It became a Republic in 1976 and has remained a member of the British Commonwealth. Executive power lies with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet which is appointed from among members of Parliament. The Judiciary is independent of the other organs of government. Tobago has an elected House of Assembly which controls some of that island's internal affairs. The Constitution also guarantees the independence of the judiciary.
Foreigners can expect to have their disputes impartially determined.
Delays in the legal system are, however, a serious problem. Efforts are being made to tackle the backlog of cases with some considerable success to date. Unless compromised, almost all commercial disputes are heard and determined by the Supreme Court. From the High Court a party can appeal as of right to the Court of Appeal, which sits with three judges. Appeals from the Court of Appeal lie to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council as of right in almost all cases.