Government of Barbados
Encyclopedia
Government of Barbados consists of: The Monarch
, HM Queen Elizabeth II (and her representative the Governor-General, HE Sir Clifford Husbands
); The Prime Minister, The Hon. Freundel Stuart
, and his Cabinet
; (Parliament
) as legislature, divided into two chambers (Senate
and House of Assembly
), and an independent judiciary. In keeping with the evolution of the Westminster system
of governance, Barbados has evolved into a Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
, meaning that all real power
rests with the Parliament.
Executive authority is vested in both the Prime Minister and Cabinet who are collectively responsible to Parliament. Barbadian law is rooted historically on English common law
, and the Constitution of Barbados
implemented in 1966, is supreme law of the land
.
, 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. Both the Barbados Labour Party
and the Democratic Labour Party
have formed the government in the elections since 1961.
which gains a simple majority in the general election
s held in Barbados
. These elections constitutionally must be held no longer than every five years apart, however elections can be called whenever the Government so chooses to seek a new mandate or loses a vote of no confidence in Parliament
. It is part of Barbados' political system
and supported by the Public service.
, and enjoys appeals to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
.
ranked Barbados as 17th place (of 179) in the world on its corruption perceptions index in 2010, with only 1 nation surpassing it in the Americas
. (http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results)
Monarchy of Barbados
The monarchy of Barbados is a constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Barbados, forming the core of the country's Westminster style parliamentary democracy...
, HM Queen Elizabeth II (and her representative the Governor-General, HE Sir Clifford Husbands
Clifford Husbands
Sir Clifford Straughn Husbands, GCMG, KA, QC was the Governor-General of Barbados. He held this office from 1996, when he was appointed after the death of Dame Nita Barrow, until he retired on 31 October 2011.-External links:*...
); The Prime Minister, The Hon. Freundel Stuart
Freundel Stuart
Freundel Jerome Stuart QC MP is the seventh Prime Minister of Barbados. He succeeded David Thompson, who died on 23 October 2010 of pancreatic cancer. He is a member of the Democratic Labour Party .-Personal life and career:...
, and his Cabinet
Cabinet of Barbados
The Cabinet of Barbados is the executive committee that looks after the management of the country. It is chaired by Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and is composed of 18 Ministers....
; (Parliament
Parliament of Barbados
The Parliament of Barbados is the national legislature of Barbados. It is accorded legislative supremacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados. The Parliament is bicameral in composition and is formally made up of: HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados The Parliament of Barbados is the...
) as legislature, divided into two chambers (Senate
Senate of Barbados
The Senate is the name given to the Upper House of the bicameral legislature the Parliament of Barbados. The Senate is accorded legitimacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados. It is the smaller of both chambers and also includes HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados...
and House of Assembly
Barbados House of Assembly
The House of Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Barbados. It has 30 Members of Parliament , MPs are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple-majority system for a term of five years....
), and an independent judiciary. In keeping with the evolution of the Westminster system
Westminster System
The Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
of governance, Barbados has evolved into a Parliamentary democracy and Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy is a form of government in which a monarch acts as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, whether it be a written, uncodified or blended constitution...
, meaning that all real power
Political power
Political power is a type of power held by a group in a society which allows administration of some or all of public resources, including labour, and wealth. There are many ways to obtain possession of such power. At the nation-state level political legitimacy for political power is held by the...
rests with the Parliament.
Executive authority is vested in both the Prime Minister and Cabinet who are collectively responsible to Parliament. Barbadian law is rooted historically on English common law
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
, and the Constitution of Barbados
Constitution of Barbados
The Constitution of Barbados is the supreme law under which Barbados is governed. The Constitution provides a legal establishment of the structure and various roles of administration of the Sovereign , the Vice-Royal , the Government of Barbados, as well as legal rights and responsibilities of the...
implemented in 1966, is supreme law of the land
Law of the land
The phrase law of the land is a legal term, equivalent to the Latin lex terrae . It refers to all of the laws in force within a country or region, including both statute law and common law....
.
History
The government has been chosen by elections since 1961 electionsBarbadian general election, 1961
General elections were held in Barbados on 4 December 1961. Although the Barbados Labour Party received more votes, the result was a victory for the Democratic Labour Party, which won 14 of the 24 seats. Voter turnout was 61.3%.-Results:...
, when Barbados achieved full self-governance
Self-governing colony
A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the colonial power with formal or nominal control of the colony...
. Before then, the government was a Crown colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
consisting of either colonial administration solely (such as the Executive Council
Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)
An Executive Council in Commonwealth constitutional practice based on the Westminster system is a constitutional organ which exercises executive power and advises the governor or governor-general. Executive Councils often make decisions via Orders in Council.Executive Councillors are informally...
