BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan Type of Government: Absolute monarchy or sultanate (locally known as Malay Islamic Monarchy)
Main Religion: Islam Independence: January 1, 1984 (UK)
Administrative Divisions: 4 districts (daerah-daerah, singular - daerah); Belait, Brunei-Muara, Temburong, Tutong
Head of State and Head of Government: Sultan and Prime Minister HASSANAL Bolkiah (since 5 October 1967)
EXECUTIVE
Head of State and Head of Government
( His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-
Pertuan)
Supreme executive authority of Brunei
Darussalam shall be vested in His Majesty
the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan
The constitution allows the existence of a
Prime Minister who shall be appointed by
the Sultan. He must be a Brunei Malay
professing the Muslim Religion. Currently,
the PM and the Sultan positions belong to
only one person.
Prerogative of Mercy (Sultans power
to give Pardon)
The Sultan has the power the dissolve
legislature. s
Election: None. Monarchy is hereditary.
Term: Monarchy is hereditary.
PART IV: PRIVY COUNCIL (Malay the Majlis
Meayuar at Di-Raja) (Sultans Advisory
group)
Shall consist of:
Ex-officio Members, namely, the Prime
Minister, the Wazirs, Members of the
Council of Ministers, and the person who
holds such other office as may from time
to time be designated by His Majesty the
Sultan by Proclamation in the Government
Structure of Legislature:Unicameral (Consultative only)
LEGISLATIVE (?)
PART VI: THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
Legislative Council or Majlis Mesyuarat
Negara Brunei (36 seats; members
appointed by the sultan; meets annually
for approximately two weeks)
The Legislative Council shall consist of six
ex-officio Members, five Official Members
and ten Nominated Members. (However,
currently there are more than 21 members
because the Sultan appointed more people
than as stipulated in the constituition.
Power level: GOD)
The ex-officio Members of the Legislative
Council shall be the Prime Minister, the
Minister, the Attorney General and the
Religious Adviser (Accdg to the
constitution).
Every Official and Nominated Member of
the Legislative Council shall hold his seat
therein during His Majestys pleasure.
The Official Members of the Legislative
Council shall be persons who hold public
office and shall be appointed by His
Majesty the Sultan
The Nominated Members of the Legislative
Council shall be persons who do not hold
public office, and shall be appointed by His
Majesty and Sultan.
Disqualification for official and nominated
members
JUDICIARY
Brunei has a dual legal system:
Judicial power is vested in the Supreme
Court and the Subordinate Courts. The
Supreme Court comprises the High
Court and the Court of Appeals, while
the Subordinate Courts comprises the
Magistrates Court.
Matters related to the Islamic faith are
dealt with by the Islamic Court or the
Shariah.
The High Court receives appeals from
Magistrates Court in the districts and is
itself a court of first instance for criminal
and civil cases. Appeal from the High Court
is submitted to the Court of Appeals. The
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in
London is the final court of appeal for civil
cases only.
PART XII: AMENDMENT AND
INTERPRETATION OF THE
CONSTITUTION
His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-
Pertuan may by Proclamation,
amend or revoke any of the
provisions of the Constitution
including this section; and this
Constitution shall not otherwise be
amended.
 Gazette;
Shall hold office depending on the Sultans
pleasure
Functions of the Privy Council:
Shall advise His Majesty the Sultan and
Yang Di-Pertuan in relation to the
amendment or revocation of any of the
provisions of this Constitution,
council also advises the Sultan on the
conferring of Malay customary ranks, titles
and honours.
It also performs functions such as
proclaiming a succession of regency.
Meetings shall be presided by the Sultan.
No business shall be transacted at any
meeting of the Privy Council if there are
less than one-third of the Members of the
Council (besides His Majesty
PART V: THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
Presided over by His Majesty and shall
consist of the Ministers appointed by the
Sultan
Every member shall hold his seat in the
Council of Ministers depending on His
Majestys pleasure.
perform the day-to-day administrative
functions of government.
Whenever His Majesty the Sultan and Yang
Di-Pertuan or other person presiding
desires to obtain the advice of any person
touching the affairs of government, he
may require such person to attend any
meeting of the Council of Ministers for
such purpose.
Council of Ministers shall have seniority
No person shall be qualified to be appointed His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-
as an Official Member or a Nominated Pertuan shall consult the Privy
Member of the Legisalative Council or having Council in relation to the exercise of
been so appointed shall sit or vote therein, the powers vested in him by this
who: section but shall not be obliged to
act in accordance with the advice of
1. obedience or adherence to power or state that Council.
outside Brunei Darussalam.
Gin include ko la ini, bangin
2. is a person declared to be of unsound mind pwede ma answer ha Judiciary
under any law in force in Brunei Darussalam; na part. Lol
3. has been sentenced by a Court in Brunei
Darussalam, in any part of the
Note: There is no section in Bruneis
Commonwealth or in the Republic of Ireland
constitution that discusses about the
to death or to imprisonment
Judicial Branch of the government. This
4. is an undischarged bankrupt, having been was taken on the country profile of Brunei,
adjudged or otherwise declared through CIAs website:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the
bankrupt under any law in force in Brunei
-world-factbook/geos/bx.html
Darussalam or in any foreign country.
5. is a party to, or a partner in, a firm or a
This is also based on the government of
director or manager of a company, which is a
Bruneis publication Brunei Darussalam
party to any contract the consideration for
In Brief. Typeset by Department of
which exceeds in value the sum of 1000
Information, Prime Ministers Office,
dollars with the Government for or on account
Brunei Darussalam, Revised Edition
of the public service, and has not disclosed to
(2013)
the Speaker the nature of such contract and
his interest, or the interest of such firm or
company therein.
The Sultan has the power the dissolve
legislature.
Note: Currently, there are 36 member of the
Legislative Council. Under the 1959
constitution there was an elected Legislative
Council but only one election has ever been
held, in 1962. Soon after that election, the
assembly was dissolved following the
and precedence among themselves declaration of a state of emergency, which
saw the banning of the Brunei People's Party.
In 1970 the Council was changed to an
appointed body by decree of the Sultan. In
2004 the Sultan announced that for the next
parliament, 15 of the 20 seats would be
elected. However, no date for the election has
been set.