Movement towards independence in the South Pacific:

a digital archive of Legislation, Orders, Treaties, and related documents 
 

WESTERN PACIFIC  

Pre – Dependency – Dependency

        Regulations and Subsidiary Regulations

1. Offences at Sea Act, 1806
2. Murders Abroad Act, 1817
3. Administration of Justice in New South Wales and Van Dimien’s Land Act, 1823
4. Administration of Justice in New South Wales and Van Dimien’s Land Act, 1828
5. Foreign Jurisdictions Act, 1843
6. Admiralty Offences (Colonial) Act, 1849
7. Admiralty Offences (Colonial) Act, 1860
8. Pacific Islanders Protection Act, 1872
9. Courts (Colonial) Jurisdiction Act, 1874
10. Pacific Islanders Protection Amendment Act, 1875
11. Western Pacific Order in Council, 1877
12. Foreign Jurisdiction Amendment Act, 1878
13. Western Pacific Amendment Order, 1879
14. Western Pacific Amendment Order, 1880
15. Declaration Between Great Britain and Germany Demarcating their Spheres of Influence in the Western Pacific, April 6, 1886
16.  Declaration between the Governments of Great Britain and Germany Relating to Freedom of Trade in the Respective Possessions in the Western Pacific, April 10, 1886
17. Foreign Jurisdiction Act, 1890
18. Pacific Order in Council, 1893
19. Western Pacific (Courts) Order, 1961
20. Western Pacific (Appeals to Privy Council) Order, 1970
21. Western Pacific (Courts) (Amendment) Order, 1971

UN Resolutions

1. Declaration on Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

Cases

1. R v Coath II SCR (Qd) 178
2. The Queen v Nau Taunebo 1 FLR 327

Articles

The Melanesian, Slaving in Australia Courts: Melanesian labour Cases, 1869 – 71 

FIJI ISLANDS 

Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation – Dependency Period 

Legislation 

1. Deed of Cession of Fiji to Great Britain, 1874
   Deed of Cession - fascimile of original signed document
2. Rotuma Deeds of Cession and Annexation to Great Britain, 1879
3. Fiji (Consolidated) Order in Council, 1963
4. Memorandum on Constitutional Changes in Fiji, 1965
5. Reported Fiji Constitutional Changes, 1965
6. Fiji (Constitution) Order, 1966
7. Report of Fiji Constitutional Conference, 1970
8. Fiji Independence Act, 1970
9. Fiji Independence Order, 1970

see also Constitution of the Sovereign Democratic Republic of Fiji (Promulgation) Decree 1990, Decree No. 22 of 25 July 1990, and published in the Fiji Republic Gazette, Vol. 4, No. 47 on 25 July 1990.

GILBERT and ELLICE ISLANDS

  Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation 

1. Gilbert and Ellice Island Order 1915

2. Native Laws Order 1917

3. Native Lands Order 1917

4. Native Lands Order 1919

5. Gilbert and Ellice Islands Order 1974

Reports 

1. Select Committee on Constitutional Development, Tarawa, 1970

2. Barwick, Islands Court in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony

3. MOD., Living in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony, 1970

4. Report on Ocean Islands and the Banabans, by R.N Posnett, 1977

Articles

 Smith, J, “Thoughts on Future Constitutional Development in the Gilbert Islands,” Tarawa, USP, 1978

GILBERT ISLANDS

 Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation 

1. Gilbert Islands Order 1975

2. Gilbert Islands (Amendment) Order 1976

3. Gilbert Islands (Amendment) Order 1977

4. Gilbert Islands (Amendment) (No 2) Order 1977

KIRIBATI 

 Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation 

    1.    Kiribati Act 1979
    2.    Kiribati Independence Order 1979

TUVALU

 Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation 

1. Tuvalu Order 1975

2. Tuvalu Act 1978

3. Tuvalu Independence Order 1978

4. Tuvalu Royal Instructions 1975

5. Constitution of Tuvalu

 Reports

Disney, A, Proposed Review of the Constitution of Tuvalu: A Report on the Issues, November 24, 1998

