It has had its present constitution since 1 September 2009. Executive power is exercised by the governor and the Executive Council. Legislative power is vested in both the governor and the Legislative Council. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The Executive Council consists of the governor, three ex officio officers (one, the attorney general, having no vote), and five elected members of the Legislative Council. The monarch is the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and is hereditary; the governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the British government. The chief secretary is the main advisor to the governor on the island and runs the administrative side of the government, which is based at The Castle in the capital, Jamestown.
Currently, the five elected members of the Legislative Council (along with the committees they were selected to chair on) who now serves on the Executive Council are:[1]
Lawson Arthur Henry (Economic Development Committee)
In January 2013 it was proposed that the Executive Council would be led by a "chief councillor" who would be elected by the members of the Legislative Council and would nominate the other members of the Executive Council.[2][3] These proposals were put to a referendum on 23 March 2013 where they were defeated by 158 votes to 42 on a 10% turnout.[4]
Legislative branch
The Legislative Council has 15 members, 12 members elected for a four-year term by popular vote and 3 members ex officio. This arrangement gives the governing of Saint Helena an aspect of representative democracy.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, in London, is the final court of appeal for the territory however, as is the case with all other British overseas territories.