), or a mixture of colonial rule and a partially-elected assembly, such as the Legislative Council. Both the Barbados Labour Party
Barbados Labour Party
The Barbados Labour Party is the main opposition party of Barbados. Led by Rt. Hon.Owen Arthur, the BLP holds 9 out of 30 seats in the House of Assembly as of January 2008...
and the Democratic Labour Party
Democratic Labour Party (Barbados)
The Democratic Labour Party is a political party in Barbados, and currently the ruling party of the country. It is led by Freundel Stuart.-History:...
have formed the government in the elections since 1961.
Executive Branch
The Prime Minister and Cabinet is formed by the political partyPolitical party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
which gains a simple majority in the general election
Elections in Barbados
Elections in Barbados is the process of conducting general elections and formulating election results in Barbados. An election is a process in which a vote is held to democratically elect national candidates to an office. In the case of Barbados, it is the mechanism by which the electors choose...
s held in Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
. These elections constitutionally must be held no longer than every five years apart, however elections can be called whenever the Government so chooses to seek a new mandate or loses a vote of no confidence in Parliament
Parliament of Barbados
The Parliament of Barbados is the national legislature of Barbados. It is accorded legislative supremacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados. The Parliament is bicameral in composition and is formally made up of: HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados The Parliament of Barbados is the...
. It is part of Barbados' political system
Politics of Barbados
The politics of Barbados function within a framework of constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary government with strong democratic traditions; constitutional safeguards for nationals of Barbados include: freedom of speech, press, worship, movement, and association.Executive power is vested in...
and supported by the Public service.
Ministries
[[ edit table]]| Portfolio | Minister |
|---|---|
| Governor General | His Excellency Sir Clifford S. Husbands |
| Prime Minister of Barbados Prime Minister of Barbados The Prime Minister of Barbados is a very influential position as head of government of Barbados. According to Barbados Constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is appointed by the Governor-General who is responsible for conducting parliamentary elections, and for... Head of the Cabinet of Barbados |
The Hon. Freundel Stuart Freundel Stuart Freundel Jerome Stuart QC MP is the seventh Prime Minister of Barbados. He succeeded David Thompson, who died on 23 October 2010 of pancreatic cancer. He is a member of the Democratic Labour Party .-Personal life and career:... |
| Prime Minister's Office | Sen. The Hon. Darcy Boyce |
| Office of the Attorney General | The Hon. Adriel Brathwaite |
| Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Industry and Small Business Development | Dr. The Hon. David Estwick |
| Ministry of Commerce and Trade | Sen. The Hon. Haynesley Benn |
| Ministry of Drainage, Water Resource Management and the Environment | Dr. The Hon. Denis Lowe |
| Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development | The Hon. Ronald D. Jones |
| Ministry of Family, Culture, Sports and Youth | The Hon. Stephen Lashley |
| Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs | The Hon. Christopher Sinckler |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade | Sen. The Hon. Maxine McClean |
| Ministry of Health | The Hon. Donville Inniss |
| Ministry of Home Affairs | The Hon. Adriel Brathwaite |
| Ministry of Housing, Lands, Urban and Rural Development | The Hon. Patrick M. T. Todd |
| Ministry of International Transport and International Business | The Hon. George Hutson George Hutson George William Hutson was a British athlete who competed mainly in the long distance events.He competed for Great Britain in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden in the 5000 metres where he won the bronze medal... |
| Ministry of Labour | Dr. The Hon. Esther Byer-Suckoo |
| Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and Community Development | The Hon. Steven D. Blackett |
| Minister Of State | The Hon. Patrick M. T. Todd |
| Ministry of Tourism | The Hon. Richard L. Sealy |
| Ministry of Transport and Works | The Hon. John D. E. Boyce |
Judicial Branch
Barbados' Courts include the Magistrates' Court, High Court, and Court of Appeal. It is also a member of the Caribbean Court of JusticeCaribbean Court of Justice
The Caribbean Court of Justice is the judicial institution of the Caribbean Community . Established in 2001, it is based in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago....
, and enjoys appeals to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States , which serves to uphold and...
.
Perception
Transparency InternationalTransparency International
Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that monitors and publicizes corporate and political corruption in international development. It publishes an annual Corruption Perceptions Index, a comparative listing of corruption worldwide...
ranked Barbados as 17th place (of 179) in the world on its corruption perceptions index in 2010, with only 1 nation surpassing it in the Americas
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
. (http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results)
See also
- Prime Minister of BarbadosPrime Minister of BarbadosThe Prime Minister of Barbados is a very influential position as head of government of Barbados. According to Barbados Constitution, the Prime Minister must always be a member of Parliament, and is appointed by the Governor-General who is responsible for conducting parliamentary elections, and for...
- Monarchy of BarbadosMonarchy of BarbadosThe monarchy of Barbados is a constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Barbados, forming the core of the country's Westminster style parliamentary democracy...
- List of ministers of the environment
- Parliament of BarbadosParliament of BarbadosThe Parliament of Barbados is the national legislature of Barbados. It is accorded legislative supremacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados. The Parliament is bicameral in composition and is formally made up of: HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados The Parliament of Barbados is the...
External links
- 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