MARSHALL ISLANDS

Early Constitutional Materials

1. Treaty of Friendship between Germany and the Marshallese Chiefs, October 1885

2. Declaration between Britain and Germany demarcating their respective spheres of influence in the Western Pacific, April 6, 1886

3. Declaration between Britain and Germany relating to the reciprocal freed trade arrangements in the Western Pacific, April 10, 1886

4. Agreement between Jaluit-Gessellschaft and the Reich, January 21, 1888

NEW HEBRIDES
 

Legislation and Subsidiary Legislation 

1. Agreement between Britain and France respecting the independence of the New Hebrides, January-February 1878

2. Convention between Britain and France respecting New Hebrides, November 16, 1887

3. Declaration between Britain and France of the establishment of a Joint Naval Commission, January 1888

4. Protocol between Great Britain and France respecting the New Hebrides, February 1906

5. New Hebrides Order 1907, annexing Convention between Britain and France concerning New Hebrides, October 1906

6. New Hebrides Order, 1911

7. New Hebrides Order, 1922, annexing protocol between Britain and France respecting New Hebrides, August 6, 1914

8. New Hebrides Order, 1961

9. Queen’s Regulation No.3 of 1962, Magistrates Courts

10. New Hebrides Order 1973

11. New Hebrides Order 1975

12. Queen’s Regulation, No.3 of 1976, High Court of New Hebrides

13. Joint Regulation No.30 of 1975, Representative Assembly

14. Joint Regulation No.13 of 1978, Courts

15. Joint Regulation No.10 of 1979, Joint Court Change of Name

16. Exchange of Notes on Independence, October 1979

17. Joint Regulation No.30 of 1980, Courts

18. New Hebrides Act 1980

19. New Hebrides Order 1980

Early Versions of the Vanuatu Constitution

Konstitusin - Bill Camden

Constitution de la Republique de Vanuatu

Konstitusin blong Ripablik blong Nyuhebredes

Konstitusin blong Ripablik blong Vanuatu

 Books , Articles and related documents  

1. Sope, B., “The New Hebrides, A Doubly Oppressed Colony.”

2. “General Review of New Hebrides,” Pacific Islands, Vol. III, Naval Intelligence Division, 1904

3. Zobibe, C, “Vanuatu, Naissance d’ Un Etat, “ Paris, Economica, 1981

4. O’Connell, D.P., “The Condominium of the New Hebrides, “ BYBIL, 1968-69, pp 71 - 165
5. Treadwell, P. J. 'The New Hebrides Orders 1922 to 1975 and related provisions'
6. United Nations] Report on the Special Committee on the situation regard to the implementation of the declaration on the granting of independence to colonial countries and people (1974): New Hebrides 
7. Vanuatu's colonial past: an archive of newspaper clippings from 1886 to independence
8. Murgatroyd, Peter. "A history of Vanuatu: selected readings"

SAMOA

Legislation and subsidiary legislation

    1.    Samoa Constitution Order 1920
    2.    Samoa Act 1921
    3.    Treaty of Friendship between New Zealand and Western Samoa signed on 1 August 1962

TONGA

    Constitutional Materials

1. Treaty of Friendship between Great Britain and Tonga, 29 November 1879

2. Treaty of Friendship between Great Britain and Tonga, 2 June 1891

3. Treaty of Friendship between Great Britain and Tonga, 18 May 1900

4. Points accepted by Kind, 18 January 1905

5. Agreement between Great Britain and Tonga, 12 August 1927

6. Treaty of Friendship between Great Britain and Tonga, 30 May 1969

7. Treaty of Friendship between Great Britain and Tonga, 26 August 1958

8. Exchange of Letters, November 1970

9. Tonga Act 1970

10. Law of the Government of Tonga 1907, Chapter IV Administration of Justice

© 2005 Peter Murgatroyd, USP.

Last updated 20 September 2006