About Guernsey

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. The Bailiwick should be distinguished from the island of Guernsey. As well as the island of Guernsey itself, the Bailiwick includes also the islands of Herm, Jethou, Burhou, Lihou, as well as two other separate jurisdictions, the island of Alderney and the island of Sark, the latter of which also claims jurisdiction over the island of Brecqhou; all three jurisdictions within the Bailiwick contain also other smaller islets.

The island of Guernsey itself is divided into 10 parishes. Although the defence of all these islands is the responsibility of the United Kingdom, the Bailiwick of Guernsey is not part of the U.K. but rather a collection of separate possessions of the Crown (the islands of Guernsey, Sark, Alderney and Jethou each forming a separate possession), comparable to the Isle of Man. The Bailiwick of Guernsey is also not part of the European Union. Together with the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey is included in the grouping known as the Channel Islands. The Bailiwick of Guernsey belongs to the Common Travel Area.A bailiwick is the area or district of jurisdiction of a Bailiff. The Bailiff is the first civil officer in each of the Channel Island bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey, serving as president of the legislature and the Royal Court. Each bailiwick has possessed its own bailiff since the islands were divided into two jurisdictions in the 13th century. Since 2004, Guernsey's head of government is the Chief Minister. The Bailiff is appointed by the Crown, and generally holds office until retirement He presides at the Royal Court, and takes the opinions of the Jurats, elected lay judges; he also presides over the States, and represents the Crown in all civil matters. ( Source Wikipedia)