Upon the coming into operation of the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Order 1985 on 3 October 1985 South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands became a separate British Overseas Territory.
The South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Order 1985 sets out the territory’s principal constitutional arrangements including:
Section 4: Establishment of office of Commissioner
There shall be a Commissioner for the Territories who shall be the officer for the time being administering the Government of the Falkland Islands.
Section 9: Power to make laws
- The Commissioner may make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Territories.
- Subject to the provisions of any instructions from time to time given by Her Majesty through a Secretary of State, the Commissioner shall in the making of laws observe, so far as practicable, the rules set out in the Annex to this Order.
- All laws made by the Commissioner in exercise of the powers conferred by this Order shall be published in the Official Gazette for the Territories and in such manner and at such place or places in the Territories as the Commissioner may from time to time direct.
- Every such law shall come into operation on the date on which it is published in accordance with the provisions of subsection (3) of this section unless it is provided, either in such law or in some other enactment, that it shall come into operation on some other date, in which case it shall come into operation on that date.
Section 12: Existing laws
Subject to the provisions of this Order, and except to the extent that they may be repealed, amended or modified by laws made under section 9 of this Order or by other lawful authority, the laws in force in the Territories immediately before the commencement of this Order shall continue in force in the Territories but shall be applied with such adaptations, modifications and exceptions as are necessary to bring them into conformity with the provisions of this Order.
Since 1985 the Commissioners have enacted Ordinances, made Proclamations and secondary legislation.
The following tables list the primary and secondary legislation made.
All of the Ordinances, S.R & Os and other instruments and notices listed can be viewed in:
- Gazettes
- Bound Year books or, if current law on
- Current Laws
Period 1985 – 1999
Ordinances
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 01 South Georgia Museum Trust Ordinance 1992 | 1 MB | |||
| 1992 02 Visitors Ordinance 1992 | 134 KB | |||
| 1993 02 Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 1993 | 6 MB | |||
| 1993: Appropriation (1992-1993) Ordinance (No. 2) | 232 KB | |||
| 1993: Appropriation (Past Years) Ordinance (No. 2) | 264 KB | |||
| 1994: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 1) | 300 KB | |||
| 1994: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 2) | 280 KB | |||
| 1994: Pensions (Amend) Ordinance (No. 1) | 269 KB | |||
| 1995: Supplementary Appropriation (1994 1995) Ordinance (No. 2) * | 369 KB | |||
| 1996: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 2) * | 346 KB | |||
| 1997: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 1) | 424 KB |
* numbering errors – there was no Ordinance No.1 in either year
Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 01 Fisheries (Transhipment and Export) Regulations 1990 | 883 KB | |||
| 1992: Customs (Fees) Regulations 1992 | 358 KB | |||
| 1993 01 Fishing (Maritime Zone) Order 1993 | 660 KB | |||
| 1994: Harbours Fees Regulations 1994 | 304 KB | |||
| 1995: Harbour Fees (Amendment) Regulations 1995 | 141 KB | |||
| 1997: Antarctic Act 1994 (Commencement) Order 1997 | 239 KB | |||
| 1997: Antarctic Regulations 1997 | 7 MB | |||
| 1997: Proclamation (Export of Anti Personnel Landmines) No 2 of 19 | 380 KB | |||
| 1997: Proclamation (Export of Arms) No 1 of 1997 | 525 KB | |||
| 1998 05 Fisheries (Transhipment and Export) (Amendment) Regulations 1998 | 16 KB | |||
| 1998: Antarctic Act 1994 (Commencement of sections 3, 4 and 6) Order 1998 1/98 | 15 KB | |||
| 1998: Customs (Fees)(A) Regulations 1998 | 16 KB | |||
| 1998: Harbours (Fees)(A) Regulations | 20 KB | |||
| 1998: Visitors (Landing Fees) Regulations 1998 | 15 KB |
Period 2000 – 2009
Ordinances
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000: Currency Ordinance 2000 | 61 KB | |||
| 2000: Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 2000 | 143 KB | |||
| 2000: Marriage Ordinance (Cap 43)(A) Ordinance 2000 | 57 KB | |||
| 2001: Currency (A) Ordinance 2001 | 48 KB | |||
| 2001: Trade Marks Ordinance 2001 | 61 KB | |||
| 2002: Fisheries (Conservation and Management)(Amendment) Ordinance | 57 KB | |||
| 2004: Fisheries (Conservation and Management)(Amendment) | 59 KB | |||
| 2005: Interpretation and General Clauses (Amendment) Ordinance | 59 KB | |||
| 2005: Visitors (Amendment) Ordinance 2005 | 60 KB |
Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000: Coming into force of Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 2000 | 141 KB | |||
| 2000: Post Office Order 2000 | 39 KB | |||
| 2002: Post Office Order 2002 | 56 KB | |||
| 2003: Customs (Fees)(Amendment) Regulations 2003 | 25 KB | |||
| 2003: Harbours (Fees)(Amendment) Regulations 2003 | 29 KB | |||
| 2003: Visitors (Landing Fees) Regulations 2003 | 23 KB | |||
