The British Virgin Islands
Legal System
The legal system in the British Virgin Islands, not surprisingly, has its foundations in the British Legal System and English Common Law. Generally speaking common law, as opposed to civil or socialist law, is a type of legal system where legislation is continually evolving. Courts refine and create laws on a case-by-case basis. When resolving a legal dispute, in the ideal world, a common law court looks to precedents set by other courts. What this means is that when a court is resolving a dispute, it must look to see if a similar dispute was resolved in the past. If one has, then the present day court is obligated to following the same reasoning used in the prior case; this principle is called stare decisis. On the other hand, if the dispute is totally unique, the court may resolve the matter itself using general guidelines. This new decision then becomes the precedent to which all future cases are bound. Over the years, the precedents created by past decisions coalesce into a complicated set of rules that apply to a wide array of case; this collection of rules is known as “common law”. Of course, common law systems are much more complex in practice, nevertheless the principle of stare decisis as described above, is the foundation of all common law systems.
The court system consists of a Magistrates Court, a High Court and a Circuit Court of Appeal of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court with final appeal to the Privy Council in England.
VIEW MORE
Latest news
-
Emptied escrow scandal spreads - Myrtle Beach Sun News
Google News - The British Virgin Islands, 17-February-2008
[full story]
Emptied escrow scandal spreads
Myrtle Beach Sun News, SC - 17 hours ago
The most recent escrow accounts were for a marina along the Intracoastal Waterway and the Diamond Cay condominium project in the British Virgin Islands. ... -
College Financial Aid Help - WMBB-TV
Google News - Panama, 17-February-2008
[full story]
College Financial Aid Help
WMBB-TV, FL - 19 hours ago
By Tuquyen Mach Panama City, FL -- The cost of a college education keeps going up, so the folks at Gulf Coast Community College are seeking to help students ... -
ONLINE POKER NETWORK TROUBLES CONTINUE - Online-Casinos.com
Google News - The British Virgin Islands, 16-February-2008
[full story]
ONLINE POKER NETWORK TROUBLES CONTINUE
Online-Casinos.com, Denmark - 12 hours ago
Cintaly Holdings Corporation is understood to be based out of the British Virgin Islands, but with the UK telephone number +44 800-011-2643. ...