Legal System of Sint Maarten
Sint Maarten is located in Central America N Caribbean. It is geographically situated in caribbean, located in the leeward islands (northern) group; dutch part of the island of saint martin in the caribbean sea; sint maarten lies east of the us virgin islands. The country achieved independence on none (part of the kingdom of the netherlands). The capital is Philipsburg.
Government Overview
Government Type:
parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Chief of State: King WILLEM-ALEXANDER of the Netherlands (since 30 April 2013); represented by Governor Ajamu G. BALY (since 10 October 2022) Head of Government: Prime Minister Luc MERCELINA (since 3 May 2024) Cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the governor National Holiday: King’s Day (birthday of King WILLEM-ALEXANDER), 27 April (1967) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universalLegal System
The legal system of Sint Maarten is described as based on Dutch civil law system with some English common law influence
Constitutional Framework
The constitution has the following history: previous 1947, 1955; latest adopted 21 July 2010, entered into force 10 October 2010 (regulates governance of Sint Maarten but is subordinate to the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands) Amendment Process: proposals initiated by the Government or by Parliament; passage requires at least a two-thirds majority of the Parliament membership; passage of amendments relating to fundamental rights, authorities of the governor and of Parliament must include the “views” of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Government prior to ratification by Parliament
Judicial Branch
Highest Court(s): Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba or “Joint Court of Justice” (consists of the presiding judge, other members, and their substitutes); final appeals heard by the Supreme Court in The Hague, Netherlands Judge Selection: Joint Court judges appointed by the monarch serve for life Subordinate Courts: Courts in First Instance
Legislative Branch
The legislative structure consists of unicameral
Citizenship and Suffrage
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Historical Background
Christopher COLUMBUS claimed Saint Martin for Spain in 1493, naming it after the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, but it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 to exploit its salt deposits. The Spanish retook Saint Martin in 1633, but the Dutch continued to assert their claims. The Spanish finally relinquished the island to the French and Dutch, who divided it between themselves in 1648.
This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Sint Maarten based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.