The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007

Acting Governor

37.—(1) During any period when the office of Governor is vacant or the Governor is absent from the Virgin Islands or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office—

(a) the Deputy Governor; or

(b) if the office of Deputy Governor is vacant, or the Deputy Governor is absent from the Virgin Islands or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of the office of Governor, such person as Her Majesty may designate by instructions given through a Secretary of State (in this section referred to as “the person designated”),

shall, during Her Majesty’s pleasure, act in the office of Governor and shall perform the functions of that office accordingly.

(2) Before assuming the functions of the office of Governor, the Deputy Governor or the person designated shall make the oaths or affirmations directed by section 35(4) to be made by the Governor.

(3) The Deputy Governor shall not continue to act in the office of Governor after the Governor has notified him or her that he or she is about to assume or resume the functions of that office, and the person designated shall not continue to act in that office after the Governor or Deputy Governor has so notified him or her.

(4) The Governor or the Deputy Governor shall not, for the purposes of this section or section 36, be regarded as absent from the Virgin Islands or as unable to perform the functions of his or her office—

(a) by reason that he or she is in passage from one part of the Virgin Islands to another;

(b) at any time when there is a subsisting appointment of a deputy under section 39; or

(c) by reason of absence from the Virgin Islands for a period not exceeding forty-eight hours for the purpose of visiting the United States Virgin Islands.

(5) In this section “the Governor” means the person holding the office of Governor and “the Deputy Governor” means the means the person holding the office of Deputy Governor.