| 2005: Post Office Order 2005 | 41 KB | |||
| 2006: Trade in Controlled Goods (Embargoed Destinations) (Amendment) Order 2006 | 23 KB | |||
| 2007: Commemorative Coins (2000 2006) Order 2007 | 47 KB | |||
| 2007: Commemorative Coins (2007 Issues) Order | 38 KB | |||
| 2015 02 Fisheries (Transhipment and Export) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 | 23 KB |
Period 2010 – 2019
Ordinances
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010: Prohibited Areas Ordinance 2010 | 58 KB | |||
| 2010: Prohibited Areas Ordinance 2010 | 58 KB | |||
| 2011: Appropriation (1998 – 2010) Ordinance 2011 | 75 KB | |||
| 2011: Appropriation (2011) Ordinance 2011 | 74 KB | |||
| 2011: Postal Services Ordinance 2011 | 100 KB | |||
| 2011: Wildlife and Protected Areas Ordinance 2011 | 129 KB | |||
| 2011: Wildlife and Protected Areas Ordinance 2011 | 129 KB | |||
| 2012: Appeals (Jurisdiction of Falkland Islands Court of Appeal) Ordinance 2012 | 76 KB | |||
| 2012: SGSSI Appropriation (2012) Ordinance 2012 | 75 KB | |||
| 2012: Supplementary Appropriation (2011) Ordinance 2012 | 74 KB | |||
| 2013: Appropriation (2013) Ordinance 2013 | 74 KB | |||
| 2013: Criminal Justice Ordinance 2013 | 72 KB | |||
| 2013: Postal Services (Amendment) Ordinance | 77 KB | |||
| 2013: Supplementary Appropriation (2012) Ordinance 2013 | 74 KB | |||
| 2013: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Amendment) Ordinance 2013 | 106 KB | |||
| 2014: Appropriation (2014) Ordinance 2014 | 74 KB | |||
| 2014: Nuclear Safeguards Ordinance 2014 | 100 KB | |||
| 2014: Supplementary Appropriation (2013) Ordinance | 74 KB | |||
| 2015: Appropriation (2015) Ordinance 2015 | 74 KB | |||
| 2015: Appropriation (2015) Ordinance 2015 (No 2) | 74 KB | |||
| 2015: Postal Services (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 | 75 KB | |||
| 2015: Supplementary Appropriation (2014) Ordinance 2015 (No 1) | 74 KB | |||
| 2016: Appropriation Ordinance 2016 (No 1 ) | 110 KB | |||
| 2016: Customs Ordinance 2016 | 358 KB | |||
| 2016: Income Tax Ordinance 2016 | 479 KB | |||
| 2017: Appropriation 2017 Ordinance 2017 | 80 KB | |||
| 2017: Police Ordinance 2017 | 163 KB | |||
| 2018: Appropriation (2018) Ordinance 2018 (No 1) | 335 KB | |||
| 2019: Appropriation (2019) Ordinance 2019 (No 1) | 240 KB | |||
| 2019: Appropriation (2020) Ordinance 2019 (No 6) | 177 KB | |||
| 2019: Fisheries (Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (No 3) | 199 KB | |||
| 2019: Heavy Fuel Oil (Prohibition of Carriage and Use) Ordinance 2019 (No 5) | 860 KB | |||
| 2019: Visitors (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (No 4) | 504 KB | |||
| 2019: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (No 2) | 500 KB |
Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010: Prohibited Areas Order 2010 | 423 KB | |||
| 2011: Commemorative Coins (2007 2011) Order 2011 | 22 KB | |||
| 2011: Customs (Fees) Regulations 2011 | 18 KB | |||
| 2011: Harbour (Fees) Regulations 2011 | 22 KB | |||
| 2011: Harbour Fees (Amendment) Regulations 2011 | 6 KB | |||
| 2012: Marine Protected Areas Order 2012 | 310 KB | |||
| 2013: Commemorative Coins (2011 2012) Order 2013 | 20 KB | |||
| 2013: Marine Protected Areas Order 2013 | 1 MB | |||
| 2013: Prohibited Areas Order 2013 | 864 KB | |||
| 2014: Commemorative Coins Order 2014 | 17 KB | |||
| 2015: Antarctic Act 1994 (Overseas Territories)(Amendment) Order 2015 ( Commencement of Schedule) Order 2015 | 9 KB | |||
| 2015: Commemorative Coins (2014) Order 2015 | 15 KB | |||
| 2015: Fisheries (Transhipment and Export)(Amendment) Order 2015 | 7 KB | |||
| 2016: Commemorative Coins (2015 and 2016) Order 2016 | 272 KB | |||
| 2016: Commemorative Coins (2017) Order 2016 | 142 KB | |||
| 2016: Customs (Declarations and Clearance) Order 2016 | 86 KB | |||
| 2016: Guidance to Customs Ordinance | 119 KB | |||
| 2016: Guidance to Income Tax | 132 KB | |||
| 2016: Income Tax Regulations 2016 | 45 KB | |||
| 2017: Commemorative Coins Order | 107 KB | |||
| 2017: Guidance to Police Ordinance | 121 KB | |||
| 2018: Commemorative Coins (2018 and 2019) Order 2018 | 329 KB | |||
| 2019 : Marine Protected Areas Order 2019 | 874 KB |
Period 2020 –
Ordinances
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020: Heavy Fuel Oil (Prohibition of Carriage and Use) (Amend) Ord 2020 | 469 KB | |||
| 2021: Appropriation (2022) Ordinance 2021 (No 2) | 163 KB | |||
| 2021: Appropriation Ordinance 2021 (No 1) | 184 KB | |||
| 2021: Modified Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance Cap 78 | 248 KB | |||
| 2022: Entry Control Ordinance 2022 | 1 MB | |||
| 2022: Fisheries (Transhipment Licence Fees) (Validation) Ordinance 2022 | 180 KB | |||
| 2022: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 (No 3) | 754 KB |
Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.
| Title | File Size | File Type | Link | file_type_hfilter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021: Codification of Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance and Wireless Telegraphy Regulations | 248 KB | |||
| 2021: Commemorative Coins (2019, 2020 and 2021) Order 2021 (No 1) | 829 KB | |||
| 2022 O03 Commemorative Coins (2021 and 2022) Order 2022 | 1 MB | |||
| 2022: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Specially Protected Areas) Order 2022 (No 2) | 804 KB |