Laws Of South Georgia And South Sandwich Islands

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Subject to the provisions of this Order, and except to the extent that they may be repealed, amended or modified by laws made under section 9 of this Order or by other lawful authority, the laws in force in the Territories immediately before the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:

Period 1985 – 1999

Ordinances

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
1992: South Georgia Museum Trust Ordinance (No. 1)1 MBpdf
1992: Visitors Ordinance (No. 2)134 KBpdf
1993: Appropriation (1992-1993) Ordinance (No. 2)232 KBpdf
1993: Appropriation (Past Years) Ordinance (No. 2)264 KBpdf
1994: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 1)300 KBpdf
1994: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 2)280 KBpdf
1994: Pensions (Amend) Ordinance (No. 1)269 KBpdf
1995: Supplementary Appropriation (1994 1995) Ordinance (No. 2) *369 KBpdf
1996: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 2) *346 KBpdf
1997: Appropriation Ordinance (No. 1)424 KBpdf
Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 19936 MBpdf

* numbering errors – there was no Ordinance No.1 in either year

Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
1992: Customs (Fees) Regulations 1992358 KBpdf
1994: Harbours Fees Regulations 1994304 KBpdf
1995: Harbour Fees (Amendment) Regulations 1995141 KBpdf
1997: Antarctic Act 1994 (Commencement) Order 1997239 KBpdf
1997: Antarctic Regulations 19977 MBpdf
1997: Proclamation (Export of Anti Personnel Landmines) No 2 of 19380 KBpdf
1997: Proclamation (Export of Arms) No 1 of 1997525 KBpdf
1998: Antarctic Act 1994 (Commencement of sections 3, 4 and 6) Order 1998 1/9815 KBpdf
1998: Customs (Fees)(A) Regulations 199816 KBpdf
1998: Harbours (Fees)(A) Regulations20 KBpdf
1998: Visitors (Landing Fees) Regulations 199815 KBpdf
Fisheries (Transhipment and Export) (Amendment) Regulations 199816 KBpdf
Fisheries (Transhipment and Export) Regulations 1990883 KBpdf
Fishing (Maritime Zone) Order 1993660 KBpdf

Period 2000 – 2009

Ordinances

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
2000: Currency Ordinance 200061 KBpdf
2000: Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 2000143 KBpdf
2000: Marriage Ordinance (Cap 43)(A) Ordinance 200057 KBpdf
2001: Currency (A) Ordinance 200148 KBpdf
2001: Trade Marks Ordinance 200161 KBpdf
2002: Fisheries (Conservation and Management)(Amendment) Ordinance57 KBpdf
2004: Fisheries (Conservation and Management)(Amendment)59 KBpdf
2005: Interpretation and General Clauses (Amendment) Ordinance59 KBpdf
2005: Visitors (Amendment) Ordinance 200560 KBpdf

Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
2000: Coming into force of Fisheries (Conservation and Management) Ordinance 2000141 KBpdf
2000: Post Office Order 200039 KBpdf
2002: Post Office Order 200256 KBpdf
2003: Customs (Fees)(Amendment) Regulations 200325 KBpdf
2003: Harbours (Fees)(Amendment) Regulations 200329 KBpdf
2003: Visitors (Landing Fees) Regulations 200323 KBpdf
2005: Post Office Order 200541 KBpdf
2006: Trade in Controlled Goods (Embargoed Destinations) (Amendment) Order 200623 KBpdf
2007: Commemorative Coins (2000 2006) Order 200747 KBpdf
2007: Commemorative Coins (2007 Issues) Order38 KBpdf
Fisheries (Transhipment and Export) (Amendment) Regulations 200323 KBpdf

