|
Flags of the Crown Dependencies | |
| Anthem: "God Save the King" | |
| Largest territory | Isle of Man |
| Official languages | English |
| Government | |
| Charles III | |
| Area | |
• Total | 768 km2 (297 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 2021 Census estimate | 252,719 (exc. Sark) |
| Currency | Pound sterling[b] (£) (GBP) |
| Time zone | UTC+00:00 (GMT) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+01:00 (BST) |
| Date format | dd/mm/yyyy |
| Driving side | left |
| Calling code | +44 |
The Crown Dependencies[c] are three offshore island territories in the British Islands that are self-governing possessions of the British Crown: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, both located in the English Channel and together known as the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland.
They are closely related to the countries of United Kingdom (UK), although they are not part of them.[1][2] They have the status of "territories for which the United Kingdom is responsible", rather than sovereign states.[3] As a result, they are not member states of the Commonwealth of Nations.[4] However, they do have relationships with the Commonwealth and other international organisations, and are members of the British–Irish Council. They have their own teams in the Commonwealth Games.
Each island's political development has been largely independent from, though often parallel with, that of the UK,[5] and they are akin to "miniature states with wide powers of self-government".[6]
As the Crown Dependencies are not sovereign states, the power to pass legislation affecting the islands ultimately rests with the King-in-Council (though this power is rarely exercised without the consent of the dependencies, and the right to do so is disputed). However, they each have their own legislative assembly, with power to legislate on many local matters with the assent of the Crown (the Privy Council, or, in the case of the Isle of Man, in certain circumstances the lieutenant-governor or, in the case of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Lieutenant-Governor).[7] In Jersey and the Isle of Man, the head of government is called the chief minister. In Guernsey, the head representative of the committee-based government is the President of the Policy and Resources Committee.
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- ^ "Crown Dependencies – Justice Committee". Parliament of the United Kingdom. 30 March 2010. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^ "Background briefing on the Crown dependencies: Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man" (PDF). Ministry of Justice. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ "Fact sheet on the UK's relationship with the Crown Dependencies" (PDF). Ministry of Justice. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
- ^ "Government Response to the Justice Select Committee's report: Crown Dependencies" (PDF). Ministry of Justice. November 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
- ^ Kelleher, John D. (1991). The rural community in nineteenth century Jersey (Thesis). S.l.: typescript. Archived from the original on 28 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Report of the Royal Commission on the Constitution, "Kilbrandon Report". 1973. Vol 1.
- ^ "Profile of Jersey". States of Jersey. Archived from the original on 2 September 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2008.
The legislature passes primary legislation, which requires approval by The King in Council, and enacts subordinate legislation in many areas without any requirement for Royal Sanction and under powers conferred by primary legislation.