Administrator of the Government
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In the Commonwealth Realms, the Administrator of the Government (often shortened to Administrator) is the person who, though acting in a gubernatorial capacity, is not given the title of Governor (or Governor-General or Lieutenant-Governor). In crown colonies, the person is normally known as the Officer Administering the Government.
This is normally because:
- the status of the territory is not sufficient to warrant the appointment of a governor (e.g. the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, the British Indian Ocean Territory, and the Northern Territory in Australia), or
- the office of administrator is a temporary appointment, for periods during which the governor is incapacitated, outside the territory, or otherwise unable to perform his/her duties.
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Selection of Administrators
The process for selecting Administrators is not uniform within the Commonwealth, but in most jurisdictions the default Administrator is the Chief Justice or another senior member of the judiciary.
Canada
In Canada the Administrator is the Chief Justice of Canada, or in his absence the senior puisne judge of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Links:
- Governor-General of Canada (http://www.gg.ca/)
- Governor-General's Act 1985 (Canada) at Canadian Department of Justice site (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/G-9/index.html)
Australia
In the Commonwealth of Australia, the Administrator, usually called the Administrator of the Commonwealth, is by convention the longest-serving state Governor.
In the states of Australia, executive authority generally passes to the Lieutenant-Governor, and in the absence of the Lieutenant-Governor, to an Administrator, who is by default the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or the next most senior justice. In many states the Chief Justice is the Lieutenant-Governor. (See Administrator (Australia).)
In the Northern Territory, the office of Administrator is a permanent appointment, and since the territory was granted self-government in 1978, the office of Administrator has become a largely ceremonial appointment, like that of a state Governor. There is no administrator in the Australian Capital Territory.
Links:
- Governor-General of Australia (http://www.gg.gov.au/)
- Role of the Administator at the Governor-General of Australia site (http://www.gg.gov.au/html/role_administrator.html)
New Zealand
In New Zealand, the "order of succession" is the Chief Justice of New Zealand, followed by the President of the Court of Appeal, and then the Senior Judge of that same court.
Links:
- Governor-General of New Zealand (http://www.gg.govt.nz/)
- Administrators of the Government at the Governor-General of New Zealand site (http://www.gg.govt.nz/role/administrator.htm)