Knowra Bailiwick of Guernsey Bailiwick of Guernsey The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a self-governing Crown dependency in the English Channel comprising Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, and smaller islands. It is not part of the United Kingdom, though the Crown is responsible for its defence and international relations.
Guernsey : The largest island and principal jurisdiction of the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is the Bailiwick’s largest island and the seat of its main institutions.
States of Guernsey : The legislature and government of Guernsey, responsible for most domestic affairs on the island. It governs Guernsey, the Bailiwick’s largest island.
Duchy of Normandy : A medieval polity established in northern France and ruled by the dukes of Normandy. The islands’ Norman connection underlies their continuing allegiance to the Crown.
Bailiwick of Jersey : A self-governing Crown dependency in the Channel Islands, separate from the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is the Bailiwick’s nearest constitutional counterpart, with its own government.
Alderney : An island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey with its own legislature and substantial local autonomy. It is a separate island jurisdiction within the Bailiwick.
States of Alderney : The legislature of Alderney, responsible for the island’s local affairs. Alderney retains its own legislature within the Bailiwick.
William the Conqueror : The Duke of Normandy who became king of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. His accession linked the islands’ Norman rulers to the English Crown.
United Kingdom : A sovereign state comprising England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The Bailiwick is not part of the United Kingdom despite its close constitutional ties.
Sark : A small Channel Island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, governed through its own parliament, the Chief Pleas. Its distinctive local government makes the Bailiwick constitutionally varied.
Chief Pleas of Sark : The elected parliament of Sark, which legislates for the island’s local affairs. Sark’s legislature illustrates the Bailiwick’s distinct island-level government.
Show all 21