Shareholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Nov. 07, 2016	Oct. 29, 2015	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, par value	$ 0.0001			$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Additional paid-in capital	$ 430,283,000			$ 430,283,000	$ 529,872,000
Additional Paid-in Capital
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Reduction in treasury shares due to redomestication		$ 103,248,000		103,248,000
Treasury Shares
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Reduction in treasury shares due to redomestication				$ (103,248,000)
Redemption Agreement | Fox Paine and Company
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares agreed to redeem, shares			8,260,870
Ordinary shares agreed to redeem			$ 190,000,000
Additional Redemption Agreement | Fox Paine and Company
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares agreed to redeem, shares			3,397,031
Ordinary shares agreed to redeem			$ 78,100,000
Redemption agreement expiration date				Dec. 31, 2019
Ordinary shares agreed to redeem, percentage of annual increase			3.00%
Global Indemnity Limited
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Reduction in treasury shares due to redomestication	(600,000)
Stock Issued during Period		17,597,230
Distributable reserves	368,300,000			$ 368,300,000
Additional paid-in capital	430,300,000			430,300,000
Global Indemnity Limited | Maximum
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Maximum dividends and distributions allowable under law	$ 797,900,000			$ 797,900,000
Ordinary Shares B
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, cancelled		4,133,366
Ordinary shares, par value		$ 0.0001
Ordinary shares agreed to redeem, shares	0			0	0
B ordinary shares converted to A ordinary shares					7,928,004
Ordinary Shares B | Global Indemnity Limited
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, par value		$ 0.0001
Stock Issued during Period		4,133,366
Ordinary Shares A
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, cancelled		13,463,864
Ordinary shares, par value		$ 0.0001
Reduction in treasury shares due to redomestication				$ 1,000
B ordinary shares converted to A ordinary shares					(7,928,004)
Ordinary Shares A | Treasury Shares
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, number of shares purchased				28,099	11,895	5,444
Stock repurchase program, value of shares purchased				$ 805,000	$ 333,000	$ 139,000
Ordinary Shares A | Global Indemnity Limited
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Ordinary shares, par value		$ 0.0001
Stock Issued during Period		13,463,864