Regions and territories: The Channel Islands

Overview

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

The Channel Islands were owned by the Duchy of Normandy, and passed to the English Crown when William the Conqueror became King of England in 1066. While England lost mainland Normandy in 1204, the islands remained possessions of the Crown and were divided into the two bailiwicks later that century.

Corbiere lighthouse Jersey

Since then the bailiwicks have maintained separate institutions, laws and media, with the exception of a common independent TV station, Channel TV.

During the Second World War the islands were occupied by Germany, causing considerable suffering to the locals. Some were deported as slave labourers, Jews were sent to concentration camps, reprisals for partisan activities were harsh, and many were reduced to near starvation by the end of the war. Accusations of collaboration and cover-up poisoned relations between many islanders for decades.

The total population is about 160,000, of whom the overwhelming majority is made up of native islanders of Norman French and British extraction. There are also groups of European Union citizens, with a prominent community from Portugal.

As Crown Dependencies the islands are not part of the United Kingdom or European Union, nor are they colonies or overseas territories of the United Kingdom like Gibraltar. They are possessions of the British Crown with independent administrations. Their assemblies pass their own legislation with the assent of the Crown granted in the Privy Council.

The Crown is responsible for defence, diplomatic representation and citizenship, although the islands maintain their own controls over housing and employment that apply to British as well as other citizens.

The islands have the right to establish direct relations with foreign governments. Although not parts of the European Union, they are in a customs union with it.

The bailiwicks are governed by elected parliaments called States, while the smaller islands of Alderney and Sark also have their own assemblies - the States and Chief Pleas respectively.

The bailiffs are the chief civil officers, and preside over the States and court of law. They are appointed by the Crown, and usually serve until retirement or death. Their powers have been steadily transferred to the States over the last 100 years, culminating in the adoption of a ministerial system and appointment of chief ministers in 2005.

The economy of the islands is dominated by financial services, tourism, electronic commerce and agriculture. The relatively light tax burden has encouraged a booming offshore finance sector. Pressure from the European Union and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development is obliging the islands to change their taxation systems for the sake of compliance, as with other offshore centres.

Facts

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

Leaders

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II. Represented by Lieutenant Governors Vice-Adm Sir Fabian Malbon (Guernsey) and Lt-Gen Andrew Ridgway (Jersey).

Bailiffs: Geoffrey Rowland (Guernsey), Sir Philip Bailhache (Jersey)

Chief minister (Guernsey): Lyndon Trott
Lyndon Trott was elected as the third chief minister of Guernsey in May 2008. A deputy of the States since 2000, he had served as treasury minister from 2004.

Chief minister (Jersey): Terry Le Sueur
Terry Le Sueur was elected Jersey's chief minister by the States in December 2008. He was born in St Helier and studied physics at Oxford University before becoming a teacher and then moving into accountancy. He was first elected as a deputy in 1987 and became a senator in 1999. From 2005 to 2008 he served as treasury minister. He has pledged to work with the European Union and the UK to ensure that Jersey's offshore finance sector complies with internationally agreed standards.

Media

• Overview
• Facts
• Leaders
• Media

Channel TV, a commercial station, and the BBC's regional TV programme "Spotlight" carry news tailored for the islands.

The UK's national radio and TV networks, including those run by the BBC, were carried via local relays until November 2010, when the Channel Islands switched over to digital. The new digital signal offers extra stations.

There are BBC and private local radio stations on Jersey and Guernsey.

Radio and TV licensing and regulation is overseen by the UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom). Locally-published dailies are available, alongside UK national titles.

The press

• Jersey Evening Post - daily
• The Guernsey Press - daily

Television

• BBC South West - carries news for Channel Islands audiences
• Channel Television - commercial, part of the UK's ITV network

Radio

• BBC Radio Jersey
• BBC Radio Guernsey
• Channel 103 -commercial, Jersey
• Island FM - commercial, Guernsey

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