Bermuda Constitution Order 1968

Citation and Commencement

1.-

(1) This Order may be cited as the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968.

(2) This Order shall come into force on 21st February 1968.

 

Interpretation

2.-

(1) In this Order :

“the Constitution” means the Constitution of Bermuda set out in Schedule 2 to this Order;

“the appointed day” means such day after the return of the writs of election in the general election referred to in section 7 of this Order as may be appointed by the Governor by proclamation published in the Gazette;

“the existing instruments” means the instruments revoked by section 3 of this Order;

“the existing laws” means any laws (including Resolves) made before the appointed day by any legislature for the time being constituted as the legislature of Bermuda and having effect as part of the law of Bermuda immediately before the appointed day* (whether or not they have then come into operation) and any rules, regulations, orders or other instruments made in pursuance of such laws and having such effect.

(2) The provisions of sections 102, 103 and 108 of the Constitution shall apply for the purposes of interpreting sections 1 to 10 of this Order and otherwise in relation thereto as they apply for the purpose of interpreting and in relation to the Constitution.

Revocations

3.- The instruments set out in Schedule 1 to this Order are revoked with effect from the appointed day*.

Establishment of Constitution

4.- Subject to the provisions of this Order the Constitution shall come into operation on the appointed day*.

Existing laws

5.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the existing laws shall have effect on and after the appointed day* as if they had been made in pursuance of the Constitution and shall be read and construed with such modifications, adaptations, qualifications and exceptions as may be necessary to bring them into conformity with the Constitution.

(2) The Governor may, by order published in the Gazette, at any time within twelve months after the commencement of this Order make such amendments in any existing law as may appear to him to be necessary or expedient for bringing that law into conformity with the provisions of the Constitution or otherwise for giving effect, or enabling effect to be given, to those provisions; and any existing law shall have effect accordingly from such date (not being earlier than the appointed day) as may be specified in the order.

(3) An order made under this section may be amended or revoked by the Legislature or, in relation to any existing law affected thereby, by any other authority having power to amend, repeal or revoke that existing law.

(4) Where any matter that falls to be prescribed or otherwise provided for the purposes of the Constitution by the Legislature or by any other person or authority is prescribed or provided for by or under any existing law (including any amendment of any such law made under this section) or is otherwise prescribed or provided for, immediately before the appointed day, by or under the existing instruments, that prescription or provision shall, as from the appointed day, have effect as if it had been made for those purposes by the Legislature or, as the case may be, by the other person or authority.

(5) The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to any powers conferred by the Constitution or any other law upon any person or authority to make provision for any matter, including the amendment or repeal of any existing law.

(6) For the avoidance of doubts it is hereby declared that nothing in section 55 of the Constitution shall affect any register of electors subsisting under any existing law immediately before construed as applying in relation to any subsequent revision of any such register.

Existing officers

6.-

(1) Any person who, immediately before the appointed day* holds or is acting in any office to which this section applies shall be deemed as from that day to have been appointed to or to act in that office or the corresponding office in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and to have made any necessary oaths or affirmation under the Constitution:

(2) Provided that any person who under the existing instruments or any existing law would have been required to his office at the expiration of any period or on the attainment of any age shall vacate his office at the expiration of that period or on the attainment of that age.

(3) This section applies to the offices of the Governor, judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal and the personal staff of the Governor and to any public office.

(4) The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to the power of any person or authority to abolish any office or to remove from office any person holding or acting in any office.

Holding of general election prior to the appointed day

7.-  (omitted)

First appointment of Secretary to Executive Council

8.- (omitted)

Rules of procedure of Legislative Council and House of Assembly

9.- (transitional) (omitted)

Legal proceedings

10.- (transitional) (omitted)

Regulations for retirement, compensation, etc. of certain officers

11.- (transitional) (omitted)

SCHEDULE 1.-  TO THE ORDER INSTRUMENTS REVOKED

Letters Patent, dated 19th January 1888, passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, constituting the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bermudas or Somers Islands (Rev.III, p. 119).

The Bermuda (Amendment) Letters Patent 1953 (S.I. 1953 II, p. 2777).

The Bermuda (Amendment) Letters Patent 1955 (S.I. 1955 II, p. 3179).

The Bermuda Letters Patent 1962 (S.I. 1962 I, p.1025).

Instructions issued under the Royal Sign Manual and Signet to the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bermudas or Somers Islands on 25th November 1915.

Additional Instructions issued as aforesaid on 9th June 1930.

Additional Instructions issued as aforesaid on 30th August 1943.

Additional Instructions issued as aforesaid on 16th May 1953.

 

SCHEDULE 2.- TO THE ORDER THE CONSTITUTION OF BERMUDA

 

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

CHAPTER I.- PROTECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL

1 Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual

2 Protection of right to life

3 Protection from inhuman treatment

4 Protection from slavery and forced labour

5 Protection from arbitrary arrest or detention

6 Provisions to secure protection of law

7 Protection for privacy of home and other property

8 Protection of freedom of conscience

9 Protection of freedom of expression

10 Protection of freedom of assembly and association

11 Protection of freedom of movement

12 Protection from discrimination on the grounds of race, etc

13 Protection from deprivation of property

14 Provisions for time of war or emergency

15 Enforcement of fundamental rights

16 Interpretation

CHAPTER II.-THE GOVERNOR

17 The Governor

18 Office of Deputy Governor

19 Acting Governor

19A Functions of Deputy Governor

20 Personal staff and expenditure of the Governor

21 Exercise of Governor´s functions

22 Powers of pardon, etc

23 Establishment and procedure of Advisory Committee

24 Powers to dispose of land

25 Powers to constitute offices and make appointments, etc

CHAPTER III.- THE LEGISLATURE

Composition

26 Legislature of Bermuda

27 Composition of Senate

28 Composition of House of Assembly

29 Qualifications for membership of Senate and House of Assembly

30 Disqualifications for membership of Senate and House of Assembly

31 Tenure of seats of members of Senate and House of Assembly

32 President and Vice-President of Senate and Speaker and Deputy Speaker of House of Assembly

33 Determination of questions of membership of Senate and House of Assembly

Powers and Procedure

34 Power to make laws

35 Mode of exercise of power to make laws

36 Restrictions with regard to certain financial measures

37 Restriction on powers of Senate as to money bills which are not taxation bills

38 Restriction on powers of Senate as to other public bills

39 Provisions relating to sections 36, 37 and 38

40 Oath of allegiance

41 Validity of proceedings

42 Presiding in the Senate and House of Assembly

43 Quorum

44 Voting

45 Rules of procedure

46 Privileges of Houses

47 Power of disallowance in respect of laws relating to Government stock

48 Sessions of the Legislature

49 Prorogation and dissolution of the Legislature

50 Recalling dissolved Legislature in case of emergency

51 General elections, bye-elections and appointments to Senate

Constituencies and the Franchise

52 Division of Bermuda into single-member constituencies

53 Constituency Boundaries Commission

54 Review and alteration of constituency boundaries

55 Qualifications and disqualifications of electors

CHAPTER IV.- THE EXECUTIVE

56 Executive authority

57 The Cabinet

58 Appointment of Premier and other Ministers

59 Tenure of office of Premier and other Ministers

60 Performance of functions of Premier in certain events

60A Performance of functions of other Ministers in certain events

61 Allocation of portfolios to Ministers

62 Governor´s special responsibilities

63 Junior Ministers

64 Restriction on appointments from House of Assembly

65 Summoning of Cabinet

66 Proceedings in Cabinet

67 Summoning of persons to Cabinet

68 Oaths

69 Secretary to Cabinet

70 Governor´s Council

71 Attorney-General

71A Director of Public Prosecutions

72 Opposition Leader

CHAPTER V.- THE JUDICIARY

The Supreme Court

73 Constitution of Supreme Court

74 Tenure of office of judges of Supreme Court

75 Acting judges of Supreme Court

76 Oaths to be taken by judges of Supreme Court

The Court of Appeal

77 Constitution of Court of Appeal

78 Tenure of office of judges of Court of Appeal

79 Acting judges of Court of Appeal

80 Oaths to be taken by judges of Court of Appeal

CHAPTER VI.- THE PUBLIC SERVICE

General

81 Public Service Commission.

82 Appointment, etc., of public officers

83 Delegation of Governor´s power

84 Performance of functions of Public Service Commission

Particular Offices

85 (omitted)

86 Appointment, etc., of Attorney-General

87 Appointment, etc., of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police

88 Appointment, etc., of the Auditor General

89 Appointment, etc., of magistrates and other legally qualified staff of the courts

90 Appointment of Secretary to Cabinet

Pensions

91 Applicability of pensions law

92 Pensions, etc., charged on the Consolidated Fund

93 Grant and withholding of pensions, etc

CHAPTER VI A.- OMBUDSMAN

93A The Ombudsman

93B Functions of the Ombudsman

CHAPTER VII.- FINANCE

94 Consolidated Fund

95 Withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund or other public funds

96 Authorisation of expenditure

97 Authorisation of expenditure in advance of appropriation

98 Contingencies fund

99 Public debt

100 Remuneration of certain officers

101 The Auditor

CHAPTER VIII.- MISCELLANEOUS

102 Interpretation

103 References to public offices

104 Appointments

105 Removal from office

106 Resignations

107 Saving for jurisdiction of courts

108 Power to amend and revoke instruments, etc

 

THE SCHEDULE TO THE CONSTITUTION OF BERMUDA

 

FORMS OF OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS

 

CHAPTER I.- PROTECTION OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual

1.- Whereas every person in Bermuda is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, has the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely:

(a) life, liberty, security of the person and the protection of the law;

(b) freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association; and

(c) protection for the privacy of his home and other property and from deprivation of property without compensation, the subsequent provisions of this Chapter shall have effect for the purpose of affording protection to the aforesaid rights and freedoms subject to such limitations of that protection as are contained in those provisions, being limitations designed to ensure that the enjoyment of the said rights and freedoms by any individual does not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others or the public interest.

Protection of right to life

2.-

(1) No person shall be deprived intentionally of his life.

(2) A person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section if he dies as the result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as are permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably justifiable :

(a) for the defence of any person from violence or for the defence of property;

(b) in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained;

(c) for the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny; or

(d) in order to prevent the commission by that person of a criminal offence, or if he dies as a result of a lawful act of war.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Protection from inhuman treatment

3.-

(1) No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

(2) (deleted)

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Protection from slavery and forced labour

4.-

(1) No person shall be held in slavery or servitude.

(2) No person shall be required to perform forced labour.

(3) For the purposes of this section, “forced labour” does not include :

(a) any labour required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court;

(b) any labour required of a member of a disciplined force in pursuance of his duties as such or, in the case of a person who has conscientious objections to service in a naval, military or air force, any labour that that person is required by law to perform in place of such service;

(c) labour required of any person while he is lawfully detained that, though not required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court, is reasonably necessary in the interests of hygiene or for the maintenance of the place in which he is detained; or

(d) any labour required during a period of public emergency (that is to say, a period to which section 14 of this Constitution applies) or in the event of any other emergency or calamity that threatens the life or well-being of the community, to the extent that the requiring of such labour is reasonably justifiable, in the circumstances of any situation arising or existing during that period or as a result of that other emergency or calamity, for the purpose of dealing with that situation.

Protection from arbitrary arrest or detention

5.-

(1) No person shall be deprived of his personal liberty save as may be authorised by law in any of the following cases:

(a) in execution of the sentence or order of a court, whether established for Bermuda or some other country, in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been convicted or in consequence of his unfitness to plead to a criminal charge;

(b) in execution of the order of a court punishing him for contempt of that court or of another court or tribunal;

(c) in execution of the order of a court made in order to secure the fulfilment of any obligation imposed upon him by law;

(d) for the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court;

(e) upon reasonable suspicion that he has committed, is committing, or is about to commit, a criminal offence;

(f) in the case of a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, under the order of a court or with the consent of his parent or guardian, for the purpose of his education or welfare;

(g) for the purpose of preventing the spread of an infectious or contagious disease or in the case of a person who is, or is reasonably suspected to be, of unsound mind, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or a vagrant, for the purpose of his care or treatment or the protection of the community;

(h) for the purpose of preventing the unlawful entry of that person into Bermuda or for the purpose of effecting the expulsion, extradition or other lawful removal from Bermuda of that person or the taking of proceedings relating thereto.

(2) Any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed as soon as is reasonably practicable, in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest or detention.

(3) Any person who is arrested or detained in such a case as is mentioned in subsection (1)(d) or (e) of this section and who is not released shall be brought without undue delay before a court; and if any person arrested or detained in such a case as is mentioned in the said paragraph (e) is not tried within a reasonable time he shall (without prejudice to any further proceedings that may be brought against him) be released either unconditionally or upon reasonable conditions, including in particular such conditions as are reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears at a later date for trial or for proceedings preliminary to trial.

(4) Any person who is unlawfully arrested or detained by any other person shall be entitled to compensation therefor from that other person.

(5) Any person who is arrested shall be entitled to be informed, as soon as he is brought to a police station or other place of custody, of his rights as defined by a law enacted by the Legislature to remain silent, to seek legal advice, and to have one person informed by telephone of his arrest and of his whereabouts.

Provisions to secure protection of law

6.-

(1) If any person is charged with a criminal offence, then, unless the charge is withdrawn, the case shall be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court established by law.

