[1][2] The land tenure system is largely based on kaitasi (extended family ownership).
[3] The Constitution of Tuvalu states that it is "the supreme law of Tuvalu" and that "all other laws shall be interpreted and applied subject to this Constitution"; it sets out the Principles of the Bill of Rights and the Protection of the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.
[5] The laws of Tuvalu include some statutes from the 1892 to 1916 era when the islands were administered as part of the British protectorate of the British Western Pacific Territories (the ‘Western Pacific Legislation’);[6] other laws were enacted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom during the time the islands were administered as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony (from 1916 to 1974); and the during the time of the Colony of Tuvalu (from 1 January 1976 to 1 October 1978 - prior to independence).
While the Attorney General does sit in Parliament in a legal advising capacity and may partake in proceedings that align with the Parliamentary Rules of Procedure, s/he does not have any voting rights.
The previous version of the Constitution required that any person holding that position must have first held judicial office in “some country that has a legal system similar to that of Tuvalu”.
[22] Tuvalu has commitments to ensuring human rights are respected under the Universal periodic Review (UPR), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Te Kakeega III - National Strategy for Sustainable Development-2016-2020 (TK III), which sets out the development agenda of the Government of Tuvalu.