Legal System of Akrotiri
Akrotiri is located in Europe. It is geographically situated in eastern mediterranean, peninsula on the southwest coast of cyprus. The capital is Episkopi Cantonment (base administrative center for Akrotiri and Dhekelia).
Government Overview
Chief of State: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022) Head of Government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Peter J.M. SQUIRES (since 1 September 2022); note - administrator reports to the British Ministry of Defense and is also Commander, British Forces Cyprus (BFC); the chief officer, an appointed civilian, is responsible for the day-to-day running of the civil government of the Sovereign Base Areas
Legal System
The legal system of Akrotiri is described as laws applicable to the Cypriot population are, as far as possible, the same as the laws of the Republic of Cyprus; note - the Sovereign Base Area Administration has its own court system to deal with civil and criminal matters
Constitutional Framework
The constitution has the following history: presented 3 August 1960, effective 16 August 1960 (The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960 serves as a basic legal document)
Judicial Branch
Highest Court(s): Senior Judges’ Court (consists of several visiting judges from England and Wales) Judge Selection: see entry for United Kingdom Subordinate Courts: Resident Judges’ Court; Courts Martial
Legislative Branch
Citizenship and Suffrage
Historical Background
By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smaller of the two is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area.
This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Akrotiri based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.