The Royal Charters of Jersey, 1341-1687

An edition and translation, with introduction and extended commentary, of all the royal charters granted to Jersey. Examines the process by which the charters were negotiated and the pressures operating on the parties to each grant, including the crown and its local representatives, and the various elements of the local community. It compares and contrasts the charters with those granted to Guernsey, and sets them in the wider context of franchises and liberties across the territories of the English crown through the late medieval and early modern period. Overall, the book highlights the crucial role of these charters in establishing the constitutional position of the bailiwick of Jersey. This is more than a subject of historical interest in that the unusual constitutional position of Jersey and other crown dependencies continues to exist, has huge relevance for companies and people seeking offshore jurisdiction and continues to evolve. The implications of Brexit have increased interest in the distinctive position of Jersey and the other crown dependencies, and in their right to be governed by their own laws and customs, exempt from English taxation.