About Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency situated in the English Channel, just off the coast of Normandy. It is important to distinguish the Bailiwick from the island of Guernsey itself. Alongside Guernsey, the Bailiwick includes the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou and Lihou, as well as two separate jurisdictions, Alderney and Sark. Sark also claims jurisdiction over the small island of Brecqhou. Each of these jurisdictions contains additional islets, giving the Bailiwick a varied and scattered geography.

The island of Guernsey is divided into ten parishes. Although the United Kingdom is responsible for the defence of all the islands, the Bailiwick is not part of the United Kingdom. Instead it consists of several distinct possessions of the Crown, a constitutional arrangement comparable to that of the Isle of Man. Together with the Bailiwick of Jersey, it forms the grouping commonly known as the Channel Islands.

A bailiwick is defined as the area of jurisdiction of a Bailiff. In both Guernsey and Jersey, the Bailiff serves as the senior civil officer, presiding over the legislature and the Royal Court. The two bailiwicks have had their own Bailiffs since the thirteenth century, when the islands were formally divided into separate jurisdictions. Since 2004, Guernsey has also had a Chief Minister who acts as head of government. The Bailiff is appointed by the Crown and usually serves until retirement. He presides over the Royal Court, consults with the Jurats who are elected lay judges, chairs the States of Deliberation and represents the Crown in civil matters.

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