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New editioncountry guide

The Vanuatu Legal System

A complete plain-language guide to Republic of Vanuatu

4.6(997 reviews)From $29
Edition
2026 Edition
Extent
1759 pages
Language
English
ISBN
978-1-0000-187-1

About this book

A structured tour of how law actually works in Vanuatu — where it comes from, who makes it, which court hears what, and how an ordinary person or business interacts with the system. Written for readers with no legal training, with every institution named and every primary source cited so you can verify the position yourself. The most genuinely mixed system in the Pacific. Vanuatu was governed as an Anglo-French Condominium until 1980, and Article 95(2) of the Constitution continued BOTH British and French law in force until Parliament replaces it — so a court may be asked to apply an English statute of general application and a French code in the same jurisdiction. Article 47(1) directs judges to determine a matter according to substantial justice and, where possible, custom, when there is no applicable law. Land is the other defining feature: Article 73 vests all land in the indigenous custom owners, so there is no freehold and foreigners can hold only leases.

What is inside

  • Full Vanuatu court hierarchy explained tier by tier
  • Named regulators with contact routes and response times
  • Step-by-step procedures for the most common legal tasks
  • Every claim footnoted to an official primary source
  • Glossary of local legal terminology in plain English

Table of contents

5 parts · 18 chapters

Part I — Foundations

  1. 01The legal tradition
  2. 02Constitutional framework
  3. 03Sources of law

Part II — Institutions

  1. 01The court hierarchy
  2. 02Government and regulators
  3. 03Enforcement bodies
  4. 04The legal profession

Part III — Everyday Law

  1. 01Work and employment
  2. 02Housing and property
  3. 03Family and personal status
  4. 04Criminal process

Part IV — Doing Things

  1. 01Starting a business
  2. 02Immigration and residence
  3. 03Tax obligations
  4. 04Making a complaint

Part V — Reference

  1. 01Procedure checklists
  2. 02Glossary
  3. 03Official sources index

Who this is for

  • Residents and newcomers who need to understand their rights
  • Businesses entering or operating in the jurisdiction
  • Lawyers taking a first look at an unfamiliar system
  • Students of comparative law

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