Legal System of New Caledonia
New Caledonia is located in Australia Oceania. It is geographically situated in oceania, islands in the south pacific ocean, east of australia. The country achieved independence on none (overseas collectivity of france). The capital is Noumea.
Government Overview
Government Type: parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France Chief of State: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by High Commissioner Jacques BILLANT (since 3 May 2025) Head of Government: President of the Government Alcide PONGA (since 8 January 2025) Cabinet: Cabinet elected from and by the Territorial Congress Administrative Divisions: 3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province), Province Nord (North Province), and Province Sud (South Province) National Holiday: Fête de la Fédération, 14 July (1790) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Legal System
The legal system of New Caledonia is described as civil law system based on French civil law
Constitutional Framework
The constitution has the following history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in the Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998) Amendment Process: French constitution amendment procedures apply
Judicial Branch
Highest Court(s): Court of Appeal or Cour d’Appel; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; court bench normally includes the court president and 2 counselors); Administrative Court (number of judges NA) Judge Selection: judge appointment and tenure based on France’s judicial system Subordinate Courts: Courts of First Instance include: civil, juvenile, commercial, labor, police, criminal, assizes, and also a pre-trial investigation chamber; Joint Commerce Tribunal; administrative courts
Legislative Branch
The legislative structure consists of unicameral
Note: note 1: the Customary Senate is the assembly of the various traditional councils of the Kanaks, the indigenous population; it rules on laws affecting Kanaks
note 2: New Caledonia indirectly elects 2 members to the French Senate and directly elects 2 members to the French National Assembly (see France entry for electoral details)
Citizenship and Suffrage
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Historical Background
The first humans settled in New Caledonia around 1600 B.C. The Lapita were skilled navigators, and evidence of their pottery around the Pacific has served as a guide for understanding human expansion in the region. Successive waves of migrants from other islands in Melanesia intermarried with the Lapita, giving rise to the Kanak ethnic group considered indigenous to New Caledonia.
This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of New Caledonia based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.