Peter Richard Caruana

Peter Richard Caruana QC (born October 15, 1956) is a Gibraltarian politician, and has been Chief Minister since 1996, when his party, the Gibraltar Social Democrats, first came to power. His party was re-elected to office in 2000 and 2003. He is a barrister by profession, having trained in the United Kingdom. He was appointed a QC, after his election as chief minister. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (601x689, 83 KB) Peter Caruana, Chief Minister of Gibraltar. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (601x689, 83 KB) Peter Caruana, Chief Minister of Gibraltar. ... Queens Counsel (postnominal QC), during the reign of a male Sovereign known as Kings Counsel (KC), are barristers or, in Scotland, advocates appointed by letters patent to be one of Her Majestys Counsel learned in the law. They do not constitute a separate order or degree of... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Chief Minister of Gibraltar is the leader of the largest party in the Gibraltar House of Assembly, and is formally appointed by the Governor of Gibraltar, representative of the British Crown. ... The Gibraltar Social Democrats (abbreviated GSD) are a political party in Gibraltar. ... A barrister (advocate in Scotland and the Channel Islands, barrister-at-law in Ireland and elsewhere) is a lawyer found in Common law jurisdictions who principally, but not exclusively, represents litigants as their advocate before the courts of that jurisdiction. ... Queens Counsel (postnominal QC), during the reign of a male Sovereign known as Kings Counsel (KC), are barristers or, in Scotland, advocates appointed by letters patent to be one of Her Majestys Counsel learned in the law. They do not constitute a separate order or degree of...

Caruana was born in Gibraltar, his family being of Maltese descent, having come to Gibraltar in the 19th century as naval tailors, and establishing a business still trading today. He was educated in Gibraltar and in the UK. He started his political career as an election agent for the PAG, a party which used to espouse the idea of Gibraltar becoming an autonomous region within Spain.

While in opposition, as a member and then leader of the GSD, Caruana moved away from the ideas of the PAG and, as Chief Minister he has ruled out any transfer of sovereignty to Spain. After consistently avoiding participation in bilateral talks as part of the British delegation, in December 2004 the principle of tri-partite talks, recognising the Government of Gibraltar as an equal party, was finally recognised.