(2) Every person who is charged with a criminal offence :

(a) shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved or has pleaded guilty;

(b) shall be informed as soon as reasonably practicable, in a language that he understands and in detail, of the nature of the offence charged;

(c) shall be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defence;

(d) shall be permitted to defend himself before the court in person or, at his own expense, by a legal representative of his own choice or, where so provided by any law, by a legal representative at the public expense;

(e) shall be afforded facilities to examine in person or by his legal representative the witnesses called by the prosecution before the court, and to obtain the attendance and carry out the examination of witnesses to testify on his behalf before the court on the same conditions as those applying to witnesses called by the prosecution;

(f) shall be permitted to have without payment the assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand the language used at the trial of the charge; and

(g) shall, when charged on information or indictment in the Supreme Court, have the right to trial by jury, and, except with his own consent, the trial shall not take place his absence, unless he so conducts himself in the court as to render the continuance of the proceedings in his presence impracticable and the court has ordered him to be removed and the trial to proceed in his absence.

(3) When a person is tried for any criminal offence, the accused person or any person authorised by him in that behalf shall, if he so requires and subject to payment of such reasonable fee as may be prescribed by law, be given within a reasonable time after judgment a copy for the use of the accused person of any record of the proceedings made by or on behalf of the court.

(4) No person shall be held to be guilty of a criminal offence on account of any act or omission that did not, at the time it took place, constitute such an offence, and no penalty shall be imposed for any criminal offence that is severer in degree or description than the maximum penalty that might have been imposed for that offence at the time when it was committed.

(5) No person who shows that he has been tried by a competent court for a criminal offence and either convicted or acquitted shall again be tried for that offence or for any other criminal offence of which he could have been convicted at the trial for that offence, save upon the order of a superior court in the course of appeal or review proceedings relating to the conviction or acquittal.

(6) No person shall be tried for a criminal offence if he shows that he has been pardoned for that offence.

(7) No person who is tried for a criminal offence shall be compelled to give evidence at the trial.

(8) Any court or other adjudicating authority prescribed by law for the determination of the existence or extent of any civil right or obligation shall be established by law and shall be independent and impartial; and where proceedings for such a determination are instituted by any person before such a court or other adjudicating authority, the case shall be given a fair hearing within a reasonable time.

(9) All proceedings instituted in any court for the determination of the existence or extent of any civil right or obligation, including the announcement of the decision of the court, shall be held in public.

(10) Nothing in subsection (9) of this section shall prevent the court from excluding from the proceedings persons other than the parties thereto and their legal representatives to such extent as the court :

(a) may be empowered by law so to do and may consider necessary or expedient in circumstances where publicity would prejudice the interests of justice, or in interlocutory proceedings or in the interests of public morality, the welfare of persons under the age of eighteen years or the protection of the private lives of persons concerned in the proceedings; or

(b) may be empowered or required by law to do so in the interests of defence, public safety or public order.

(11) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of :

(a) subsection (2)(a) of this section to the extent that the law in question imposes upon any person charged with a criminal offence the burden of proving particular facts;

(b) subsection (2)(e) of this section to the extent that the law in question imposes conditions that must be satisfied if witnesses called to testify on behalf of an accused person are to be paid their expenses out of public funds;

(c) subsection (5) of this section to the extent that the law in question authorises a court to try a member of a disciplined force for a criminal offence notwithstanding any trial and conviction or acquittal of that member under the disciplinary law of that force, so, however, that any court so trying such a member and convicting him shall in sentencing him to any punishment take into account any punishment awarded him under that disciplinary law.

(12) In this section, “legal representative” means a person entitled to practise in Bermuda as a barrister and attorney of the Supreme Court.

Protection for privacy of home and other property

7.-

(1) Except with his consent, no person shall be subjected to the search of his person or his property or the entry by others on his premises.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision :

(a) that is reasonably required :

(i) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town and country planning, the development of mineral resources, or the development or utilisation of any other property in such a manner as to promote the public benefit; or

(ii) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons;

(b) to enable an officer or agent of the Government, a local government authority or a body corporate established by law for a public purpose to enter on the premises of any person in order to inspect those premises or anything thereon for the purpose of any tax, rate or due or in order to carry out work connected with any property that is lawfully on those premises and that belongs to the Government or that authority or body corporate, as the case may be; or

(b) to authorise, for the purpose of enforcing the judgment or order of a court in any civil proceedings, the search of any person or property by order of a court or the entry upon any premises by such order,

except so far as that provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.

Protection of freedom of conscience

8.-

(1) Except with his consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom includes freedom of thought and of religion, freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others, and both in public or in private, to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

(2) Except with his consent (or, if he is a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, the consent of his guardian) no person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if that instruction, ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own.

(3) No religious community or denomination shall be prevented from or hindered in providing religious instruction for persons of that community or denomination in the course of any education provided by that community or denomination whether or not that community or denomination is in receipt of any government subsidy, grant or other form of financial assistance designed to meet, in whole or in part, the cost of such course of education.

(4) No person shall be compelled to take any oath which is contrary to his religion or belief or to take any oath in a manner which is contrary to his religion or belief.

(5) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision which is reasonably required :

(a) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or

(b) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons, including the right to observe and practise any religion or belief without the unsolicited interference of persons professing any other religion or belief,

except so far as that provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.

Protection of freedom of expression

9.-

(1) Except with his consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom includes freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference, and freedom from interference with his correspondence.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision :

(a) that is reasonably required :

(i) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or

(ii) for the purpose of protecting the rights, reputations and freedom of other persons or the private lives of persons concerned in legal proceedings, preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of the courts, regulating telephony, telegraphy, posts, wireless broadcasting, television or other means of communication or regulating public exhibitions or public entertainments; or

(b) that imposes restrictions upon public officers or teachers, except so far as that provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section in so far as that paragraph relates to public officers, “law” in that subsection includes directions in writing regarding the conduct of public officers generally or any class of public officer issued by the Government.

Protection of freedom of assembly and association

10.-

(1) Except with his consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of peaceful assembly and association, that is to say, his right to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to political parties or to form or belong to trade unions or other associations for the protection of his interests.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision :

(a) that is reasonably required :

(i) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health;

(ii) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons; or

(b) that imposes restrictions upon public officers, except so far as that provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of this section, “law” in that subsection includes directions in writing regarding the conduct of public officers generally or any class of public officer issued by the Government.

Protection of freedom of movement

11.-

(1) Except with his consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of movement, that is to say, the right to move freely throughout Bermuda, the right to reside in any part thereof, the right to enter Bermuda and immunity from expulsion therefrom.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision :

(a) for the imposition of restrictions on the movement or residence in Bermuda or on the right to leave Bermuda of persons generally or any class of persons that are reasonably required :

(i) in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or

(ii) for the purpose of protecting the rights an freedoms of other persons, except so far as that provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society;

(b) for the removal of a person from Bermuda to be tried or punished in some other country for a criminal offence under the law of that country or to undergo imprisonment in some other country in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence under the law of Bermuda of which he has been convicted;

(c) for the imposition of restrictions on the movement or residence within Bermuda or the right to leave Bermuda of public officers that are reasonably required for the purpose of ensuring the proper performance of their functions;

(d) for the imposition of restrictions on the movement or residence within Bermuda of any person who does not belong to Bermuda or the exclusion or expulsion therefrom of any such person;

(e) for the imposition of restrictions on the acquisition or use by any person of land or other property in Bermuda;

(f) for the imposition of restrictions, by order of a court, on the movement or residence within Bermuda of any person or on any person´s right to leave Bermuda either in consequence of his having been found guilty of a criminal offence under the law of Bermuda or for the purpose of ensuring that he appears before a court at a later date for trial of such a criminal offence or for proceedings preliminary to trial or for proceedings relating to his extradition or lawful removal from Bermuda; or

(g) for the imposition of restrictions on the right of any person to leave Bermuda that are reasonably required in order to secure the fulfilment of any obligations imposed by law, except so far as the provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection (2) of this section, “law” in that subsection includes directions in writing regarding the conduct of public officers generally or any class of public officer issued by the Government.

(4) Any restriction on a person´s freedom of movement which is involved in his lawful detention shall not be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section.

(5) For the purposes of this section, a person shall be deemed to belong to Bermuda if that person :

(a) possesses Bermudian status;

(b) is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies by virtue of the grant by the Governor of a certificate of naturalisation under the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914 or the British Nationality Act 1948 ;

(c) is the wife of a person to whom either of the foregoing paragraphs of this subsection applies not living apart from such person under a decree of a court or a deed of separation; or

(d) is under the age of eighteen years and is the child, stepchild or child adopted in a manner recognised by law of a person to whom any of the foregoing paragraphs of this subsection applies.

Protection from discrimination on the grounds of race, etc.

12.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsections (4), (5) and (8) of this section, no law shall make any provision which is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsections (6), (8) and (9) of this section, no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.

(3) In this section, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which persons of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.

(4) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision :

(a) for the appropriation of revenues or other funds of Bermuda or for the imposition of taxation (including the levying of fees for the grant of licences);

(b) with respect to the entry into or exclusion from, or the employment, engaging in any business or profession, movement or residence within, Bermuda of persons who do not belong to Bermuda for the purposes of section II of, this Constitution;

(c) for the application, in the case of persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) of this section (or of persons connected with such persons) of the law with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other like matters that is the personal law applicable to persons of that description; or

(d) whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) of this section may be subjected to any disability or restriction or may be accorded any privilege or advantage which, having regard to its nature and to special circumstances pertaining to those persons or to persons of any other such description, is reasonably justifiable in a democratic society.

(5) Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of subsection (1) of this section to the extent that it requires a person to possess Bermudian status or belong to Bermuda for the purposes of section 11 of this Constitution or to possess any other qualification (not being a qualification specifically relating to race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed) in order to be eligible for appointment to any office in the public service or in a disciplined force or any office in the service of a local government authority or of a body corporate established directly by any law for public purposes.

(6) Subsection (2) of this section shall not apply to anything which is expressly or by necessary implication authorised to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in subsection (4) or (5) of this section.

(7) Subject to the provisions of subsection (8) of this section, no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner in respect of access to any of the following places to which the general public have access, namely, shops, hotels, restaurants, eating-houses, licensed premises, places of entertainment or places of resort.

(8) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (3) of this section may be subjected to any restriction on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by section 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of this Constitution, being such a restriction as is authorised by section 7(2)(a), 8(5), 9(2), 10(2) or 11(2)(a), as the case may be.

(9) Nothing in subsection (2) of this section shall affect any discretion relating to the institution, conduct or discontinuance of civil or criminal proceedings in any court that is vested in any person by or under this Constitution or any other law.

Protection from deprivation of property

13.-

(1) No property of any description shall be compulsorily taken possession of, and no interest in or right over property of any description shall be compulsorily acquired, except where the following conditions are satisfied, that is to say :

(a) the taking of possession or acquisition is necessary or expedient in the interests of defence, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town and country planning or the development or utilisation of any property in such manner as to promote the public benefit or the economic well-being of the community; and

(b) there is reasonable justification for the causing of any hardship that may result to any person having an interest in or right over the property; and

(c) provision is made by a law applicable to that taking of possession or acquisition :

(i) for the prompt payment of adequate compensation; and

(ii) securing to any person having an interest in or right over the property a right of access to the Supreme Court, whether direct or on appeal from any other authority, for the determination of his interest or right, the legality of the taking of possession or acquisition of the property, interest or right, and the amount of any compensation to which he is entitled, and for the purpose of obtaining prompt payment of that compensation; and

(d) giving to any party to proceedings in the Supreme Court relating to such a claim the same rights of appeal as are accorded generally to parties to civil proceedings in that Court sitting as a court of original jurisdiction.

(2) Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of subsection (1) of this section :

(a) to the extent that the law in question makes provision for the taking of possession or acquisition of any property, interest or right :

(i) in satisfaction of any tax, rate or due;

(ii) by way of penalty for breach of any law or forfeiture in consequence of a breach of any law;

(iii) as an incident of a lease, tenancy, mortgage, charge, bill of sale, pledge or contract;

(iv) by way of the taking of a sample for the purposes of any law;

(v) where the property consists of an animal upon its being found trespassing or straying;

(vi) in the execution of judgments or orders of a court;

(vii) by reason of its being in a dilapidated or dangerous state or injurious to the health of human beings, animals or plants;

(viii) in consequence of any law with respect to prescription or the limitation of actions; or

(ix) for so long only as may be necessary for the purposes of any examination, investigation, trial or inquiry or, in the case of land, for the purposes of the carrying out thereon of work of reclamation, drainage, soil conservation or the conservation of other natural resources or work relating to agricultural development or improvement (being work relating to such development or improvement that the owner or occupier of the land has been required, and has, without reasonable and lawful excuse, refused or failed to carry out),

except so far as that provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society; or

(b) to the extent that the law in question makes provision for the taking possession or acquisition of any of the following property (including an interest in or right over property), that is to say :

(i) enemy property;

(ii) property of a deceased person, a person of unsound mind or a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, for the purpose of its administration for the benefit of the persons entitled to the beneficial interest therein;

(iii) property of a person adjudged bankrupt or a body corporate in liquidation, for the purpose of its administration for the benefit of the creditors of the bankrupt or body corporate and, subject thereto, for the benefit of other persons entitled to the beneficial interest in the property; or

(iv) property subject to a trust, for the purpose of vesting the property in persons appointed as trustees under the instrument creating the trust or by a court or, by order of a court, for the purpose of giving effect to the trust.

(3) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of subsection (1) of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision for the compulsory taking of possession in the public interest of any property, or the compulsory acquisition in the public interest of any interest in or right over property, where that property, interest or right is held by a body corporate established by law for public purposes in which no moneys have been invested other than moneys provided from public funds.

