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	Solomon Islands System of Government Information
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Pacific Governments - Solomon Islands

GOVERNMENT OF SOLOMON ISLANDS

Country name:

• Solomon Islands
• Former name: British Solomon Islands

• Honiara

• Parliamentary democracy
• Former government: UK protectorate

• 7 July 1978 (from UK)

Constitution:

• The Constitution of Solomon Islands - 7 July 1978

Legal system:

• Acts of Solomon Islands parliament, English common law

Suffrage:

• 21 years of age; universal

Official Languages:

• Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca; English spoken by small percentage of population; approximately 120 indigenous languages

(i) Executive Branch:

Head of State: British monarch represented by Governor General; the monarch is hereditary; Governor General appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years.

Head of Government: - Prime Minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected Prime Minister by Parliament; Deputy Prime Minister appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister from among the members of Parliament.

Cabinet: appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister from among the members of Parliament.

(ii) Legislative Branch:

Parliament: Unicameral National Parliament - 50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms.

(iii) Judicial Branch:

Court of Appeal; High Court; Magistrates Courts; Local Courts; Customary Land Appeal Court

(See Court System for a full overview)

• 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western
  note: there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished.