Law of Guernsey Law of Guernsey The Law of Guernsey originates in Norman Customary Law, overlaid with principles taken from English common law and Equity, as well as from statute law enacted by the competent legislature(s) -- usually, but not always, the States of Guernsey (L'Etats de Guernesey) In some circumstances a Guernsey statute will include Alderney and sometimes Sark. Alderney and Sark are separate dependencies of the Crown within the Bailiwick of Guernsey, whose legislatures—the States of Alderney (Les Etats d'Aurigny) and Chief Pleas of Sark have the power of primary legislation. Alderney and Sark have their own legal systems which, whilst
Bailiwick of Guernsey was introduced above the "fiefs" and below the "Eschequier" Court in Rouen and comprised the Bailiff and four Knights; the court heard appeals and tried criminal cases. Otton de Grandson, then the Governor of the Islands, delegated the civil powers to two separate bailiffs for Guernsey and Jersey before he went on the Second Crusade to the Holy Land in 1290. This can be assessed as the date of first creation of the two Bailiwicks. Situated around , Alderney, Guernsey, Herm, Sark, and some other smaller islands together have a total area of and coastlines of about . Elevation varies