Provisions for time of war or emergency

14.-

(1) This section applies to any period when :

(a) Her Majesty is at war; or

(b) there is in force a proclamation (in this section referred to as a “proclamation of emergency”) made under subsection (3) of this section.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of section 5, any provision of section 6 other than subsections (4) and (6) thereof, or any provision of sections 7 to 12 (inclusive) of this Constitution to the extent that the law in question makes in relation to any period to which this section applies provision, or authorises the doing during any such period of anything, which is reasonably justifiable in the circumstances of any situation arising or existing during that period for the purpose of dealing with that situation.

(3) The Governor may, by proclamation published in the Gazette, declare that a state of emergency exists for the purposes of this section.

(4) Where any proclamation of emergency has been made, copies thereof shall as soon as is practicable be laid before both Houses, and if for any cause those Houses are not due to meet within five days of the making of that proclamation the Governor shall, by proclamation published in the Gazette, summon them to meet within that period and they shall accordingly meet and sit upon the day appointed by the proclamation and shall continue to sit and act as if they had stood adjourned or prorogued to that day:

Provided that if the proclamation of emergency is made during the period between a dissolution of the Legislature and the next ensuing general election :

(a) the Houses to be summoned as aforesaid shall be the Houses referred to in section 50 of this Constitution unless the Governor is satisfied that it will be practicable to hold that election within seven days of the making of the proclamation of emergency; and

(b) if the Governor is so satisfied, he shall (instead of summoning the Houses so referred to to meet within five days of the making of the proclamation) summon the Houses of the new Legislature to meet as soon as practicable after the holding of that election.

(5) A proclamation of emergency shall, unless it is sooner revoked by the Governor, cease to be in force at the expiration of a period of fourteen days beginning on the date on which it was made or such longer period as may be provided under subsection (6) of this section, but without prejudice to the making of another proclamation of emergency at or before the end of that period.

(6) If at any time while a proclamation of emergency is in force (including any time while it is in force by virtue of the provisions of this subsection) a resolution is passed by each House approving its continuance in force for a further period, not exceeding three months, beginning on the date on which it would otherwise expire, the proclamation shall, if not sooner revoked, continue in force for that further period.

(7) Where any person is lawfully detained in pursuance only of such a law as is referred to in subsection (2) of this section :

(a) he may from time to time request that his case shall be reviewed under paragraph (b) of this subsection but, where he has made such a request during the period of that detention, no subsequent request shall be made during that period before the expiration of six months from the making of the previous request; and

(b) where a request is made under paragraph (a) of this subsection, the case shall within one month of the making of the request be reviewed by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law and presided over by a person appointed by the Chief Justice.

(8) On any review by a tribunal in pursuance of subsection (7) of this section of the case of a detained person, the tribunal may make recommendations concerning the necessity or expediency of continuing his detention to the authority by which it was ordered but, unless it is otherwise provided by law, that authority shall not be obliged to act in accordance with such recommendations.

(9) The functions conferred upon the Governor by this section shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Premier:

Provided that if in the judgment of the Governor it is impracticable for him to consult with the Premier, those functions shall be exercised by the Governor acting in his discretion.

Enforcement of fundamental rights

15.-

(1) If any person alleges that any of the foregoing provisions of this Chapter has been, is being or is likely to be contravened in relation to him, then, without prejudice to any other action with respect to the same matter which is lawfully available, that person may apply to the Supreme Court for redress.

(2) The Supreme Court shall have original jurisdiction :

(a) to hear and determine any application made by any person in pursuance of subsection (1) of this section; and

(b) to determine any question arising in the case of any person which is referred to it in pursuance of subsection (3) of this section, and may make such orders, issue such writs and give such directions as it may consider appropriate for the purpose of enforcing or securing the enforcement of any of the foregoing provisions of this Chapter to the protection of which the person concerned is entitled:

Provided that the Supreme Court shall not exercise its powers under this subsection if it is satisfied that adequate means of redress are or have been available to the person concerned under any other law.

(3) If in any proceedings in any court established for Bermuda other than the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal, any question arises as to the contravention of any of the foregoing provisions of this Chapter, the court in which the question has arisen shall refer the question to the Supreme Court unless, in its opinion, the raising of the question is merely frivolous or vexatious.

(4) An appeal shall lie as of right to the Court of Appeal from any final determination of any application or question by the Supreme Court under this section, and an appeal shall lie as of right to Her Majesty in Council from the final determination by the Court of Appeal of the appeal in any such case:

Provided that no appeal shall lie from a determination by the Supreme Court under this section dismissing an application on the ground that it is frivolous or vexatious.

(5) The Legislature may by law confer upon the Supreme Court such powers in addition to those conferred by this section as may appear to be necessary or desirable for the purpose of enabling the Court more effectively to exercise the jurisdiction conferred upon it by this section.

(6) The Legislature may by law make, or provide for the making of, provision with respect to the practice and procedure :

(a) of the Supreme Court in relation to the jurisdiction and powers conferred upon it by or under this section;

(b) of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal in relation to appeals under this section from determinations of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal; and

(c) of other courts in relation to references to the Supreme Court under subsection (3) of this section;

including provision with respect to the time within which any application, reference or appeal shall or may be made or brought.

Interpretation

16.-

(1) In this Chapter, unless it is otherwise expressly provided or required by the context :

“contravention” in relation to any requirement includes a failure to comply with that requirement, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;

“court” means any court of law having jurisdiction in Bermuda, including Her Majesty in Council, but excepting, save in sections 2 and 4 of this Constitution, a court constituted by or under disciplinary law;

“disciplinary law” means a law regulating the discipline of any disciplined force;

“disciplined force” means :

(a) a naval, military or air force;

(b) any police force of Bermuda;

(c) the prison service of Bermuda;

“member” in relation to a disciplined force includes any person who, under the law regulating the discipline of that force, is subject to that discipline.

(2) In relation to any person who is a member of a disciplined force raised under the law of Bermuda, nothing contained in or done under the authority of the disciplinary law of that force shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of the provisions of this Chapter other than sections 2, 3 and 4.

(3) In relation to any person who is a member of a disciplined force raised otherwise than as aforesaid and lawfully present in Bermuda nothing contained in or done under the authority of the disciplinary law of that force shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of any of the provisions of this Chapter.

CHAPTER II.- THE GOVERNOR

The Governor

17.-

(1) There shall be a Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bermuda who shall be appointed by Her Majesty by Commission under Her Sign Manual and Signet and shall hold office during Her Majesty´s pleasure.

(2) The Governor shall have such functions as are conferred on him by or under this Constitution or any other law and such other functions as Her Majesty may be pleased to assign to him, and, subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any law by which any such functions are conferred, shall do and execute all things that belong to his office (including the exercise of any functions that are expressed to be exercisable in his discretion) according to such instructions, if any, as Her Majesty may from time to time see fit to give him under Her Sign Manual and Signet or through a Secretary of State:

Provided that the question whether or not the Governor has in any matter complied with any such instructions shall not be inquired into in any court.

(3) A person appointed to the office of Governor shall, before assuming the functions of that office, make oaths or affirmations of allegiance and for the due execution of that office in the forms set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Office of Deputy Governor

18.-

(1) There shall be a Deputy Governor who shall be appointed by the Governor in pursuance of instructions given by Her Majesty through a Secretary of State and shall hold office during Her Majesty´s pleasure.

(2) If the office of Deputy Governor is vacant or the person holding that office is acting in the office of Governor under section 19 of this Constitution or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of the office of Deputy Governor, then the Governor, acting in his discretion, may appoint a person to act as Deputy Governor and any such person shall continue to act until his appointment is revoked by the Governor, acting in his discretion.

Acting Governor

19.-

(1) During any period when the office of Governor is vacant or the Governor is absent from Bermuda or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his office :

(a) the Deputy Governor; or

(b) if the office of Deputy Governor is vacant or the Deputy Governor is absent from Bermuda or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of the office of Governor, such person as Her Majesty may designate in that behalf by instructions given through a Secretary of State (in this section referred to as “the person designated”),

shall, during Her Majesty´s pleasure, act in the office of Governor and shall perform the functions of that office accordingly.

(2) Before assuming the functions of the office of Governor, the Deputy Governor or the person designated shall make the oaths or affirmations directed by section 17(3) of this Constitution to be made by the Governor.

(3) The Deputy Governor shall not continue to act in the office of Governor after the Governor has notified him that he is about to assume or resume the functions of that office and the person designated shall not continue to act in that office after the Governor or Deputy Governor has so notified him.

(4) The salary and allowances payable by or under any law enacted by the Legislature to any person while he is acting in the office of Governor under this section shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.

(5) In this section “the Governor” means the person holding the office of Governor and “the Deputy Governor” means the person holding the office of Deputy Governor.

Functions of Deputy Governor

19.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, the Deputy Governor shall :

(a) assist the Governor in the exercise of his functions relating to matters for which he is responsible under section 62 of this Constitution;

(b) assist the Governor in the exercise of such of his other functions, being functions in the exercise of which the Governor is not obliged to act in accordance with the advice of some other person or authority, as the Governor, acting in his discretion, may direct; and

(c) perform such other functions, not of a ministerial nature, as (subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any other law) may be assigned to the Deputy Governor, at the request of the Premier, by the Governor acting in his discretion.

(2) The Governor, acting in his discretion, may by writing under his hand, authorise the Deputy Governor to exercise for and on behalf of the Governor, subject to such exceptions and conditions as the Governor may from time to time specify, any or all of the functions of the office of Governor.

(3) The powers and authority of the Governor shall not be affected by any authority of the Deputy Governor under subsection (2) of this section and, subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any law by which any function which the Deputy Governor is authorised to exercise is conferred, the Deputy Governor shall comply with such instructions relating to the exercise of that function as the Governor, acting in his discretion, may from time to time address to him:

Provided that the question whether or not the Deputy Governor has in any matter complied with any such instructions shall not be enquired into in any court of law.

(4) Any authority given under subsection (2) of this section may at any time be varied or revoked by Her Majesty by instructions given through a Secretary of State or by the Governor, acting in his discretion, by writing under his hand.

(5) In subsection (2) of this section the reference to any functions of the office of Governor does not include a reference to :

(a) the functions conferred upon the Governor by this section; or

(b) any functions conferred upon the Governor by any Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom or by any Order of Her Majesty in Council or other instrument made under any such Act other than the Bermuda Constitution Act 1967.

Personal staff and expenditure of the Governor

20.-

(1) The Legislature may, by law, prescribe the offices that are to constitute the personal staff of the Governor, the salaries and allowances that are to be paid to the members of that staff and the other sums that are to be paid in respect of the expenditure attaching to the office of Governor.

(2) Any salaries, allowances or other sums prescribed under subsection (1) of this section shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.

(3) The power to make appointments to the offices for the time being prescribed under subsection (1) of this section as being offices constituting the personal staff of the Governor, and to remove and to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices, shall vest in the Governor, acting in his discretion.

Exercise of Governor´s functions

21.-

(1) In the exercise of his functions the Governor shall, subject to the provisions of this section, obtain and act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or of a Minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet.

(2) Subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to the exercise by the Governor of :

(a) any function relating to any business of the Government for which he is responsible under section 62 of this Constitution;

(b) any function conferred upon him by this Constitution which is expressed to be exercisable by him in his discretion, or in accordance with the recommendation or advice of, or after consultation with, any person or authority other than the Cabinet; or

(c) any function conferred upon him by any other law which is expressed to be exercisable by him in his discretion or which he is otherwise authorised by such law to exercise without obtaining the advice of the Cabinet.

(3) Where the Governor is by this Constitution or any other law directed to exercise any function in accordance with the recommendation of any person or authority, then :

(a) before he acts in accordance therewith, he may, acting in his discretion, once refer that recommendation back for reconsideration by the person or authority concerned; and

(b) if that person or authority, having reconsidered the original recommendation under the preceding paragraph, substitutes therefor a different recommendation, the provisions of this subsection shall apply to that different recommendation as they apply to the original recommendation.

(4) Where the Governor is by this Constitution or any other law directed to exercise any function after consultation with any person or authority other than the Cabinet he shall not be obliged to exercise that function in accordance with the advice of that person or authority.

(5) Where the Governor has obtained the advice of the Cabinet or a Minister on any matter in pursuance of subsection (1) of this section, he may act otherwise than in accordance with that advice if in his judgment it is necessary or expedient so to act in the interests of any of the matters referred to in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d) of section 62(1) of this Constitution.

(6) Where the Governor is by this Constitution or any other law directed to exercise any function in accordance with the recommendation or advice of, or after consultation with, any person or authority, the question whether he has so exercised that function shall not be inquired into in any court.

Powers of pardon, etc.

22.-

(1) The Governor may, in Her Majesty´s name and on Her Majesty´s behalf :

(a) grant a pardon, either free or subject to lawful conditions, to any person convicted by any court of Bermuda of an offence against any law in force in Bermuda;

(b) grant to any person a respite, either indefinite or for a specified period, from the execution of any punishment imposed by such a court on that person for such an offence;

(c) substitute a less severe form of punishment for that imposed by such a court for such an offence; or

(d) remit the whole or any part of any sentence passed by such a court for such an offence or any penalty or forfeiture otherwise due to Her Majesty on account of such an offence.

(2) In exercise of the powers conferred upon him by subsection (1) of this section, the Governor shall act after consultation with the Committee established under section 23 of this Constitution.

(3) (deleted)

(4) In this section “court of Bermuda” includes Her Majesty in Council and any court having jurisdiction in Bermuda established by or under any Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Establishment and procedure of Advisory Committee

23.-

(1) There shall be for Bermuda an Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy (in this section referred to as “the of Committee”) which shall consist of :

(a) five members who shall be appointed by the Governor after consultation with the Premier; and

(b) (deleted by UK SI 1969 nº 1310)

(2) The members appointed by the Governor under subsection (1)(a) of this section shall be appointed by instrument under the Public Seal.

