Norfolk Island Law

Norfolk Island is a territory under the authority of the Commonwealth of Australia and has been so since 1914. It is not a part of NSW, despite its 2899 postcode. In 1979 self government was returned to the Island, but that ended in 2015 when the Australian Parliament voted to remove the Island’s Legislative Assembly and replace it with a Regional Council. At present the Regional Council is in administration.

The law of Norfolk Island is complex. Until 2015 it was a mixture of the English law of 1828, the Paramount Laws, Norfolk Island legislation and those Acts of the Australian Parliament which were specifically extended to Norfolk Island. Since 2015 it has become even more complex, with most Commonwealth legislation now applying to the Island, and frequent amendments being made to the applicable law by the responsible Commonwealth Minister.

The Family Law Act applies in Norfolk Island, and the Australian Income Tax Assessment Act has applied to Norfolk Island residents since 2016.

The Island has its own land titles system and its own judicial system. Our Court of Petty Sessions sits monthly. Our Supreme Court sits when required. We have an Employment Tribunal, an Administrative Review Tribunal, and a Coroners Court. The Family Court and the Federal Circuit Court can sit in Norfolk Island, but they rarely do so. Australia’s Fair Work legislation now covers employment in Norfolk Island, except for workers compensation, which is still a local scheme and is administered locally.

We act as agents for Australian and other overseas firms when they require legal assistance in Norfolk Island, and we are always happy to discuss Norfolk Island related matters with Australian and international firms.

If you need any assistance contact us at [email protected] or call +672 3 22123 for a no-obligation discussion and for expert legal advice.