The Governor of Fiji was given authority over persons and acts in the islands south of the equator. The Governor, as High Commissioner and Consul-General, was given the authority: to conduct diplomatic relations with local representatives of the foreign powers, to regulate the labour trade where it was conducted by British subjects only, and to maintain law and order among British subjects in the Pacific islands where there were no recognised governments. The High Commissioner appointed Resident Commissioners to manage specific island territories. Following a commission of inquiry as a revised Order in Council was issued in 1893, which gave the Resident Commissioners wider autonomy over the islands under their control. Most of the island groups had gained either independence or internal self-government by 1971. On 1 January 1972, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were taken off with their own Governor . On 2 January 1976 after nearly all had been given separate statehood, the office of High Commissioner and the entity of the Pacific Territories were abolished. A remnant of the High Commission, however, was the right of appeal from the courts of many island nations to the Fijan Court of Appeal, which persisted into the late 1970s.Justice Gordon Ward (2005) Achieving effective legal representation in small Pacific island Commonwealth States . Commonwealth Law Conference, London, September 2005 With the independence of Kiribati in 1979, all islands formerly a part of the Territories (except the Pitcairn Islands) had either gained independence or been attached to other entities.
The Governor of Fiji was given authority over persons and acts in the islands south of the equator. The Governor, as High Commissioner and Consul-General, was given the authority: to conduct diplomatic relations with local representatives of the foreign powers, to regulate the labour trade where it was conducted by British subjects only, and to maintain law and order among British subjects in the Pacific islands where there were no recognised governments. The High Commissioner appointed resident commissioners to manage specific island territories. Following a commission of inquiry as a revised Order in Council was issued in 1893, which gave the resident commissioners wider autonomy over the islands under their control. Most of the island groups had gained either independence or internal self-government by 1971. On 1 January 1972, the Gilbert and Ellice Islands were taken off with their own governor . On 2 January 1976 after nearly all had been given separate statehood, the office of High Commissioner and the entity of the Pacific Territories were abolished. A remnant of the High Commission, however, was the right of appeal from the courts of many island nations to the Fijan Court of Appeal, which persisted into the late 1970s.Justice Gordon Ward (2005) Achieving effective legal representation in small Pacific island Commonwealth States . Commonwealth Law Conference, London, September 2005 With the independence of Kiribati in 1979, all islands formerly a part of the territories (except the Pitcairn Islands) had either gained independence or been attached to other entities.
R
Resident Commissioners
resident commissioners
R
Resident Commissioners
resident commissioners
R
Governor
governor
R
Territories
territories