(3) The Committee shall not be summoned except by the authority of the Governor, acting in his discretion; and the Governor shall preside at all meetings of the Committee.

(4) No business shall be transacted at any meeting of the Committee unless there are at least three members present.

(5) The office as a member of the Committee of any member appointed under subsection (1)(a) of this section shall become vacant :

(a) in the case of a person who at the date of his appointment was a Minister, if he ceases to be a Minister; or

(b) if the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, revokes his appointment as a member of the Committee.

(6) Subject to subsection (4) of this section, the Committee shall not be disqualified for the transaction of business by reason of any vacancy in the membership of the Committee and the validity of the transaction of any business by the Committee shall not be affected by reason only of the fact that some person who was not entitled to do so took part in the proceedings.

(7) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Committee may regulate its own proceedings.

Powers to dispose of land

24.- Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any other law, the Governor or any person authorised by him in that behalf, in Her Majesty´s name and on Her Majesty´s behalf, may, under the Public Seal, make grants and dispositions of lands or other immovable property in Bermuda or interests in such property that are vested in Her Majesty for the purposes of the Government and may exercise in relation to such property or interests any other powers that are lawfully exercisable by Her Majesty.

 

Powers to constitute offices and make appointments, etc.

25.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any other law, the Governor, in Her Majesty´s name and on Her Majesty´s behalf, may :

(a) constitute offices for Bermuda and make appointments, to be held during Her Majesty´s pleasure, thereto; and

(b) remove any person so appointed or take such other disciplinary action in relation to him as the Governor may think fit.

CHAPTER III.- THE LEGISLATURE

Composition

 

Legislature of Bermuda

26.- There shall be a Legislature for Bermuda which shall consist of Her Majesty, a Senate and a House of Assembly.

Composition of Senate

27.-

(1) The Senate shall consist of eleven members who shall be appointed by the Governor by instrument under the Public Seal in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(2) Of the Senators :

(a) five shall be appointed by the Governor acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier;

(b) three shall be appointed by the Governor acting in accordance with the advice of the Opposition Leader; and

(c) three shall be appointed by the Governor acting in his discretion.

Composition of House of Assembly

28.- The House of Assembly shall consist of thirty-six members who, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, shall be elected in the manner prescribed by any law in force in Bermuda.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Qualifications for membership of Senate and House of Assembly

29.- Subject to the provisions of section 30 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Senator or elected as a member of the House of Assembly if, and shall not be qualified to be so appointed or elected unless, he :

(a) is a Commonwealth citizen (within the meaning of the British Nationality Act 1981) of the age of twenty-one years or upwards; and

(b) possesses Bermudian status;

and a person shall not be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly unless he is also ordinarily resident in Bermuda.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Disqualification for membership of Senate and House of Assembly

30.-

(1) No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Senator or elected as a member of the House of Assembly who :

(a) is, by virtue of his own act, under any acknowledgment of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state;

(b) has been adjudged or otherwise declared bankrupt under any law in force in Bermuda and has not been discharged;

(c) is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any law in force in Bermuda;

(d) is under sentence of death imposed on him by a court in any part of the Commonwealth, or is serving a sentence of imprisonment (by whatever name called) exceeding twelve months imposed on him by such a court or substituted by competent authority for some other sentence imposed on him by such a court, or is under such a sentence of imprisonment the execution of which has been suspended;

(e) is disqualified for membership of the House of Assembly under any law in force in Bermuda by reason of his having been convicted of any offence relating to elections;

(f) holds or is acting in the office of a judge of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal or, subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, any public office, or is serving in any capacity in the armed forces of the Crown that is prescribed for the purposes of this subsection by any law enacted by the Legislature.

(2) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as a Senator if he is a member of the House of Assembly or a person for the time being nominated, with his consent, as a candidate for election to the House of Assembly; and a person shall not be qualified to be elected as a Member of the House of Assembly if he is a Senator.

(3) The Legislature may by law provide :

(a) that a person shall not be disqualified for appointment as a Senator or election as a member of the House of Assembly by virtue of his holding or acting in any public office specified (either individually or by reference to a class of office) by such law;

(b) that a person may stand as a candidate for election to the House of Assembly notwithstanding that he holds or is acting in any public office specified (in the manner aforesaid) by such law if he undertakes to relinquish or, as the case may be, to cease to act in that office if he is elected as a member of that House; or

(c) that any office specified (in the manner aforesaid) by such law, being an office the emoluments of which are paid, directly or indirectly, out of public funds, but which would not apart from the provisions of such law be a public office for the purposes of this section, shall be deemed to be a public office for those purposes.

(4) Any law made in pursuance of subsection (3)(b) of this section may contain incidental and consequential provisions, including provision that a member who has given such an undertaking as is referred to in that subsection shall be incapable of taking his seat in the House until he has fulfilled that undertaking and shall vacate his seat if he has not fulfilled it within such time as is specified by such law; and for the avoidance of doubts it is hereby declared that, where provision is made in pursuance of subsection (3)(c) of this section in respect of any office, provision may also be made in pursuance of subsection (3) (b) of this section in respect of that office.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (1)(d) of this section :

(a) two or more sentences of imprisonment that are required to be served consecutively shall be regarded as separate sentences if none of those sentences exceeds twelve months, but if any one of those sentences exceeds that term they shall be regarded as one sentence; and

(b) no account shall be taken of a sentence of imprisonment imposed as an alternative to or in default of the payment of a fine.

(6) Subject to such exceptions and limitations as may be prescribed by the Legislature, a person shall not be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly if he has an interest in any Government contract and has not, within seven days of his nomination as a candidate for election, disclosed the nature of the contract and his interest therein by means of a notice published in the Gazette or in a newspaper published and circulating in Bermuda.

(7) Subject to such exceptions and limitations as may be prescribed by the Legislature, a person shall not be qualified to be appointed as a Senator if he has an interest in any Government contract and has not, at least seven days before the date of his prospective appointment, disclosed the nature of the contract and his interest therein by means of a notice published in the Gazette or in a newspaper published and circulating in Bermuda.

(8) In subsections (6) and (7) of this section and subsection (1)(f) of the next following section “Government contract” means any contract made with the Government or with a department of the Government or with an officer of the Government contracting as such.

Tenure of seats of members of Senate and House of Assembly

31.-

(1) The seat of a member of either House shall become vacant :

(a) upon a dissolution of the Legislature;

(b) if he resigns it by writing under his hand addressed, in the case of a Senator, to the President or, in the case of a member of the House of Assembly, to the Speaker;

(c) if he ceases to be a Commonwealth citizen (within the meaning of the British Nationality Act 1981) or to possess Bermudian status;

(d) if he is absent from the sittings of the House for such period and in such circumstances as may be prescribed in the rules of procedure of the House;

(e) subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, if any circumstances arise that, if he were not a member of the House, would cause him to be disqualified for appointment or, as the case may be, election thereto by virtue of subsections (1) to (5) of section 30 of this Constitution or any law enacted in pursuance thereof.

(f) subject to such exceptions and limitations as may be prescribed by the Legislature, if he acquires an interest in any Government contract and has not, within seven days of acquiring that interest, disclosed the nature of the contract and his interest therein by means of a notice published in the Gazette or in a newspaper published and circulating in Bermuda.

(1 A) A Senator shall also vacate his seat in the Senate if the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier in the case of a Senator appointed in accordance with that advice, or acting in accordance with the advice of the Opposition Leader in the case of a Senator appointed in accordance with that advice, or acting in his discretion in the case of a Senator appointed by him in his discretion, declares the seat of that Senator to be vacant by writing under the hand of the Governor addressed to the President of the Senate.

(2) If circumstances such as are referred to in subsection (1)(e) of this section arise because any member of either House is under sentence of death or imprisonment, declared bankrupt, adjudged to be of unsound mind or convicted of an offence relating to elections and it is open to the member to appeal against the decision (either with the leave of a court or other authority or without such leave), he shall forthwith cease to perform his functions as a member of that House but, subject to subsection (3) of this section, he shall not vacate his seat until the expiration of a period of thirty days thereafter:

Provided that the President in the case of a Senator and the Speaker in the case of a member of the House of Assembly may, at the request of the member, from time to time extend that period for further periods of thirty days to enable the member to pursue an appeal against the decision, so, however, that extensions of time exceeding in the aggregate one hundred and fifty days shall not be given without the approval, signified by resolution, of the House of which he is a member.

(3) If, on the determination of any appeal, such circumstances as aforesaid continue to exist and no further appeal is open to the member, or if, by reason of the expiration of any period for entering an appeal or notice thereof or the refusal of leave to appeal or for any other reason, it ceases to be open to the member to appeal, he shall forthwith vacate his seat.

(4) If at any time before the member vacates his seat such circumstances as aforesaid cease to exist, his seat shall not become vacant on the expiration of the period referred to in subsection (2) of this section and he may resume the performance of his functions as a member.

(5) References in this section to the President or the Speaker shall, if that office is vacant or the holder thereof is absent from Bermuda, be construed as if they were references to the Vice-President or the Deputy Speaker, as the case may require.

(6) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall be without prejudice to any provision contained in any law made in pursuance of paragraph (b) of section 30(3) of this Constitution for the vacation by a member of the House of Assembly of his seat.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

President and Vice-President of Senate and Speaker and Deputy Speaker of House of Assembly

32.-

(1) At its first sitting after any general election :

(a) the Senate shall elect a President and a Vice-President from among its members and

(b) the House of Assembly, shall elect a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker from among its members;

(c) and the election of a President or a Speaker shall take place before the transaction of any other business by the House concerned.

(2) The office of President, Vice-President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall become vacant if the holder thereof :

(a) ceases to be a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be;

(b) is required, under the provisions of section 31(2) of this Constitution, to cease to perform his functions as such a member; or

(c) announces the resignation of his office to the House of which he is a member or resigns it by writing under his hand addressed, in the case of the President or the Speaker, to the Clerk of that House or, in the case of the Vice-President or the Deputy Speaker, to the President or the Speaker respectively;

(d) in the case of the Vice-President or the Deputy Speaker, if he is elected to be President or Speaker.

(3) If the office of President, Vice-President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of the Legislature, the Senate or, as the case may require, the House of Assembly shall (unless the Legislature is sooner dissolved) elect one of its members to fill the vacancy at its next sitting after the occurrence of the vacancy or as soon as practicable thereafter.

Determination of questions of membership of Senate and House of Assembly

33.-

(1) The Supreme Court shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any question whether :

(a) any person has been validly appointed as a Senator or has vacated his seat as a Senator or is required, under the provisions of section 31(2) of this Constitution, to cease to perform his functions as a Senator;

(b) any person has been validly elected as a member of the House of Assembly; or

(c) any member of the House of Assembly has vacated his seat as such a member or is required, under the provisions of section 31(2) of this Constitution, to cease to perform his functions as such.

(2) An application to the Supreme Court for the determination of :

(a) any question under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section may be made by any Senator or by any person registered in any constituency as an elector for the purposes of elections or by the Attorney-General;

(b) any question under paragraph (b) of that subsection may be made by any person registered as such an elector in the constituency in which the election to which the application relates was held or by any person who was a candidate in that constituency at that election or by the Attorney-General;

(c) any question under paragraph (c) of that subsection may be made by any member of the House of Assembly or by any person registered as an elector for the purposes of elections in the constituency for which the member in question was returned or by the Attorney-General;

(d) and if such an application is made by a person other than the Attorney-General, the Attorney-General may intervene and may then appear or be represented in the proceedings.

(3) The Legislature may by law make, or provide for the making of, provision with respect to :

(a) the circumstances and manner in which and the imposition of conditions upon which any application may be made to the Supreme Court for the determination of any question under this section; and

(b) the powers, practice and procedure of the Supreme Court in relation to any such application.

(4) An appeal shall lie as of right to the Court of Appeal on any final decision of the Supreme Court determining such a question as is referred to in subsection (1) of this section.

(5) No appeal shall lie from any decision of the Court of Appeal in exercise of the jurisdiction conferred by subsection (4) of this section and no appeal shall lie from any decision of the Supreme Court in proceedings under this section other than a final decision determining such a question as is referred to in subsection (1) of this section.

(6) In the exercise of his functions under this section the Attorney-General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

Powers and Procedure

 

Power to make laws

34.- Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Legislature may make laws for the peace, order and good government of Bermuda.

Mode of exercise of power to make laws

35.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of sections 37 and 38 of this Constitution, the power of the Legislature to make laws shall be exercised by bills passed by both Houses, either without amendment or with such amendments only as are agreed to by both Houses, and assented to by Her Majesty or by the Governor on behalf of Her Majesty.

(2) When a bill is presented to the Governor for assent, he shall signify that he assents or that he withholds assent or that he reserves the bill for the signification of Her Majesty´s pleasure:

Provided that, unless he has been authorised by a Secretary of State to assent thereto, the Governor shall reserve for the signification of Her Majesty´s pleasure any bill which appears to him, acting in his discretion :

(a) to be inconsistent with any obligation of Her Majesty or of Her Majesty´s Government in the United Kingdom towards any other state or power or any international organisation;

(b) to be likely to prejudice the Royal prerogative;

(c) to be in any way repugnant to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution;

(d) to affect any matter for which he is responsible under section 62 of this Constitution; or

(e) to relate to currency or banking.

(3) A Bill assented to by Her Majesty shall become a law when the Governor has signified such assent by proclamation published in the Gazette.

