The St. Helena Constitution Order 1988

Constitution of Supreme Court.

43.—(1) There shall be a Supreme Court in and for St. Helena and its Dependencies which shall be styled the St. Helena Supreme Court and shall be a superior court of record.

(2) The Supreme Court shall have such jurisdiction in and in relation to St. Helena and its Dependencies as may be prescribed by this Constitution or any other law.

(3) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and any other law, the Supreme Court shall possess and may exercise all the jurisdiction which is vested in, or is capable of being exercised by, Her Majesty’s High Court of Justice in England.

(4) The Court may, in accordance with any directions issued from time to time by the Chief Justice, sit in St. Helena, or in its Dependencies.

(5) (a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, the Court may sit in the United Kingdom for the purpose of hearing and determining any application or appeal, civil or criminal, or to take evidence in any civil proceeding, including any commercial matter, which has been instituted in St. Helena or any of its Dependencies.

(b) The Court shall not sit in the United Kingdom unless every party to the proceeding consents and the Chief Justice is satisfied that in the circumstances of the particular case no injustice will result and the course proposed is in the public interest.

(6) The Chief Justice may make rules of court, including rules for the purpose of regulating the practice and procedure of the Court with respect to proceedings held in the United Kingdom.

(7) The Chief Justice when absent from St. Helena may exercise the powers conferred upon him by any Ordinance of St. Helena or any of its Dependencies of revision, variation, confirmation or setting aside of any sentence or order made by a court in St. Helena or any of its Dependencies.

(8) The Supreme Court shall have and use a seal bearing a device and impression of the Royal Arms within a border bearing the words “Seal of the St. Helena Supreme Court”.