Constitution of Barbados

The Constitution of Barbados
The Constitution of Barbados
Overview
Jurisdiction	Barbados
Ratified	22 November 1966
Date effective	30 November 1966
System	Parliamentary monarchy (before 2021); Parliamentary republic
Government structure
Branches	Executive; Legislative; Judicial;
Head of state	President, elected by Parliament
Chambers	House of Assembly; Senate;
Executive	Prime minister–led cabinet responsible to the House of Assembly
Judiciary	See Judiciary of Barbados
Last amended	2021

The Constitution of Barbados is the supreme law under which Barbados is governed.^[1] The Constitution provides a legal establishment of the Government of Barbados, as well as legal rights and responsibilities of the public and various other government officers. The Constitution which came into force in 1966 was amended in 1974,^[2] 1980, 1981, 1985, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003,^[3] 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. The 1966 document succeeds several other documents concerning administration of Barbados. One of them, the Barbados Charter, is discussed in the present Constitution's Preamble. Prior statutes were created for the administration of Barbados as a colony. As a former English and later British colony, the Constitution is similar to those of other former Commonwealth realms, yet distinctly different in the spirit of the Statute of Westminster.

^ Constitution of Barbados, Chapter 1, Section 1.
^ 1974 Amendment
^ 2003 Amendment

[1] Constitution of Barbados, Chapter 1, Section 1.

[2] 1974 Amendment

[3] 2003 Amendment

[1]

[2]

[3]