(4) In every Bill presented to the Governor for assent, other than a Bill presented under section 37 or section 38 of this Constitution, the words of enactment shall be as follows: :

“Be it enacted by The Queen´s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and the House of Assembly of Bermuda, and by the authority of the same, as follows: :

(5) In every Bill presented to the Governor for assent under section 37 or section 38 of this Constitution the words of enactment shall be as follows: :

“Be it enacted by The Queen´s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the House of Assembly of Bermuda in accordance with the provisions of section 37 (or section 38, as the case may be) of the Constitution of Bermuda, and by the authority of the same, as follows:”

Restrictions with regard to certain financial measures

36.-

(1) The Senate shall not :

(a) proceed upon any money bill, other than a money bill sent from the House of Assembly, or upon any amendment to a money bill;

(b) proceed upon any other bill, other than a bill sent as aforesaid, that, in the opinion of the person presiding, makes provision for any of the following purposes :

(i) the imposition, repeal or alteration of taxation;

(ii) the imposition, repeal or alteration of any charge upon the Consolidated Fund or any other public fund of Bermuda;

(iii) the payment, issue or withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund or any other public fund of Bermuda of any moneys not charged thereon or any alteration in the amount of such payment, issue or withdrawal;

(iv) or the composition or remission of any debt due to the Government;

(c) proceed upon any amendment to a bill other than a money bill that, in the opinion of the person presiding, is an amendment that makes provision for any of the purposes specified in paragraph (b) of this subsection or an amendment to any provision for any of those purposes contained in the bill; or

(d) proceed upon any motion (including any amendment to a motion) the effect of which, in the opinion of the person presiding, would be to make provision for any of those purposes.

(2) Nothing in subsection (1) of this section shall be construed as preventing the Senate from returning any bill to the House of Assembly with a message recommending any amendment to the bill that the Senate may consider desirable.

(3) Except on the recommendation of the Governor signified by a Minister, the House of Assembly shall not :

(a) proceed upon any bill (including any amendment to a bill) that, in the opinion of the person presiding, makes provision for any of the following purposes:

(i) for the imposition of taxation or the alteration of taxation otherwise than by reduction;

(ii) for the imposition of any charge upon the Consolidated Fund or any other public fund of Bermuda or the alteration of any such charge otherwise than by reduction;

(iii) for the payment, issue or withdrawal from the Consolidated Fund or any other public fund of Bermuda of any moneys not charged thereon or any increase in the amount of such a payment, issue or withdrawal; or

(iv) for the composition or remission of any debt due to the Government; or

(b) proceed upon any motion (including any amendment to a motion) the effect of which, in the opinion of the person presiding, would be to make provision for any of those purposes.

Restriction on powers of Senate as to money bills which are not taxation bills

37.-

(1) This section applies to any money bill that is not a taxation bill.

(2) If any bill to which this section applies, having been passed by the House of Assembly and sent to the Senate at least two months before the end of the session, is not passed by the Senate within two months after it is sent to the Senate, the bill shall, unless the House of Assembly otherwise resolves, be presented to the Governor for assent notwithstanding that the Senate has not consented to the bill.

(3) There shall be inserted in any bill that is presented to the Governor for assent in pursuance of subsection (2) of this section any amendments to it that are certified by the Speaker to have been recommended by the Senate and agreed to by the House of Assembly.

(4) There shall be endorsed on every bill to which this section applies when it is sent to the Senate the certificate of the Speaker signed by him that it is a money bill which is not a taxation bill; and there shall be endorsed on any bill that is presented to the Governor for assent in pursuance of subsection (2) of this section the certificate of the Speaker signed by him that it is a money bill which is not a taxation bill and that the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) of this section have been complied with.

Restriction on powers of Senate as to other public bills

38.-

(1) This section applies to any public bill other than a bill to which section 37 of this Constitution applies.

(2) If any bill to which this section applies is passed by the House of Assembly in two successive sessions (whether or not the Legislature is dissolved between those sessions) and, having been sent to the Senate in each of those sessions at least one month before the end of the session, is rejected by the Senate in each of those sessions, that bill shall, on its rejection for the second time by the Senate, unless the House of Assembly otherwise resolves, be presented to the Governor for assent notwithstanding that the Senate has not consented to the bill:

Provided that the foregoing provisions of this subsection shall not have effect unless at least twelve months have elapsed between the date on which the bill is passed by the House of Assembly in the first session and the date on which it is passed by that House in the second session.

(3) For the purposes of this section, a bill shall be deemed to be rejected by the Senate if :

(a) in the case of a taxation bill, it is not passed by the Senate; or

(b) in the case of any other bill, it is not passed by the Senate without amendment, or it is passed by the Senate with any amendment which is not agreed to by the House of Assembly.

(4) There shall be endorsed on every taxation bill when it is sent to the Senate the certificate of the Speaker signed by him that it is a taxation bill.

(5) For the purposes of this section, a bill that is sent to the Senate in any session shall be deemed to be the same bill as a former bill sent to the Senate in the preceding session if, when it is sent to the Senate, it is identical with the former bill or contains only such alterations as are certified by the Speaker to be necessary owing to the time that has elapsed since the date of the former bill or to represent any amendments which have been made or recommended by the Senate in the former bill in the preceding session and agreed to by the House of Assembly.

(6) The House of Assembly may, if it thinks fit, on the passage through that House of a bill that is deemed to be the same bill as a former bill sent to the Senate in the preceding session, suggest any amendments without inserting the amendments in the bill, and any such amendments shall be considered by the Senate and, if agreed to by the Senate, shall be treated as amendments made by the Senate and agreed to by the House of Assembly; but the exercise of this power by the House of Assembly shall not affect the operation of this section in the event of the rejection of the bill by the Senate.

(7) There shall be inserted in any bill that is presented to the Governor for assent in pursuance of this section any amendments to it that are certified by the Speaker to have been made or recommended by the Senate in the second session and agreed to by the House of Assembly.

(8) There shall be endorsed on any bill that is presented to the Governor for assent in pursuance of this section the certificate of the Speaker signed by him that it is a bill to which his section applies and that the provisions of this section have been complied with.

Provisions relating to sections 36, 37 and 38

39.-

(1) In sections 36, 37 and 38 of this Constitution “money bill” means a public bill which, in the opinion of the Speaker, contains only provisions dealing with all or any of the following matters, that is to say :

(a) the imposition, repeal, remission, alteration or regulation of taxation;

(b) the imposition, for the payment of debt or other financial purposes, of charges on public money, or the variation or repeal of any such charges;

(c) the grant of money to the Crown or to any authority or person, or the variation or revocation of any such grant;

(d) the appropriation, receipt, custody, investment, issue or audit of accounts of public money;

(e) the raising or guarantee of any loan or the repayment thereof, or the establishment, alteration, administration or abolition of any sinking fund provided in connection with any such loan; or

(f) subordinate matters incidental to any of the matters aforesaid:

and in this subsection the expressions “taxation”, “debt”, “public money” and “loan” do not include any taxation imposed, debt incurred, money provided or loan raised by any local authority body for local purposes.

(2) In sections 37 and 38 of this Constitution “taxation bill” means a money bill which, in the opinion of the Speaker, contains provisions for the imposition of an income tax, a capital gains tax, a corporation tax, a profits tax, an inheritance tax, a capital levy or estate duty or makes provision for the cesser, remission, suspension, alteration or regulation of any such tax, levy or duty.

(3) Whenever the office of Speaker is vacant or the Speaker is for any reason unable to perform any function conferred upon him by subsection (1) or (2) of this section or by section 37 or 38 of this Constitution, that function may be performed by the Deputy Speaker.

(4) Any certificate given by the Speaker or Deputy Speaker under section 37 or 38 of this Constitution shall be conclusive for all purposes and shall not be questioned in any court.

Oath of allegiance

40.- No member of either House shall be permitted to take part in the proceedings of that House (other than proceedings necessary for the purposes of this section) until he has made and subscribed before that House an oath or affirmation of allegiance in the form set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution:

Provided that the election of a President of the Senate or the election of a Speaker of the House of Assembly may take place before the members of the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, have made such oath or affirmation.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Validity of proceedings

41.- A House shall not be disqualified for the transaction of business by reason of any vacancy in the membership thereof including any vacancy not filled when the House first meets after any general election), and any proceedings therein shall be valid notwithstanding that some person who was not entitled so to do sat or voted in the House or otherwise took part in the proceedings.

Presiding in the Senate and House of Assembly

42.-

(1) The President of the Senate or, in his absence, the Vice-President or, if they are both absent, a Senator (not being a Minister or a Junior Minister) elected by the Senate for that sitting shall preside at each sitting of the Senate.

(2) The Speaker or, in his absence, the Deputy Speaker or if they are both absent, a member of the House of Assembly (not being a Minister or a Junior Minister) elected by the House for that sitting shall preside at each sitting of the House.

(3) References in this section to circumstances in which the President, Vice-President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker is absent include references to circumstances in which the office of President, Vice-President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker is vacant.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Quorum

43.-

(1) If at any sitting of either House any member of the House who is present draws the attention of the member presiding at the sitting to the absence of a quorum and, after such interval as may be prescribed in the rules of procedure of the House, the member presiding at the sitting ascertains that a quorum of the House is still not present, the House shall be adjourned.

(2) For the purposes of this section :

(a) a quorum of the Senate shall consist of the President or the Senator presiding and four other Senators; and

(b) a quorum of the House of Assembly shall consist of the Speaker or other member presiding and fourteen other members of the House.

Voting

44.-

(1) Save as otherwise provided in this Constitution or in rules of procedure of the House made in accordance with section 45(2) of this Constitution, all questions proposed for decision in either House shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members thereof present and voting.

(2) The President or other member presiding in the Senate shall have an original but no casting vote; and in the event of an equality of votes on any question, the motion shall be lost.

(3) The Speaker or other member presiding in the House of Assembly shall not vote unless on any question the votes are equally divided, in which case he shall have and exercise a casting vote.

Rules of procedure

45.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, each House may make rules of procedure for the regulation and orderly conduct of its own proceedings and the despatch of business, and the passing, intituling and numbering of bills and the presentation of the same to the Governor for assent.

(2) The rules of procedure of a House may provide that a rule shall not be suspended, or that the ordinary procedure for the despatch of business shall not be departed from in favour of any exceptional procedure provided for in the rules, if such number of members of the House as is specified by the rules object to such suspension or departure.

Privileges of Houses

46.- The Legislature may by law determine and regulate the privileges, immunities and powers of either House and the members thereof, but no such privileges, immunities or powers shall exceed those of the Commons House of Parliament of the United Kingdom or of the members thereof.

Power of disallowance in respect of laws relating to Government stock

47.-

(1) Any law enacted by the Legislature which has been assented to by the Governor and which appears to Her Majesty´s Government in the United Kingdom to alter, to the injury of the stockholder, any provision relating to any stock to which this section applies or to involve a departure from the original contract in respect of any such stock, may be disallowed by Her Majesty through a Secretary of State.

(2) Whenever such a law has been disallowed by Her Majesty the Governor shall cause notice of such disallowance to be published in the Gazette and the law shall be annulled with effect from the date of publication of that notice.

(3) On the annulment of any law under this section any enactment repealed or amended by or in pursuance of that law shall have effect as from the date of the annulment as if that law had not been made; and, save as provided in the foregoing provisions of this subsection, the provisions of section 38(2) of the Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply to that annulment as they apply to the repeal of an Act of Parliament.

(4) The stock to which this section applies is stock forming the whole or any part of the public debt of Bermuda by the conditions of issue of which it is provided that this section shall apply to it.

Session of the Legislature

48.-

(1) Each session of the Legislature shall be held in such place and shall commence at such time as the Governor may appoint by proclamation published in the Gazette.

(2) The time appointed for the commencement of any session of the Legislature shall be such that a period of twelve months does not intervene between the end of one session and the first sitting of the Legislature in the next session.

Prorogation and dissolution of the Legislature

49.-

(1) The Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, may at any time, by proclamation published in the Gazette, prorogue or dissolve the Legislature:

Provided that :

(a) if the Premier advises the Governor to dissolve the Legislature and the Governor considers that the government of Bermuda can be carried on without a dissolution and that a dissolution would not be in the interests of Bermuda, the Governor, acting in his discretion, may refuse to dissolve the Legislature; and

(b) if the office of Premier is vacant and the Governor considers that there is no prospect of his being able within a reasonable time to appoint to that office a person who can command the support of majority of the members of the House of Assembly the Governor, acting in his discretion, may dissolve the Legislature.

(2) Unless sooner dissolved, the Legislature shall stand dissolved on the expiration of five years from the date of its first sitting after any general election.

Recalling dissolved Legislature in case of emergency

50.- If between a dissolution of the Legislature and the next ensuing general election, an emergency arises of such a nature that, in the opinion of the Governor, it is necessary for the two Houses to be summoned before that general election can be held, the Governor may, after consultation with the Premier, by proclamation published in the Gazette, summon the two Houses of the preceding Legislature, and that Legislature shall thereupon be deemed (except for the purposes of section 51(1) of this Constitution) not to have been dissolved but shall be deemed (except as aforesaid) to be dissolved on the date on which the next ensuing general election is held.

General elections, bye-elections and appointments to Senate

51.-

(1) A general election of members of the House of Assembly shall be held at such time within three months after every dissolution of the Legislature as the Governor shall appoint by proclamation published in the Gazette.

(2) Whenever any person vacates his seat as a member of the House of Assembly for any reason other than a dissolution of the Legislature, an election to fill the vacancy shall be held within two months after the occurrence of the vacancy unless the Legislature is sooner dissolved or the date on which the Legislature will stand dissolved under the provisions of section 49(2) of this Constitution is less than four months after the occurrence of the vacancy.

