Government of Barbados

Simplification of the government structure of Barbados

The country has a bicameral legislature and a political party system, based on universal adult suffrage and fair elections. The Senate has 21 members, appointed by the President, 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister, two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition, and seven at the President's sole discretion. The House of Assembly has 30 members, all elected. Both houses debate all legislation. However, the House of Assembly may override Senate's rejection of money bills and other bills except bills amending the Constitution.

Officers of each house (President and Deputy President of the Senate; Speaker, Deputy Speaker, and Chairman of Committees of the Assembly) are elected from the members of the respective houses.

In keeping with the Westminster system of governance, Barbados has evolved into an independent parliamentary democracy, meaning that all political power rests with the Parliament under a non-political President as head of state. Executive authority is vested in the President, who normally acts only on the advice of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, who are collectively responsible to Parliament."Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act, 2021" (PDF). Parliament of Barbados. 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09. Retrieved 29 October 2021. Barbadian law is rooted in English common law, and the Constitution of Barbados implemented in 1966, is the supreme law of the land.

Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual are set out in the Constitution and are protected by a strict legal code.

The Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister, who must be an elected member of Parliament, and other ministers are appointed from either chamber by the President, as advised by the Prime Minister.

Office of the Prime Minister of Barbados on Bay Street, Bridgetown, Barbados. (c.a. November 2000)

The President appoints as Leader of the Opposition the member of House of Assembly who commands the support of the largest number of members of that House in opposition to the ruling party's government.

The maximum duration of a Parliament is five years from the first sitting. There is a simultaneous dissolution of both Houses of Parliament by the President, acting on the advice of the Prime Minister.

There is an established non-political civil service. Also, there are separate constitutional commissions for the Judicial and Legal Service, the Public Service, and the Police Service.

The government has been chosen by elections since 1961 elections, when Barbados achieved full self-governance. Before then, the government was a Crown colony consisting of either colonial administration solely (such as the Executive Council), or a mixture of colonial rule and a partially elected assembly, such as the Legislative Council.

Between 1966 and 2021, the head of state of Barbados was the Monarchy of Barbados represented by the Governor-General of Barbados as its representative. After decades of republicanism, the monarchy was abolished and replaced with a new head of state office, the President of Barbados, on 30 November 2021.

Since independence the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) held office 1966 to 1976, from 1986 to 1994, and from January 2008 to 2018. The Barbados Labour Party (BLP) governed from 1976 to 1986, from September 1994–2008 and has formed the government from 2018–Present.

Main office-holders

Office	Name	Party	Since
President	Sandra Mason	Independent	30 November 2021
Prime Minister	Mia Mottley	Barbados Labour Party	25 May 2018

The Executive Branch of government conducts the ordinary business of government. These functions are called out by the Prime Minister and cabinet ministers. The prime minister chooses the ministers of government they wish to have in the cabinet but they are actually appointed by the President.

• Heads of State
  • President
• Head of Government
  • Prime Minister
  • Attorney General's
  • Ministers

Source: St.Lucia Times

Source: St.Lucia Times

Source: BGIS

Under Barbados' version of the Westminster system of government, the executive and legislative branches are partly intertwined. The only official Cabinet office (other than Prime Minister) expressly mentioned in the Constitution of Barbados is Office of the Attorney-General.

• President
• Chief Secretaries (Abolished)
• Auditors-General
• Senators
  • Presidents of the Senate
• Members of the House ( a/k/a Members of Parliament)
  • Speakers of the House of Assembly
• Clerks of Parliament

The judiciary is the legal system through which punishments are handed out to individuals who break the law. The functions of the judiciary are to enforce laws; to interpret laws; to conduct court hearings; to hear court appeals.[3]

The local court system of Barbados is made up of:

• Magistrates' Courts: Covering Criminal, Civil, Domestic, Domestic Violence, and Juvenile matters. But can also take up matters dealing with Coroner's Inquests, Liquor Licences, and civil marriages. Further, the Magistrates' Courts deal with Contract and Tort law where claims do not exceed $10,000.00.[4]
• The Supreme Court: is made up of High Court and Court of Appeals.[4]
  • High Court: Consisting of Civil, Criminal, and Family law divisions.
  • Court of Appeal: Handles appeals from the High Court and Magistrates' Court. It hears appeals in both the civil, and criminal law jurisdictions. It may consist of a single Justice of Appeal sitting in Chambers; or may sit as a Full Court of three Justices of Appeals.
• The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), (based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago), is the court of last resort (final jurisdiction) over Barbadian law. It replaced the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC). The CCJ may resolve other disputed matters dealing with the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).
• Chief Justices
  • Justices of Appeals
  • Magistrates

Transparency International ranked Barbados as 29th place (of 180) in the world on its Corruption Perceptions Index in 2021, being the least corrupt country in the Caribbean.[5]

• Politics of Barbados
• Monarchy of Barbados
• Parliament of Barbados
• Prime Minister of Barbados
• Cabinet of Barbados
• List of government budgets by country
• List of countries by tax revenue as percentage of GDP

• Dupont, Jerry (2001). The common law abroad: constitutional and legal legacy of the British empire. William S. Hein & Co., Inc. pp. 199–206. ISBN 0-8377-3125-9. Retrieved 5 January 2010.

• 
  Office of the Prime Minister
• 
  The Cabinet Office in the Government Headquarters complex
• 
  Main entrance to the Government Headquarters complex, with a statue of Sir Grantley Adams in the foreground

• Government of Barbados at Curlie
• Barbadian Government Website
• The Barbados Governmental System, Photius Coutsoukis
• Barbados Government statement on the proper titles for members of Government
• Social Security provided by the Government of Barbados
• Laws of Barbados, The World Law Guide
• Laws of Barbados, The World Intellectual Property Organization