is the supreme court of the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory. It is a superior court of record. Provisions for a supreme court were set out in amendments to the Old Constitution Order in the 1990s. The court first sat for the Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004, and its powers were further elaborated on in the Constitution Order 2010.[3]

There are currently three judges appointed to the court, including Chief Justice Charles Blackie, all of whom are judges in New Zealand. An agreement between the British and New Zealand governments was signed at Wellington on 11 October 2002 which provided for Pitcairn court cases to be heard in New Zealand.[4] This was later reinforced by legislation passed in New Zealand and the Pitcairn Islands, being the Pitcairn Trials Act 2002[5] and the Judicature Amendment Ordinance[4] respectively. Hearings of the court may also be held in the United Kingdom.[6]

  1. ^ "Pitcairn Islands". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Minutes of the Regular council Meeting held at the Pulau school" (PDF). PITCAIRN ISLAND COUNCIL. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 5 Sep 2024.
  3. ^ "Pitcairn Constitution Order 2010" (PDF). Pitcairn Laws. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Judicature Amendment Ordinance" (PDF). Pitcairn Laws. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Pitcairn Trials Act 2002". New Zealand Legislation. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  6. ^ "Judicature (Courts) Ordinance" (PDF). Pitcairn Laws. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2015.