(3) As soon as practicable after every general election the Governor shall proceed under section 27 of this Constitution to the appointment of members of the Senate.

(4) Whenever any person vacates his seat as a Senator for any reason other than a dissolution of the Legislature, the Governor shall, as soon as practicable, appoint a person to fill the vacancy under the same paragraph of section 27(2) of this Constitution as the person whose seat has become vacant was appointed.

Constituencies and the Franchise

 

Division of Bermuda into single-member constituencies

52.-

(1) For the purpose of elections, Bermuda shall be divided into thirty-six constituencies.

(2) Each constituency shall return one member to the House of Assembly.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, the names and boundaries of the constituencies shall be those set out in the Second Schedule to this Constitution:

Provided that the said Schedule may from time to time be modified by order made by the Governor in accordance with section 54(6) of this Constitution.

(Revoked and replaced by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Constituency Boundaries Commission

53.-

(1) A Constituency Boundaries Commission for Bermuda shall be appointed from time to time at such time as the Governor, after consultation with the Premier and the Opposition Leader, may determine:

Provided that :

(a) a Commission shall be appointed not earlier than 31st August 2005 nor later than 31st August 2009;

(b) any subsequent Commission shall be appointed not less than three nor more than seven years from the date on which the previous Commission submitted its report in accordance with the provisions of section 54 of this Constitution.

(2) A Constituency Boundaries Commission shall consist of :

(a) a Chairman appointed by the Governor, acting in his discretion;

(b) a member (in this section referred to as “the judicial member”) appointed by the Governor, acting in his discretion, from among persons who hold or have held high judicial office;

(c) two members appointed by the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, from among the members of the two Houses; and

(d) two members appointed by the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Opposition Leader, from among those members.

(3) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as the Chairman or the judicial member of a Constituency Boundaries Commission if he is a member of either House or a public officer.

(4) The Chairman or the judicial member of a Constituency Boundaries Commission shall vacate his office :

(a) on the day following the date of submission under section 54 of this Constitution of the report of the Commission;

(b) if any circumstances arise that, if he were not such a member of the Commission, would cause him to be disqualified for appointment as such;

(c) if the Governor, acting in his discretion, directs that he shall be removed from office for inability to discharge the functions thereof (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour.

(5) Any other member of a Constituency Boundaries Commission shall vacate his office :

(a) on the day following the date of submission under section 54 of this Constitution of the report of the Commission;

(b) if he ceases to be a member of either House;

(c) if his appointment is revoked by the Governor, acting, in the case of a member appointed under subsection (2)(c) of this section, in accordance with the advice of the Premier or, in the case of a member appointed under subsection (2)(d) of this section, in accordance with the advice of the Opposition Leader.

(6) A Constituency Boundaries Commission may regulate its own procedure and, with the consent of the Governor, confer powers and impose duties on any public officer or on any authority of the Government for the purpose of the discharge of its functions.

(6 A) For the purpose of the discharge of its functions, a Constituency Boundaries Commission shall invite views from members of the public and may seek such advice as it considers appropriate.

(7) A Constituency Boundaries Commission may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership (including any vacancy not filled when appointments of members are first made) and its proceedings shall be valid notwithstanding that some person who was not entitled so to do took part therein:

Provided that any decision of the Commission shall require the concurrence of not less than three members of the Commission.

(8) In the exercise of its functions under this Constitution, a Constituency Boundaries Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

(9) Subject to the provisions of subsection (7) of this section, any question before a Constituency Boundaries Commission may be determined by the vote of a majority of the members of the Commission present and voting:

Provided that in the event of an equality of votes, the Chairman shall have and shall exercise a casting vote.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Review and alteration of constituency boundaries

54.-

(1) A Constituency Boundaries Commission shall, as soon as practicable after its appointment, review the boundaries of the constituencies into which Bermuda is divided and submit to the House of Assembly a report either :

(a) stating that, in the opinion of the Commission, no change in those boundaries is required; or

(b) recommending the changes in those boundaries specified in the report.

(2) In determining whether or not to recommend any changes in the boundaries of the constituencies, the Commission shall ensure that the constituencies shall contain, so far as is reasonably practicable, equal numbers of persons qualified to be registered as electors under section 55 of this Constitution; and in doing so the Commission :

(a) shall take no account of the racial distribution of electors within Bermuda;

(b) shall take account of geographical features and natural boundaries within Bermuda;

(c) may ignore the boundaries of parishes; and

(d) shall ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that each constituency is a contiguous unit.

(3) As soon as may be after the Commission has submitted a report under subsection (1)(b) of this section, the Premier shall lay before the House of Assembly for its approval the draft of an order by the Governor for giving effect, whether with or without modifications, to the recommendations contained in the report, and that draft may make provision for any matters which appear to the Premier to be incidental to or consequential upon the other provisions of the draft.

(4) Where any draft order laid under this section would give effect to any such recommendations with modifications, the Premier shall lay before the House of Assembly together with the draft a statement of the reasons for the modifications.

(5) If the motion for the approval of any draft order laid under this section is rejected by the House of Assembly, or is withdrawn by leave of that House, an amended draft shall be laid without undue delay by the Premier before the House of Assembly.

(6) If any draft order laid under this section is approved by resolution of the House of Assembly, the Premier shall submit it to the Governor who shall make an order (which shall be published in the Gazette) in terms of the draft; and that order shall come into force upon the next dissolution of the Legislature after it is made.

(7) The question of the validity of any order by the Governor purporting to be made under this section and reciting that a draft thereof has been approved by resolution of the House of Assembly shall not be inquired into in any court except on the ground that it is inconsistent with the provisions of section 52(1) of this Constitution.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Qualifications and disqualifications of electors

55.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) of this section, a person shall be qualified to be registered as an elector for the purposes of elections in a constituency if and shall not be so qualified unless, on the qualifying date, he :

(a) is a Commonwealth citizen (within the meaning of the British Nationality Act 1981) who has attained the age of eighteen years;

(b) he possesses Bermudian status or, if he does not possess that status, was registered as an elector on 1st May, 1976; and

(c) he is ordinarily resident in that constituency.

(2) No person shall be qualified to be registered as aforesaid who, on the qualifying date :

(a) is registered as an elector for the purposes of elections in any other constituency;

(b) is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any law in force in Bermuda;

(c) is disqualified for such registration under any law in force in Bermuda by reason of his serving or being under such a sentence of imprisonment (by whatever name called) as may be prescribed by any such law; or

(d) is disqualified for such registration under any such law by reason of his having been convicted of any offence relating to elections.

(3) In this section “the qualifying date” means, in relation to any person, such date as may be prescribed by law as the date with reference to which that person´s qualifications for registration shall be ascertained for the purposes of the preparation or revision of a register of electors for the constituency concerned.

(Amended by 1989:57and by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

CHAPTER IV.- THE EXECUTIVE

Executive authority

56.-

(1) The executive authority of Bermuda is vested in Her Majesty. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive authority of Bermuda may be exercised on behalf of Her Majesty by the Governor, either directly or through officers subordinate to him.

(2) Nothing in this section shall prevent the Legislature from conferring functions on persons or authorities other than the Governor.

The Cabinet

57.-

(1) There shall be a Cabinet for Bermuda which shall consist of the Premier and, subject to the provisions of section 64 of this Constitution, not less than six other Ministers appointed in accordance with section 58 of this Constitution.

(2) The Cabinet shall be collectively responsible to the Legislature for any advice given to the Governor by or under the general authority of the Cabinet and for all things done by or under the authority of any Minister in the execution of his office.

(3) The provisions of subsection (2) of this section shall not apply in relation to :

(a) the appointment and removal from office of Ministers and Junior Ministers, the charging of a Minister under section 61 of this Constitution with responsibility for the conduct of any business of the Government, or the authorisation of another Minister to perform the functions of the Premier during absence or illness;

(b) the appointment of any Senator under paragraph (a) of section 27(2) of this Constitution; or

(c) the dissolution of the Legislature.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Appointment of Premier and other Ministers

58.-

(1) The Governor, acting in his discretion, shall appoint as the Premier the member of the House of Assembly who appears to him best able to command the confidence of a majority of the members of that House.

(2) The other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with the advice of the Premier and, of those Ministers, not less than one nor more than two shall be appointed from among the Senators and the remainder shall be appointed from among the members of the House of Assembly.

(3) If occasion arises for making an appointment of a Minister between a dissolution of the Legislature and the polling in the next following general election the preceding provisions of this section shall have effect for that purpose as if the Legislature had not been dissolved.

(4) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as a Minister if he is the President or Vice-President of the Senate or the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly or holds or is acting in any public office specified under paragraph (a) of section 30(3) of this Constitution.

(5) Appointments under this section shall be made by instrument under the Public Seal.

Tenure of office of Premier and other Ministers

59.-

(1) If the House of Assembly by the affirmative votes of a majority of all the members thereof passes a resolution that it has no confidence in the Government, the Governor shall, by instrument under the Public Seal, revoke the Premier´s appointment:

Provided that before so doing the Governor shall consult with the Premier and may dissolve the Legislature in accordance with the provisions of section 49(1) of this Constitution instead of revoking the Premier´s appointment.

(2) The Governor, acting in his discretion, may by instrument under the Public Seal revoke the appointment of the Premier if at any time between the polling in a general election and the first sitting of the House of Assembly thereafter the Governor considers that, in consequence of the changes in the membership of the House of Assembly resulting from that election, the Premier will not be the member of the House best able to command the confidence of a majority of the members thereof.

(3) The office of any Minister shall become vacant :

(a) if for any reason other than a dissolution of the Legislature the holder thereof ceases to be a member of the House of which he was a member at the time of his appointment as a Minister;

(b) if, under the provisions of section 31(2) of this Constitution, he is required to cease to perform his functions as a member of that House; or

(c) if he is elected to be the President or Vice-President of the Senate or the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly or is appointed to or to act in any public office specified under paragraph (a) of section 30(3) of this Constitution.

(4) The office of any Minister other than the Premier shall become vacant :

(a) if his appointment thereto is revoked by the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, by instrument under the Public Seal;

(b) whenever the office of Premier becomes vacant; or

(c) if he is not, at the commencement of the first Session of the Legislature after a dissolution thereof, a member of the House of which he was a member at the time of his appointment as a Minister.

Performance of functions of Premier in certain events

60.-

(1) Whenever the Premier is absent from Bermuda or is unable by reason of illness to perform the functions conferred upon him by this Constitution, the Governor may, by directions in writing, authorise any other Minister who was appointed from among the members of the House of Assembly to perform those functions (other than the functions conferred on the Premier by subsection (2) of this section) and that Minister may perform those functions until his authority is revoked by the Governor.

(2) The powers conferred upon the Governor by this section shall be exercised by him in accordance with the advice of the Premier:

Provided that if the Governor considers that it is impracticable to obtain the Premier´s advice owing to his absence or illness the Governor may exercise those powers in his discretion.

Performance of functions of other Ministers in certain events

60 A.-

(1) Whenever a Minister other than the Premier is unable, by reason of illness or absence from Bermuda or absence from his duties on leave, to perform the functions of his office, the Governor may, in writing :

(a) appoint a person who is a member of the same House as that Minister to be a temporary Minister; or

(b) assign responsibility for the performance of the functions of that Minister to another Minister (including the Premier),

and may specify the period for which such person shall be a temporary Minister or for which such other Minister shall perform the functions of that Minister:

Provided that, if occasion arises for the making of an appointment under paragraph (a) between a dissolution of the Legislature and the next following general election, the preceding provisions of this section shall have effect for the purpose as if the Legislature had not been dissolved.

(2) Subject to the provisions of section 59(3) and (4) of this Constitution :

(a) a temporary Minister shall hold office, and

(b) a Minister assigned to perform the functions of another Minister shall perform those functions,

until the expiry of the period specified under subsection (1) of this section or, where no period was so specified, until he is notified by the Governor in writing that he shall cease to hold that office or to perform those functions.

(3) The powers conferred on the Governor by this section shall be exercised by him in accordance with the advice of the Premier.

Allocation of portfolios to Ministers

61.-

(1) The Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, may by directions in writing :

(a) charge the Premier or any other Minister with responsibility for the conduct (subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any other law) of any business of the Government including responsibility for the administration of any department of government;

(b) designate the style by which any Minister so charged shall be known:

Provided that a Minister appointed from among the members of the House of Assembly shall be charged with responsibility for finance and shall be styled “Minister of Finance”.

(2) Nothing in this section shall empower the Governor to confer on any Minister authority to exercise any powers or discharge any duty that is conferred or imposed by this Constitution or any other law on the Governor or any person or authority other than a Minister.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2) of this section, except for the purpose of submitting questions relating to such matters to the Cabinet and conducting government business relating to such matters in either House, a Minister shall not be charged under this section with responsibility for :

(a) any matter for which the Governor, acting in his discretion, is responsible under section 62 of this Constitution;

(b) the discharge by the courts of Bermuda of their judicial functions;

(c) the initiation, conduct and discontinuance of criminal proceedings;

(d) the audit of the accounts of Bermuda;

(e) the making of appointments to public offices, the removal or disciplinary control of persons holding or acting in such offices and the grant of any benefits in relation to pensions and gratuities in pursuance of section 93 of this Constitution.

(4) A Minister charged under subsection (1) of this section with responsibility for the conduct of any business of the Government may be assisted in the discharge of that responsibility by a board, committee or other similar body consisting wholly or partly of persons who are not public officers and established by a law enacted by the Legislature or by directions in writing given by the Minister concerned; and any such body shall have such advisory, consultative and administrative functions as may be conferred on it by such a law or such directions, but, in exercising any such functions, the body shall be subject to the directions of the Minister concerned.

