Gibraltar Constitution

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory. As such, it does not form part of the United Kingdom.

Gibraltar’s system of governance is set out in the Gibraltar Constitution 2006, which entered into force on 1 January 2007 and which replaced the previous Constitution of 1969. The Constitution establishes Gibraltar’s own executive, legislature and judiciary.

The Gibraltar Parliament is elected every four years by the Gibraltarian electorate. Gibraltar has no representation in the Westminster Parliament. The Gibraltar Parliament adopts the laws of Gibraltar.

The Gibraltar Government is termed “Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar” (“HMGoG”). It consists of Her Majesty, represented in Gibraltar by the Governor, and the elected Government. The elected Government has executive competence for all matters with the exception of those matters for which the Governor has responsibility pursuant to section 47 (1) of the Constitution. These are defence, external affairs and internal security.

Other than for those three areas, Gibraltar is entirely self-governing. It has its own institutions and public authorities. It decides its own economic policies. It receives no subsidy or financing from the United Kingdom. It raises all its revenue from its own taxation. It mints and prints its own currency, determines its own money supply and decides its borrowing and expenditure by itself.