Period 2010 – 2019

Ordinances

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
2010: Prohibited Areas Ordinance 201058 KBpdf
2010: Prohibited Areas Ordinance 201058 KBpdf
2011: Appropriation (1998 – 2010) Ordinance 201175 KBpdf
2011: Appropriation (2011) Ordinance 201174 KBpdf
2011: Postal Services Ordinance 2011100 KBpdf
2011: Wildlife and Protected Areas Ordinance 2011129 KBpdf
2011: Wildlife and Protected Areas Ordinance 2011129 KBpdf
2012: Appeals (Jurisdiction of Falkland Islands Court of Appeal) Ordinance 201276 KBpdf
2012: SGSSI Appropriation (2012) Ordinance 201275 KBpdf
2012: Supplementary Appropriation (2011) Ordinance 201274 KBpdf
2013: Appropriation (2013) Ordinance 201374 KBpdf
2013: Criminal Justice Ordinance 201372 KBpdf
2013: Postal Services (Amendment) Ordinance77 KBpdf
2013: Supplementary Appropriation (2012) Ordinance 201374 KBpdf
2013: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Amendment) Ordinance 2013106 KBpdf
2014: Appropriation (2014) Ordinance 201474 KBpdf
2014: Nuclear Safeguards Ordinance 2014100 KBpdf
2014: Supplementary Appropriation (2013) Ordinance74 KBpdf
2015: Appropriation (2015) Ordinance 201574 KBpdf
2015: Appropriation (2015) Ordinance 2015 (No 2)74 KBpdf
2015: Postal Services (Amendment) Ordinance 201575 KBpdf
2015: Supplementary Appropriation (2014) Ordinance 2015 (No 1)74 KBpdf
2016: Appropriation Ordinance 2016 (No 1 )110 KBpdf
2016: Customs Ordinance 2016358 KBpdf
2016: Income Tax Ordinance 2016479 KBpdf
2017: Appropriation 2017 Ordinance 201780 KBpdf
2017: Police Ordinance 2017163 KBpdf
2018: Appropriation (2018) Ordinance 2018 (No 1)335 KBpdf
2019: Appropriation (2019) Ordinance 2019 (No 1)240 KBpdf
2019: Appropriation (2020) Ordinance 2019 (No 6)177 KBpdf
2019: Fisheries (Conservation and Management) (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (No 3)199 KBpdf
2019: Heavy Fuel Oil (Prohibition of Carriage and Use) Ordinance 2019 (No 5)860 KBpdf
2019: Visitors (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (No 4)504 KBpdf
2019: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (No 2)500 KBpdf

Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
2010: Prohibited Areas Order 2010423 KBpdf
2011: Commemorative Coins (2007 2011) Order 201122 KBpdf
2011: Customs (Fees) Regulations 201118 KBpdf
2011: Harbour (Fees) Regulations 201122 KBpdf
2011: Harbour Fees (Amendment) Regulations 20116 KBpdf
2012: Marine Protected Areas Order 2012310 KBpdf
2013: Commemorative Coins (2011 2012) Order 201320 KBpdf
2013: Marine Protected Areas Order 20131 MBpdf
2013: Prohibited Areas Order 2013864 KBpdf
2014: Commemorative Coins Order 201417 KBpdf
2015: Antarctic Act 1994 (Overseas Territories)(Amendment) Order 2015 ( Commencement of Schedule) Order 20159 KBpdf
2015: Commemorative Coins (2014) Order 201515 KBpdf
2015: Fisheries (Transhipment and Export)(Amendment) Order 20157 KBpdf
2016: Commemorative Coins (2015 and 2016) Order 2016272 KBpdf
2016: Commemorative Coins (2017) Order 2016142 KBpdf
2016: Customs (Declarations and Clearance) Order 201686 KBpdf
2016: Guidance to Customs Ordinance119 KBpdf
2016: Guidance to Income Tax132 KBpdf
2016: Income Tax Regulations 201645 KBpdf
2017: Commemorative Coins Order107 KBpdf
2017: Guidance to Police Ordinance121 KBpdf
2018: Commemorative Coins (2018 and 2019) Order 2018329 KBpdf
2019 : Marine Protected Areas Order 2019874 KBpdf

Period 2020 –

Ordinances

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
2020: Heavy Fuel Oil (Prohibition of Carriage and Use) (Amend) Ord 2020469 KBpdf
2021: Appropriation (2022) Ordinance 2021 (No 2)163 KBpdf
2021: Appropriation Ordinance 2021 (No 1)184 KBpdf
2021: Modified Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance Cap 78248 KBpdf
2022: Entry Control Ordinance 20221 MBpdf
2022: Fisheries (Transhipment Licence Fees) (Validation) Ordinance 2022180 KBpdf
2022: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 (No 3)754 KBpdf

Proclamations, Orders, Rules and Regulations etc.

TitleFile SizeFile TypeLink
2021: Codification of Wireless Telegraphy Ordinance and Wireless Telegraphy Regulations248 KBpdf
2021: Commemorative Coins (2019, 2020 and 2021) Order 2021 (No 1)829 KBpdf
2022 O03 Commemorative Coins (2021 and 2022) Order 20221 MBpdf
2022: Wildlife and Protected Areas (Specially Protected Areas) Order 2022 (No 2)804 KBpdf