Gibraltar Legislative Council

The Gibraltar Legislative Council was the legislature of Gibraltar created in 1950 and sat until the creation of the Gibraltar House of Assembly in 1969.[1]

History

Prior to 1950, the Governor-in-Council retained the legislative power in the then Crown colony. The creation of the legislature gave some limited autonomy, with seven members of the Legislative Council being elected from the 1950s on.

The legislature sat at the Legislative Council Building at John Mackintosh Square.

Elections
See also: Elections in Gibraltar

Elections were held every three years.

In an election held on 19 September 1956, ten candidates contested the seven elected seats. There was a turnout of 58.2 per cent, and the winners were Joshua Hassan, Abraham Serfaty, J. E. Alcantara, and Albert Risso, all of the Association for the Advancement of Civil Rights, two Independents, Solomon Seruya and Peter Isola, and one Commonwealth Party candidate, Joseph Triay.[2]

Demise

The Legislative Council was responsible for overall affairs with local issues being dealt with by the Gibraltar City Council. With pressure from the United Nations, the British government merged the Legislative Council and City Council to a House of Assembly to give Gibraltar domestic powers to deal with its own affairs whilst diluting the Governor's powers.[3]

Members

The head of the legislature was initially Governor as President and then replaced by the Speaker, a member of the legislative council.[4]

Both roles were filled by British appointments who were not Gibraltarians.

Presidents
Name Start Term End Term Notes
General Sir Kenneth Anderson, KCB, MC 1950 1952 First President; Governor and Commander-in-Chief
Lieutenant General Sir Gordon MacMillan, KCB, CBE, DSO, MC 1952 1955 Governor and Commander-in-Chief
General Sir Harold Redman, KCB, CBE 1955 1958 Last President; Governor and Commander-in-Chief

Speakers of the Legislative Council
Name Start Term End Term Notes
Major Sir Joseph Patron, OBE, MC, JP 1958 1964
Colonel William Thompson, OBE, JP 1964 1969

Officers

Clerk of the Legislative Council

  • E.H. Davis Esq. OBE 1950-1961
  • J.L. Pitaluga Esq. MBE 1961-1969

Members

General members of the council were elected by proportional representation.[5]

  • Luis Francis Bruzon

References
  1. "History". Gibraltar.gov.gi. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  2. 'Gibraltar Election' in The Times (London), issue 53643 dated 22 September 1956, p. 5
  3. Mark Oliver; Sally Bolton; Jon Dennis; Matthew Tempest. "Gibraltar | Politics". theguardian.com. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  4. http://www.parliament.gi/images/parliament_speakers_clerks/past_&_present_speakers.pdf
  5. http://www.panorama.gi/localnews/headlines.php?action=view_article&article=9910
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