Immediately following the United Kingdom's re-establishment of rule over the Falklands in 1833, the islands were under military law by Naval Administrators appointed by the Admiralty.

[2] In the early 1840s, colonists from the UK began to settle on the islands which led Lord Stanley, Secretary of State for the Colonies, to seek authorisation from Parliament to establish a legislative power on the Falklands.

[3] On 13 November 1845 Richard Moody, the first Governor of the Falkland Islands, formally inaugurated the Legislative Council in the newly founded town of Stanley.

During their military occupation of the islands, the Argentine government shut-down the Legislative Council and deported several of its elected members (most notably Bill Luxton and his family), describing them as potential troublemakers.

[9] Under the 1985 constitution, the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council, could make laws for "the peace, order and good government of the Falkland Islands".