(5) Where a Minister has been charged under subsection (1) of this section with responsibility for the administration of any department of government, the Minister shall (subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any other law) exercise general direction and control over that department, and, subject to such direction and control, the department shall be under the supervision of a public officer (whose office is referred to in this Constitution as the office of a permanent secretary):

Provided that two or more departments of government may be placed under the supervision of one permanent secretary.

Governor´s special responsibilities

62.-

(1) The Governor, acting in his discretion, shall be responsible for the conduct (subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any other law) of any business of the Government, including the administration of any department of government, with respect to the following matters :

(a) external affairs;

(b) defence, including armed forces;

(c) internal security;

(d) the police.

(2) The Governor, acting in his discretion, may by directions in writing delegate, with the prior approval of the Secretary of State, to the Premier or any other Minister designated by him after consultation with the Premier such responsibility for any of the matters specified in subsection (1) of this section as the Governor may think fit upon such conditions as he may impose.

Junior Ministers

63.-

(1) The Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, may by instrument under the Public Seal appoint Junior Ministers from among the Senators and, subject to the provisions of section 64 of this Constitution, the members of the House of Assembly to assist Ministers in the performance of their functions.

(2) If occasion arises for making an appointment of a Junior Minister between a dissolution of the Legislature and the polling in the next following general election the provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall have effect for that purpose as if the Legislature had not been dissolved.

(3) A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as a Junior Minister if he is the President or Vice-President of the Senate or the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly or holds or is acting in any public office specified under paragraph (a) of section 30(3) of this Constitution.

(4) The provisions of subsections (3) and (4) of section 59 of this Constitution shall apply in relation to Junior Ministers as they apply in relation to Ministers.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Restriction on appointments from House of Assembly

64.The number of Ministers and Junior Ministers who are members of the House of Assembly shall not at any time exceed twelve.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Summoning of Cabinet

65.- The Cabinet shall not be summoned except by the authority of the Premier.

Proceedings of Cabinet

66.-

(1) The Premier shall, so far as is practicable, attend and preside at all meetings of the Cabinet and in his absence such other Minister shall preside as the Premier shall appoint.

(2) The Cabinet shall not be disqualified for the transaction of business by reason of any vacancy in the membership of the Cabinet (including any vacancy not filled when the Cabinet is first constituted or is reconstituted at any time) and the validity of the transaction of business in the Cabinet shall not be affected by reason only of the fact that some person who was not entitled to do so took part in the proceedings.

Summoning of persons to Cabinet

67.- The Premier may summon any Junior Minister or public officer to a meeting of the Cabinet whenever, in the opinion of the Premier, the business before the Cabinet renders his presence desirable.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Oaths

68.- A Minister or a Junior Minister shall not enter upon the functions of his office unless he has made before the Governor an oath or affirmation of allegiance and an oath or affirmation for the due execution of his office in the forms set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001 and by UK SI 456/2003)

 

Secretary to Cabinet

69.-

(1) There shall be a Secretary to the Cabinet whose office shall be a public office.

(2) The Secretary to the Cabinet shall have charge of the Cabinet Office and shall be responsible, in accordance with such instructions as may be given to him by the Premier, for arranging the business for, and keeping the minutes of, the meetings of the Cabinet or any committee thereof and for conveying the conclusions reached at the meetings to the appropriate person or authority, and shall have such other functions as the Premier may from time to time direct.

(3) The Secretary to the Cabinet shall :

(a) transmit to the Governor copies of all papers submitted for consideration by the Cabinet or any committee thereof at the same time as those papers are transmitted to Ministers;

(b) inform the Governor of the summoning of any meeting of the Cabinet or any committee of the Cabinet and of the matters to be discussed at any meeting of the Cabinet or any committee thereof at the same time as Ministers are so informed; and

(c) furnish the Governor, as soon as practicable after each meeting of the Cabinet or any committee thereof with a copy of the minutes of that meeting showing the matters discussed and the conclusions reached at that meeting.

Governor´s Council

70.-

(1) There shall be a Governor´s Council for the purpose of considering matters for which the Governor is responsible under section 62(1) of this Constitution.

(2) The Governor´s Council shall consist of :

(a) the Governor, as Chairman;

(b) the Premier; and

(c) not less than two or more than three other Ministers appointed in writing by the Governor after consultation with the Premier.

(3) In the absence of the Governor the Deputy Governor shall preside at any meeting of the Governor´s Council.

(4) A Minister appointed under subsection 2(c) of this section shall vacate his seat on the Council if :

(a) his office becomes vacant under section 59(3) or (4) of this Constitution; or

(b) the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, so directs in writing.

(5) Nothing in subsection (1) shall be construed as requiring the Governor to act in accordance with the advice of the Council in the discharge of his responsibilities under the said section 62(1).

(6) The Governor, acting in his discretion, may summon a meeting of the Council whenever he considers it desirable to do so and shall summon such a meeting whenever the Premier requests him to do so.

(7) The Governor may :

(a) after consultation with the Premier, summon any Minister who is not a member of the Council to attend any meeting of the Council;

(b) summon any other person to attend any meeting of the Council whenever he considers it desirable to do so.

(8) Subject to the provisions of this section, the Council may regulate its own procedure.

(9) The Secretary to the Cabinet shall be the Secretary to the Council.

Attorney-General

71.-

(1) There shall be an Attorney-General who shall be the principal legal adviser to the Government.

(1 A) The Attorney-General shall be either a member of either House who is entitled to practise as a barrister in Bermuda, in which case he shall be appointed by the Governor in accordance with the advice of the Premier, or a public officer.

(2) The Attorney-General shall have power, in any case in which he considers it desirable so to do :

(a) to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any civil court of Bermuda in respect of any offence against any law in force in Bermuda;

(b) to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that have been instituted or undertaken by any other person or authority; and

(c) to discontinue, at any stage before judgment is delivered, any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by himself or any other person or authority.

(3) The powers of the Attorney-General under subsection (2) of this section may be exercised by him in person or by officers subordinate to him acting under and in accordance with his general or special instructions.

(4) The powers conferred upon the Attorney-General by paragraphs (b) and (c) of subsection (2) of this section shall be vested in him to the exclusion of any other person:

Provided that, where any other person or authority has instituted criminal proceedings which have not been taken over and continued by the Attorney-General under the said paragraph (b), nothing in this subsection shall, save when the Attorney-General has exercised his powers under the said paragraph (b), prevent the withdrawal of those proceedings by or at the instance of that person or authority and with the leave of the court.

(5) For the purposes of this section, any appeal from any determination in any criminal proceedings before any court, or any case stated or question of law reserved for the purpose of any such proceedings, to any other court or to Her Majesty in Council shall be deemed to be part of those proceedings.

(6) In the exercise of the powers conferred on him by this section, the Attorney-General shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

Director of Public Prosecutions

71 A.- At any time when the office of Attorney-General is held by a member of either House :

(a) there shall be a Director of Public Prosecutions whose office shall be a public office;

(b) the following provisions of this Constitution shall have effect as if references therein to the Attorney-general were references to the Director of Public Prosecutions, that is to say, subsections (2) to (6) of section 71, section 82(4), section 86, section 100(5), section 104(5), and section 105(3);

(c) section 93(2) of this Constitution shall have effect as if the reference therein to the Attorney-General included a reference to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Opposition Leader

72.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, there shall be an Opposition Leader who shall be appointed by the Governor.

(2) The Governor shall appoint as the Opposition Leader :

(a) the member of the House of Assembly who, in the opinion of the Governor, is the leader in that House of any opposition party whose numerical strength in that House is greater than that of any other opposition party; or

(b) if it appears to the Governor that there is no such party but that there is a member of the House of Assembly who would be acceptable as Opposition Leader to a majority of the members of that House in opposition to the Government, that member.

(3) Whenever the office of Opposition Leader is vacant by reason of the fact that the Governor is of the opinion that there is no member of the House of Assembly whom he can appoint thereto in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) of this section :

(a) the function conferred upon the Governor by paragraph (b) of section 27(2) of this Constitution shall be exercised by him after consultation with the leaders in the House of Assembly of the opposition parties whose numerical strength in that House is greatest;

(b) the function conferred upon the Governor by section 53(1) of this Constitution shall be exercised by him after consultation with the Premier and the leaders aforesaid; and

(c) the function conferred upon the Governor by paragraph (d) of section 53(2) and, in any case in which, but for the provisions of this subsection, it would be exercisable in accordance with the advice of the Opposition Leader, the function conferred upon him by paragraph (c) of section 53(5) of this Constitution shall be exercised by him in accordance with such advice as may be given to him jointly by the leaders aforesaid.

(4) If at any time between the polling in a general election and the next following dissolution of the Legislature the Governor is satisfied that, if the office of the Opposition Leader were then vacant, he would appoint thereto a person other than the person then holding that office, the Governor shall revoke the appointment of the Opposition Leader.

(5) The office of the Opposition Leader shall also become vacant :

(a) if for any reason other than a dissolution of the Legislature the holder thereof ceases to be a member of the House of Assembly; or

(b) if the holder thereof is appointed as the Premier.

(6) In this section, “opposition party” means a group of members of the House of Assembly in opposition to the Government who are prepared to support one of their number as their leader.

(7) In the exercise of his functions under this section the Governor shall act in his discretion.

 

CHAPTER V.- THE JUDICIARY

The Supreme Court

 

Constitution of Supreme Court

73.-

(1) There shall be a Supreme Court for Bermuda which shall have such jurisdiction and powers as may be conferred upon it by this Constitution and any other law.

(2) The judges of the Supreme Court shall be a Chief Justice and such number of Puisne Judges as may be prescribed by any law enacted by the Legislature:

Provided that the office of a Puisne Judge shall not, without his consent, be abolished during his continuance in office.

(3) The Chief Justice shall be a person qualified for appointment under subsection (5) of this section and shall be appointed by the Governor, by instrument under the Public Seal, acting after consultation with the Premier who shall first have consulted the Opposition Leader.

(4) The Puisne Judges of the Supreme Court shall be persons qualified as aforesaid and shall be appointed by the Governor, by instrument under the Public Seal, after consultation with the Chief Justice.

(5) The qualifications for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court shall be such as may be prescribed by any law enacted by the Legislature:

Provided that a person who has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court may continue in office notwithstanding any subsequent variation in the qualifications so prescribed.

(6) Whenever the Governor, acting after consultation with the Chief Justice, is satisfied that the state of business in the Supreme Court so requires, he may, acting as aforesaid, appoint a person, possessing such legal qualifications and experience as he may deem appropriate, to be an Assistant Justice on such terms and conditions of service as he may think fit, and any Assistant Justice shall have all the powers of a Puisne Judge:

Provided that the number of Assistant Justices holding office at any time shall not exceed such number as the Legislature may by law prescribe.

(7) References in sections 30(1), 76 and 103 of this Constitution to a judge of the Supreme Court shall be construed as including references to an Assistant Justice.

 

Tenure of office of judges of Supreme Court

74.-

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, a judge of the Supreme Court shall vacate his office when he attains the age of sixty-five years:

Provided that :

(a) the Governor may permit a judge who attains the age of sixty-five years to continue in office until he has attained such later age, not exceeding the age of seventy years, as may have been agreed between the Governor and that judge; and

(b) a judge who has attained the age at which he would otherwise vacate office under this subsection may continue in office for such period as may be necessary to enable him to deliver judgment or to do any other thing in relation to any proceeding commenced before him before he attained that age.

(2) A judge of the Supreme Court may be removed from office only for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, and shall not be so removed except in accordance with the provisions of subsection (3) of this section.

(3) A judge of the Supreme Court shall be removed from office by the Governor by instrument under the Public Seal if the question of the removal of that judge from office has, at the request of the Governor, made in pursuance of subsection (4) of this section, been referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty´s Privy Council under section 4 of the Judicial Committee Act 1833 or any other enactment enabling Her Majesty in that behalf, and the Judicial Committee has advised Her Majesty that the judge ought to be removed from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour.

(4) If the Governor considers that the question of removing a judge of the Supreme Court from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour ought to be investigated, then :

(a) the Governor shall appoint a tribunal, which shall consist of a Chairman and not less than two other members selected by the Governor from among persons who hold or have held high judicial office;

(b) the tribunal shall inquire into the matter and report on the facts thereof to the Governor and advise the Governor whether he should request that the question of the removal of that judge should be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; and

(c) if the tribunal so advises, the Governor shall request that the question should be referred accordingly.

(5) The provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1935 of Bermuda as in force immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution* shall, subject to the provisions of this section, apply as nearly as may be in relation to tribunals appointed under subsection (4) of this section or, as the context may require, to the members thereof as they apply in relation to Commissions or Commissioners appointed under that Act.

(6) If the question of removing a judge of the Supreme Court from office has been referred to a tribunal under subsection (4) of this section the Governor may suspend the judge from performing the functions of his office, and any such suspension may at any time be revoked by the Governor, and shall in any case cease to have effect :

(a) if the tribunal advises the Governor that he should not request that the question of the removal of the judge from office should be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; or

(b) if the Judicial Committee advises Her Majesty that the judge ought not to be removed from office.

(7) The powers conferred upon the Governor by this section shall be exercised by him acting in his discretion.

 

Acting judges of Supreme Court

75.-

(1) If the office of Chief Justice is vacant, or if the holder thereof is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, then, until some other person has been appointed to, and has assumed the functions of, that office, or until the holder of that office has resumed those functions, as the case may be, such one of the Puisne Judges or such other person qualified for appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court as the Governor may, after consultation with the Premier, appoint for that purpose shall act in the office of Chief Justice.

