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Country Background

Tuvalu is an island group consisting of nine coral atolls in Oceania. The island nation is located in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and Australia. The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti. The capital is an atoll of some 29 islets, and administrative offices are in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet. The official languages are Tuvaluan and English. The country's population in 2017 was approximately 11,052 people. Tuvalu is a predominantly Christian country, with approximately 98% of the country's population Christian. 

Constitution & Legal Structure

After declaring independence, Tuvalu became fully independent within the Commonwealth in 1978. Tuvalu is referred to as a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The current Constitution of Tuvalu was adopted in 1986. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legal system of Tuvalu is a mixed legal system of English common law and local customary law.

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Tuvalu. 

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Tuvalu. 

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Tuvalu has no official school of Islamic law. The 50 or so Muslims who live in Tuvalu are Aḥmadī. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • Official Gazette - catalog record
• Judicial
  
  • PacLII Databases: Tuvalu - includes cases

Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Tuvalu (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Tuvalu (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Tuvalu (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Tuvalu (World Intellectual Property Organization)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide. The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].