Legal System of Mauritius

Mauritius is located in Africa. It is geographically situated in southern africa, island in the indian ocean, about 800 km (500 mi) east of madagascar. The country achieved independence on 12 march 1968 (from the uk). The capital is Port Louis.

Government Overview

Government Type: parliamentary republic Chief of State: President Dharam GOKHOOL (since 7 December 2024) Head of Government: Prime Minister Navin RAMGOOLAM (since 13 November 2024) Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers (Council of Ministers) appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister Administrative Divisions: 9 districts and 3 dependencies*; Agalega Islands*, Black River, Cargados Carajos Shoals*, Flacq, Grand Port, Moka, Pamplemousses, Plaines Wilhems, Port Louis, Riviere du Rempart, Rodrigues*, Savanne National Holiday: Independence and Republic Day, 12 March (1968, 1992) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Mauritius is described as civil system based on French civil law with some elements of English common law International Law: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: several previous; latest adopted 12 March 1968 Amendment Process: proposed by the National Assembly; passage of amendments affecting constitutional articles, including the sovereignty of the state, fundamental rights and freedoms, citizenship, or the branches of government, requires approval in a referendum by at least three-fourths majority of voters followed by a unanimous vote by the Assembly; passage of other amendments requires only two-thirds majority vote by the Assembly

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court of Mauritius (consists of the chief justice, a senior puisne judge, and 24 puisne judges) Judge Selection: chief justice appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister; senior puisne judge appointed by the president with the advice of the chief justice; other puisne judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Commission, a 4-member body of judicial officials including the chief justice; all judges serve until retirement at age 67 Subordinate Courts: lower regional courts known as District Courts, Court of Civil Appeal; Court of Criminal Appeal; Public Bodies Appeal Tribunal

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of unicameral

Citizenship and Suffrage

Citizenship by Birth: yes Citizenship by Descent: yes Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Historical Background

Although known to Arab and European sailors since at least the early 1500s, the island of Mauritius was uninhabited until 1638 when the Dutch established a settlement named in honor of Prince Maurits van NASSAU. Their presence led to the rapid disappearance of the flightless dodo bird that has since become one of the most well-known examples of extinction in modern times.

This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Mauritius based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.