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History
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The Pandemonium: How an Island Nation with Two Rulers Let You Choose Your Jail by the Food
Until 1980, the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) was an Anglo-French condominium with two of everything: laws, police, and prisons. Dubbed 'the Pandemonium,' this bizarre system allowed residents to strategically choose their justice system, sometimes based simply on which jail served better food or wine.
Imagine a country with two governments, two sets of laws, two police forces, two currencies, and two official languages, all operating simultaneously in the same small space. It sounds like a political satire, but for 74 years, this was the reality for the Pacific archipelago known as the New Hebrides. This unique and baffling form of joint colonial rule was so notoriously confusing that it earned a fitting nickname: “the Pandemonium.”
A Government Built for Two
From 1906 until its independence as the Republic of Vanuatu in 1980, the New Hebrides was administered as an Anglo-French Condominium. Neither Britain nor France wanted the other to have sole control, so they settled on a bizarre compromise: they would rule it together. This wasn't a unified government, but rather two complete, parallel colonial administrations layered on top of one another. The French Tricolour and the British Union Jack flew side-by-side on government buildings.
The result was a bureaucratic labyrinth. There was a British police force and a French gendarmerie. You could use the New Hebrides Franc or the Australian Dollar. Children could attend a British school to learn English or a French school to learn French. There were two health systems, two prison systems, and even two sets of postage stamps. For the indigenous Melanesian (Ni-Vanuatu) population, navigating this dual system was a daily reality, requiring them to choose allegiance, officially or unofficially, to one colonial power or the other.
Justice à la Carte
Nowhere was the absurdity of the Pandemonium more apparent than in its justice system. The territory had both British law and French law. Residents had to opt into one of the two legal codes. This created a situation where neighbors could be subject to entirely different legal standards. A Joint Court was established to handle disputes between colonists or cases involving locals, presided over by a neutral judge (often appointed by the King of Spain) alongside one British and one French judge. Proceedings were a logistical nightmare, often requiring multiple translators for English, French, and Bislama (the local pidgin English).
This dual system created an unusual opportunity for strategic law-breaking. Since the penalties, procedures, and even prison conditions differed wildly between the two systems, an offender could quite literally shop for the most favorable legal outcome. The French system, based on civil code, was often seen as more lenient, while the British common law system was considered stricter. The choice could come down to the most peculiar of factors, as writer J. Maarten Troost noted in his travels through the region:
In the British jail you got better food but in the French jail you got wine.
This wasn't just a humorous anecdote; it was a genuine consideration. An offender, when faced with the consequences, might choose the French system for a more relaxed prison stay with wine served with meals, or opt for the British system if they preferred a more substantial, albeit alcohol-free, diet. It is perhaps the only instance in history where a nation's cuisine directly influenced the administration of its justice.
The End of the Pandemonium
This unwieldy and inefficient system finally came to an end on July 30, 1980, when the New Hebrides gained independence and became the Republic of Vanuatu. The dual institutions were dismantled and unified into a single, sovereign government. Today, Vanuatu stands as a proud independent nation, but the legacy of its bizarre two-headed colonial past remains a fascinating and unique chapter in world history—a time when choosing your jailer could depend on the day's menu.