arishes including Grouville, Saint Brelade, Saint Clement,
Saint Helier, Saint John, Saint Lawrence, Saint Martin, Saint Mary,
Saint Quen, Saint Peter, Saint Saviour, and Trinity

Independence:

none (British crown dependency)

National holiday:

Liberation Day, 9 May (1945)

Constitution:

unwritten; partly statutes, partly common law and practice

Legal system:

the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply and local statutes;
justice is administered by the Royal Court

Suffrage:

16 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
represented by Lieutenant Governor Andrew RIDGEWAY (since 14 June
2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Frank WALKER (since December
2005); Bailiff Philip Martin BAILHACHE (since February 1995)
cabinet: Cabinet (since December 2005)
elections: ministers of the Cabinet including the chief minister are
elected by the Assembly of States; the monarch is hereditary;
lieutenant governor and bailiff appointed by the monarch

Legislative branch:

unicameral Assembly of the States of Jersey (58 seats; 55 are voting
members, of which 12 are senators elected for six-year terms, 12 are
constables or heads of parishes elected for three-year terms, 29 are
deputies elected for three-year terms, the bailiff and the deputy
bailiff, and 3 non-voting members includes the Dean of Jersey, the
Attorney General, and the Solicitor General appointed by the monarch)
elections: last held 19 October 2005 for senators and 23 November
2005 for deputies (next to be held on 15 October 2008)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 55

Judicial branch:

Royal Court (judges elected by an electoral college and the bailiff)

Political parties and leaders:

two declared parties: Centre Party; Jersey Democratic Alliance
note: all senators and deputies elected in 2005 were independents

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Institute of Directors, Jersey branch (provides business support);
Jersey Hospitality Association [Robert JONES] (trade association);
Jersey Rights Association [David ROTHERHAM] (human rights); La
Societe Jersiaise (education and conservation group); Progress
Jersey [Darius J. PEARCE, Daren O'TOOLE, Gino RISOLI] (human
rights); Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society or
RJA&HS (development and management of the Jersey breed of cattle);
Save Jersey's Heritage (protects heri