State in Dominica

The Constitution is Dominica's supreme legal framework. It protects fundamental rights and freedoms, establishes the main public offices and institutions, and defines how executive, legislative and judicial powers operate. Constitutional amendments require special parliamentary majorities of two-thirds or three-quarters, depending on the provision, and some amendments may also require a referendum. The President is elected by the House of Assembly for a five-year term and performs constitutional appointments and other formal functions. Sylvanie Burton is the current President. The Prime Minister is appointed from the elected majority in the House of Assembly. The Prime Minister leads the Cabinet, and the Cabinet is collectively responsible to the House. The Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretariat support this work, while ministries carry out government policy and administration. Parliament consists of the President and the unicameral House of Assembly. The House has 21 elected members and 9 Senators. Senators are nominated or elected according to the constitutional arrangements. A Bill normally passes through the House and then receives presidential assent before becoming law. The parliamentary term may last up to five years unless Parliament is dissolved earlier. Questions about elections belong to the separate elections topic; the constitutional appointment and composition rules explain how the State's institutions connect. Dominica has no evidenced province or state level between national government and local authorities. Its local-government categories include the City Council, Town Councils, Urban Councils, Village Councils and the Kalinago Territory Council. Roseau City Council, Portsmouth Town Council, Canefield Urban Council and Village Councils handle defined local functions. The Kalinago Territory has a Kalinago Council and eight hamlets, with a distinct local governance framework. Local councils are legally constituted but have limited autonomy and rely substantially on central grants and supervision. Council terms are generally three years, while exact composition and election timing can depend on the applicable local framework. A 2002 official system paper listed 41 authorities, but that historical figure does not establish the current total. National public administration operates through ministries and departments led administratively by Permanent Secretaries. The Establishment, Personnel and Training Department, the Public Service Training Centre, Government Headquarters and the Customer Service Centre support the civil service. The Government Portal, official forms, laws, notices and certificates provide routes for services such as passports, tax and customs matters. Eligibility, identity or residence evidence, fees and processing times depend on the specific service. No single fee or deadline applies to every public service. Public finance follows a financial year from 1 July to 30 June. The Minister of Finance prepares revenue and expenditure estimates, and the House of Assembly considers and appropriates public funds. The 2025/2026 Approved Estimates and the 2026/2027 Budget Address show the annual budget cycle. Tax and customs functions collect public revenue. Public procurement is governed by the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Property Act 2021. Taxes, lawful public charges and procurement accountability rules create duties that vary with the service, transaction or public contract. The Director of Audit, also known as the Auditor General, is constitutionally established under section 83. The office audits public accounts and examines government offices and authorities, courts, Commissions, the Parliamentary Commission and the Clerk of the House. Reports go to the Speaker through the Minister of Finance and become public documents. The Integrity Commission operates under the Integrity in Public Office Act 2003. It deals with declarations of income, assets and liabilities, gifts, the Code of Conduct, inquiries and summonses, and corruption offences. The Public Service Commission and Police Service Commission oversee personnel matters in their respective services. No direct equivalent of an Ombudsman was evidenced in the consulted official material, so complaints may instead need to go to the responsible body, the Audit Office, the Integrity Commission, Parliament or the courts. The judiciary includes the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, comprising the High Court and Court of Appeal, as well as Magistrates' Courts in Roseau and Portsmouth. The National Prosecution Service, the Attorney General's Chambers and the constitutional office of the Director of Public Prosecutions support legal proceedings. Courts provide legal remedies, with access and fees depending on the service and case. Civil-law questions belong primarily to the separate civil-law topic. The public sphere includes the Government Portal, Government Information Service, Official Gazette and Printery, House of Assembly publications, ministry notices and the public directory. Constitutional protections for expression, assembly and public participation set the legal boundary for public activity. Information is available mainly online and in person at Government Headquarters, but publication status and updates depend on the responsible institution. Security functions are carried out through the Ministry of National Security and Legal Affairs and the Commonwealth of Dominica Police Force. Police Headquarters in Roseau supports investigation, the Court Section, Interpol and the Joint Intelligence Centre. Prisons, fire and ambulance services support public safety. The Office of Disaster Management and Emergency Operations Centre coordinate disaster planning, shelters and emergency measures. The President may proclaim a disaster emergency under the Emergency Powers (Disaster) Act. Dominica's current official directory does not evidence a separate military or coast guard institution, so no such institution should be assumed. Immediate police or disaster-management response depends on the situation and the available emergency channel. The Kalinago Territory forms a distinct territorial-governance arrangement within the State. The Kalinago Council and its eight hamlets work with the Ministry of Environment, Rural Modernisation, Kalinago Upliftment and Constituency Empowerment. Current planning includes a 2026–2030 development plan and disaster-risk-reduction and climate-adaptation work. This arrangement concerns governance and public administration, not a separate sovereign state.