Opposition (6) Ex officio (2) The House of Assembly of the British Virgin Islands, until 2007 known as the Legislative Council,[1] has 15 members: 13 directly elected for four-year terms (nine in single-seat constituencies and four "at large"), and two ex officio members (the Attorney General and a Speaker chosen from outside the house).

But in 1735 the Governor of the Leeward Islands, William Matthew, sought to establish executive councils and legislative assemblies in Virgin Gorda and Tortola.

After the elections, it was determined that the governor had no such power and therefore the assemblies were ultra vires and were never called into session (although the councils did take up their duties).

[4] During the 18th and 19th centuries the British Virgin Islands had a number of legislative councils, but these proved to be largely ineffective, and the last one was formally dissolved in 1901.

[5] On 30 November 1773 legislation was introduced which provided for, amongst other things, an eleven-member assembly (eight for Tortola, two for Virgin Gorda and one for Jost Van Dyke), with various qualification to vote or to stand.

In 1815 (after the abolition of the trade in African slaves, but prior to the abolition of slavery itself) the territory was inhabited by an increasing number of free blacks who petitioned for civil rights, and in 1818 their request was granted and free black men were permitted to vote, although they could still only vote for white landowners.

It appears that this may not have been so much of a great leap forward in civil rights so much as an attempt to shore up interest in the legislature, which was being increasingly abandoned and marginalised by the plantation owners at this time.

[7] By 1867, when the Territory was struck by a fierce hurricane, "all pretence to the operation of a Legislative Council in which there were elected representatives came to an end".

It was grimly noted that the legislature "had practically nothing of any real importance ... to legislate about and the functions of the executive was the maintenance of law and order and the collection of taxes from miserably poor people".

Requirements for standing for election included income, property, and a deposit (forfeited with failure to garner a certain percentage of votes).

The introduction of the territorial at-large seats was bitterly opposed by the Chief Minister of the day, Lavity Stoutt.

Broadly speaking this requires that the candidate must be a second generation Belonger, and must either be domiciled in the British Virgin Islands or have completed a period of residence.

In order to be elected as a member of the House, a person must either be a Virgin Islander (as defined) over the age of 21, and otherwise qualified to vote in the Territory.

A person is disqualified from being elected as a member of the House if:[18] Qualifications to be registered as a voter in the British Virgin Islands are now regulated by article 68 of the Constitution.

The present at-large representatives in the House of Assembly are Stacy Mather, Sharie de Castro, Ronnie Skelton, and Lorna Smith (Stacy Mather was elected for the first time and appointed Deputy Speaker, and Lorna Smith was elected as an NDP candidate, but crossed the floor to form the government with the Virgin Islands Party and was appointed Deputy Premier]]).

The Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, may dissolve the House at any time (thereby calling a "snap election").