Simple directory > Regional > Pitcairn Islands

Country : Pitcairn Islands Official name: Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands (Pitcairn Islands) Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by UK High Commissioner to New Zealand and Governor (non-resident) of the Pitcairn Islands Richard T Fell Head of government: Commissioner of Pitcairn (based in New Zealand) Area: 27 square km (four islands) Population: 47 (2004) (all on Pitcairn Island) Capital: Adamstown Official language: English Currency: Pound sterling (£) (£=100 pence); New Zealand dollar (NZ$=100 cents) Exchange rate: £0.54 per US$ ; NZ$1.45 per US$ (Nov 2004)

Historical profile

1790 Pitcairn's inaccessibility made it a perfect hideaway for the survivors of the mutinous crew of the British naval ship, Bounty, led by the Master's Mate, Fletcher Christian, and their Tahitian consorts.

1808 The community of descendants, of Christian's original 27-strong group of settlers, was discovered by a group of American whalers.

1999 A cannon was recovered from the underwater remains of HMS Bounty. British economic aid to the island was withdrawn.

2003 A joint services scientific diving expedition entitled Exercise Bounty Bay began studying marine life surrounding the island.

In April, the trial of 13 men accused of sex crimes began in Adamstown following an investigation by British police, which began in early 2000. Islanders have warned that if the men are jailed, their society will collapse as there will not be enough people to maintain the food supply. In September, the UK dismissed Pitcairn Island commissioner, Leon Salt, amid claims that he had obstructed the pursuit of the alleged child rapists.

2004 In April, the Pacific Island's Supreme Court (sitting in Wellington, New Zealand) dismissed a defence motion that claimed Pitcairn was not British and that the 13 men charged were descendants of men who escaped British rule and had never surrendered their independence. The Court ruled that Pitcairn is subject to British law and it also rejected the claim that their trial without a jury would be a breach of their rights. On 15 December, Jay Warren was elected mayor.

2005 On 24 May, the Supreme Court of Pitcairn Island sitting in Auckland, New Zealand, rejected the defence of the six men who had been convicted of sexual assault. The men had been attempting to have their convictions overturned, claiming that Pitcairn Island was not subject to English law and that they had therefore not behaved unlawfully. However, the Supreme Court found that English law applied, as it had applied to their mutineer forefathers.

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