Government and Politics

Government and Politics of Guernsey

Government structure, leadership, capital, military, and national symbols of Guernsey.

Government Structure

Constitutional foundations, branches, parties, and leadership.

Government Type: NA
Administrative Divisions: none (British crown dependency); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 10 parishes including Saint Peter Port, Saint Sampson, Vale, Castel, Saint Saviour, Saint Pierre du Bois, Torteval, Forest, Saint Martin, Saint Andrew
Legal System: English law and local statute; justice is administered by the Royal Court
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Citizenship: See United Kingdom
Executive Branch: chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022), represented by Lieutenant Governor Vice Admiral Sir Ian CORDER (since 15 February 2020) head of government: Chief Minister Lyndon TROTT (since 5 May 2023) cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch; chief minister is elected by the States of Deliberation election results: Lyndon TROTT elected chief minister by the States of Deliberation following the 2023 general election
Legislative Branch: Unicameral States of Deliberation (38 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve 4-year terms); note - Alderney and Sark have their own legislatures, the States of Alderney and the Chief Pleas of Sark, respectively Elections: last held on 27 April 2022 (next to be held in 2026) Election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - all independents
Judicial Branch: Royal Court
Political Parties: none; all independents
Head of State: King CHARLES III, represented by Lieutenant Governor Vice Admiral Sir Ian CORDER
Head of Government: Chief Minister Lyndon TROTT
Cabinet: Policy Council elected by the States of Deliberation
Elections: last held on 27 April 2022 (next to be held in 2026)
Election Results: All seats in the States of Guernsey are held by independents, as political parties do not formally contest elections. In the most recent general election, held in June 2020, voters elected 38 People's Deputies to serve four-year terms, all standing as independents without party affiliation. The island's electoral system reflects a long-standing tradition of non-partisan governance, with candidates assessed on individual merit rather than party platforms.
Constitution: unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice
Independence: none (British crown dependency)
National Holiday: Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)
International Organization Participation: none
Diplomatic Representation in the U.S.: none (British crown dependency)
U.S. Diplomatic Representation: none (British crown dependency)

Capital City

Seat of government and political history.

Capital City: Saint Peter Port
Location: 49 27 N, 2 32 W
Time Difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
History: Saint Peter Port is the name of the town and its surrounding parish; the "port" distinguishes this parish from that of Saint Peter on the other side of the island

National Symbols

Flag, anthem, and other symbols of national identity.

white with the red cross of Saint George (patron saint of England) extending to the edges of the flag and a yellow equal-armed cross of William the Conqueror superimposed on the Saint George cross

Unlock everything — 2-Day Pass · $2

Every country, every topic, all activities & recipes

✓ Instant access on this device · ✓ No subscription

Prefer longer? A full year is $15·Already a member? Sign in

Back to Guernsey