(2) If the office of a Puisne Judge is vacant, or if any such judge is acting as Chief Justice, or is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office the Governor, acting after consultation with the Chief Justice, may appoint a person, possessing such legal qualifications and experience as he may deem appropriate, to act as a Puisne Judge.

(3) A person may be appointed under subsection (1) or subsection (2) of this section notwithstanding that he has attained the age of sixty-five years.

(4) Any person appointed under this section to act as a Puisne Judge shall, unless he is removed from office under the preceding section, continue to act for the period of his appointment or, if no such period is specified, until his appointment is revoked by the Governor, acting after consultation with the Chief Justice:

Provided that a person whose appointment so to act has expired or been revoked may, with the permission of the Governor, acting after consultation with the Chief Justice, continue so to act for such period as may be necessary to enable him to deliver judgment or to do any other thing in relation to proceedings that were commenced before him previously thereto.

 

Oaths to be taken by judges of Supreme Court

76.- Before entering upon the functions of his office, every judge of the Supreme Court shall make and subscribe before the Governor, or some other person authorised in that behalf by the Governor, oaths or affirmations of allegiance and for the due execution of his office in the forms set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

The Court of Appeal

 

Constitution of Court of Appeal

77.-

(1) There shall be a Court of Appeal for Bermuda which shall have such jurisdiction and powers as may be conferred upon it by this Constitution and any other law.

(2) The judges of the Court of Appeal shall be a President and such number of Justices of Appeal, not being less than two, as the Legislature may by law prescribe:

Provided that the office of a Justice of Appeal shall not, without his consent be abolished during his continuance in office.

(3) The judges of the Court of Appeal shall be appointed by the Governor, acting in his discretion, by instrument under the Public Seal, for such period as may be specified in their respective instruments of appointment.

(4) A person shall be qualified to be appointed as a judge of the Court of Appeal if, and shall not be qualified to be so appointed unless, he holds or has held high judicial office.

(5) A judge of the Supreme Court may exercise any of the powers of a single judge of the Court of Appeal to such extent as the Legislature may by law prescribe.

 

Tenure of office of judges of Court of Appeal

78.-

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this section, the office of a judge of the Court of Appeal shall become vacant upon the expiration of the period of his appointment to that office.

(2) A judge of the Court of Appeal may be removed from office only for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, and shall not be so removed except in accordance with the provisions of subsection (3) of this section.

(3) A judge of the Court of Appeal shall be removed from office by the Governor by instrument under the Public Seal if the question of the removal of that judge from office has, at the request of the Governor, made in pursuance of subsection (4) of this section, been referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty´s Privy Council under section 4 of the Judicial Committee Act 1833 or any other enactment enabling Her Majesty in that behalf, and the Judicial Committee has advised Her Majesty that the judge ought to be removed from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour.

(4) If the Governor considers that the question of removing a judge of the Court of Appeal from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour ought to be investigated, then :

(a) the Governor shall appoint a tribunal, which shall consist of a Chairman and not less than two other members selected by the Governor from among persons who hold or have held high judicial office;

(b) the tribunal shall inquire into the matter and report on the facts thereof to the Governor and advise the Governor whether he should request that the question of the removal of that judge should be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; and

(c) if the tribunal so advises, the Governor shall request that the question should be referred accordingly.

(5) The provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1935 of Bermuda as in force immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution* shall, subject to the provisions of this section, apply as nearly as may be in relation to tribunals appointed under subsection (4) of this section or, as the context may require, to the members thereof as they apply in relation to Commissions or Commissioners appointed under that Act.

(6) If the question of removing a judge of the Court of Appeal from office has been referred to a tribunal under subsection (4) of this section the Governor may suspend the judge from performing the functions of this office, and any such suspension may at any time be revoked by the Governor, and shall in any case cease to have effect :

(a) if the tribunal advises the Governor that he should not request that the question of the removal of the judge from office should be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; or

(b) if the Judicial Committee advises Her Majesty that the judge ought not to be removed from office.

(7) The powers conferred upon the Governor by this section shall be exercised by him acting in his discretion.

 

Acting judges of Court of Appeal

79.-

(1) If the office of the President of the Court of Appeal is vacant, or if the holder thereof is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, then, until some other person has been appointed to, and has assumed the functions of, that office, or until the holder thereof has assumed those functions, as the case may be, such one of the Justices of Appeal or such other person qualified for appointment as a judge of the Court of Appeal as the Governor, acting in his discretion, may appoint for that purpose shall act in the office of President.

(2) If the office of a Justice of Appeal is vacant, or if any Justice of Appeal is acting as the President, or is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office the Governor, acting in his discretion, may appoint a person possessing such legal qualifications and experience as he, after consultation with the President, may deem appropriate to act as a Justice of Appeal.

(3) Any person appointed under this section to act as a Justice of Appeal shall, unless he is removed from office under the preceding section, continue to act for the period of his appointment or, if no such period is specified, until his appointment is revoked by the Governor, acting in his discretion:

Provided that a person whose appointment so to act has expired or been revoked may, with the permission of the Governor, acting in his discretion, continue so to act for such period as may be necessary to enable him to deliver judgment or to do any other thing in relation to proceedings that were commenced before him previously thereto.

 

Oaths to be taken by judges of Court of Appeal

80.- Before entering upon the functions of his office every judge of the Court of Appeal shall make and subscribe before the Governor, or some other person authorised in that behalf by the Governor, oaths or affirmations of allegiance and for the due execution of his office in the forms set out in the First Schedule to this Constitution.

(Amended by UK SI 456/2003)

 

CHAPTER VI.- THE PUBLIC SERVICE

General

 

Public Service Commission

81.-

(1) There shall be a Public Service Commission for Bermuda consisting of a Chairman and four other members.

(2) The members of the Public Service Commission shall be appointed by the Governor, by instrument under the Public Seal, acting after consultation with the Premier who shall first have consulted the Opposition Leader, for such period, not being less than three nor more than five years, as may be specified in their respective instruments of appointment.

(3) No person shall be qualified to be appointed as a member of the Public Service Commission if he is a member of either House or a public officer.

(4) A person shall not, while he holds or is acting in the office of a member of the Public Service Commission or within a period of five years commencing with the date on which he last held or acted in that office, be eligible for appointment to or to act in any public office.

(5) The office of a member of the Public Service Commission shall become vacant :

(a) at the expiration of the period specified in the instrument by which he was appointed;

(b) if he becomes a member of either House; or

(c) if he is removed from office in accordance with the provisions of subsection (6) of this section.

(6) A member of the Public Service Commission shall be removed from office by the Governor if the Governor, acting in his discretion, is satisfied that he ought to be removed from office for inability to discharge the functions thereof (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour.

(7) During any period when the question of removing a member of the Public Service Commission from office for inability as aforesaid or for misbehaviour is being investigated by, or in pursuance of directions given by, the Governor, the Governor, acting in his discretion, may suspend that member from performing the functions of his office.

(8) Whenever the office of the Chairman of the Public Service Commission is vacant or the holder thereof is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, such one of the other members of the Public Service Commission as the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, may appoint shall act in the office of the Chairman.

(9) If the office of a member of the Public Service Commission other than the Chairman is vacant or the holder thereof is acting as the Chairman or is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his office, the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, may appoint a person who is qualified for appointment as a member of the Commission to act as a member of the Commission; and any person so appointed shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (5) of this section, continue so to act until he is notified by the Governor, acting in his discretion, that the circumstances giving rise to the appointment have ceased to exist.

 

Appointment etc., of public officers

82.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, power to make appointments to public offices, and to remove or exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in such offices, is vested in the Governor acting in accordance with the recommendation of the Public Service Commission.

(2) Before the Public Service Commission recommends to the Governor the appointment of a person to the office of a permanent secretary or head of a department of government the Commission shall consult the Premier.

(3) The Legislature may by law make, or provide for the making of, provision with respect to offences against the discipline of any police force or the prison service of Bermuda and the punishment that may be imposed for any such offence; and the power to exercise disciplinary control (including the power to remove a person from office) over members of any such force or the prison service vested in the Governor, acting in accordance with the recommendation of the Public Service Commission, by this section shall be exercised in accordance with any such provision relating to the force or service concerned.

(4) The provisions of this section shall not apply in relation to :

(a) the office of the Attorney-General, Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police and the Auditor General;

(b) any office to which section 89 of this Constitution applies; or

(c) the office of Secretary to the Cabinet except as respects power to remove or exercise disciplinary control over a person holding or acting in that office.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Delegation of Governor´s powers

83.-

(1) The Governor, acting in accordance with the recommendation of the Public Service Commission, may by regulations delegate, to such extent and subject to such conditions as may be specified in the regulations, the powers vested in him by section 82 of this Constitution (other than powers in relation to the offices referred to in subsections (2) and (4)(c) thereof to the Chairman of the Commission or to such public officers as may be so specified.

(2) Except in so far as regulations made under this section otherwise provide, any power delegated by such regulations may be exercised by any person to whom it is delegated without reference to the Public Service Commission.

 

Performance of functions of Public Service Commission

84.-

(1) No business shall be transacted at any meeting of the Public Service Commission unless the Chairman and not less than two other members of the Commission are present.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the Public Service Commission may act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership or the absence of any member and its proceedings shall be valid notwithstanding that some person who was not entitled so to do took part therein.

(3) Any question proposed for decision at any meeting of the Commission shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting, and if on any such question the votes are equally divided the Chairman shall have and exercise a casting vote.

(4) When the Public Service Commission is meeting to consider the appointment of any person to an office in the Police Force (other than the office of Commissioner of Police or Deputy Commissioner of Police) or the removal of, or the exercise of disciplinary control over, any person holding or acting in such an office, the Commissioner of Police shall be entitled to attend and express his views on the matter to the Commission.

(5) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier and the Public Service Commission, may by regulations make provision for regulating and facilitating the performance by the Commission of its functions under this Constitution, including (without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power) provision for any of the following matters :

(a) conferring powers and imposing duties on any public officer or any authority of the Government for the purpose of facilitating the performance by the Commission of those functions;

(b) the protection and privileges of members of the Commission in respect of the performance of their functions and the privilege of communications to and from the Commission and its members in the case of legal proceedings;

(c) the definition and trial of offences in relation to the functions of the Commission and the imposition of penalties for such offences:

Provided that no such penalty shall exceed a fine of twelve hundred dollars or imprisonment for a term of one year or both such fine and such imprisonment.

(6) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and of any regulations made under subsection (5) of this section, the Public Service Commission may regulate its own procedure.

(7) Subject to the provisions of subsection (5) of this section and of any regulations made thereunder, in the performance of its functions under this Constitution the Public Service Commission shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

 

Particular Offices

85.- (Deleted by UK SI 1973 nº 233).

 

Appointment, etc., of Attorney-General

86.-

(1) Power to make appointments to the office of Attorney-General is vested in the Governor acting in his discretion.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section, the Attorney-General shall vacate his office when he attains the age of sixty-five years:

Provided that the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, may permit an Attorney-General who attains the age of sixty-five years to continue in office until he has attained such later age, not exceeding the age of seventy years, as may have been agreed between the Governor and that Attorney-General.

(3) The Attorney-General may be removed from office only for inability to discharge the functions thereof (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, and shall not be so removed except in accordance with the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.

(4) The Attorney-General shall be removed from office by the Governor if the question of his removal from office has been referred to a tribunal appointed under subsection (5) of this section and the tribunal has advised the Governor that he ought to be removed from office for inability as aforesaid or for misbehaviour.

(5) If the Governor, acting in his discretion, considers that the question of removing the Attorney-General from office for inability as aforesaid or for misbehaviour ought to be investigated, or if the Premier or the Chief Justice after consultation with the Premier represents to the Governor that that question ought to be investigated, then :

(a) the Governor shall appoint a tribunal, which shall consist of a Chairman and not less than two other members selected by the Governor, acting in his discretion, from among persons who hold or have held high judicial office; and

(b) that tribunal shall inquire into the matter and report on the facts thereof to the Governor and advise the Governor whether the Attorney-General ought to be removed from office for inability as aforesaid or for misbehaviour.

(6) The provisions of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1935 of Bermuda as in force immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution shall, subject to the provisions of this section, apply as nearly as may be in relation to tribunals appointed under subsection (5) of this section or, as the context may require, to the members thereof as they apply in relation to Commissions or Commissioners appointed under that Act.

(7) If the question of removing the Attorney-General from office has been referred to a tribunal under subsection (5) of this section, the Governor, acting in his discretion, may suspend the Attorney-General from performing the functions of his office, and any such suspension may at any time be revoked by the Governor, acting in his discretion, and shall in any case cease to have effect if the tribunal advises the Governor that the Attorney-General should not be removed from office.

(8) References in subsections (2) to (7) of this section to the Attorney-General do not include references to a person appointed to act in the office of Attorney-General during any period when it is vacant or the holder thereof is unable to perform the functions thereof; and the appointment of such a person may be revoked by the Governor, acting in his discretion, at any time before the expiration of that period.

 

Appointment, etc., of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Police

87.- Power to make appointments to, the offices of Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Police and to remove or exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in those offices is vested in the Governor acting after consultation with the Public Service Commission.

 

Appointment, etc., of the Auditor General

88.-

(1) Power to make appointments to the office of the Auditor General is vested in the Governor acting in his discretion.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this section, the Auditor General shall vacate his office when he attains the age of sixty-five years:

Provided that the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, may permit an Auditor General who attains the age of sixty-five years to continue in office until he has attained such later age, not exceeding the age of seventy years, as may have been agreed between the Governor and that Auditor General.

(3) The Auditor General may be removed from office only for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from inability of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, and shall not be so removed except in accordance with the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.

(4) The Auditor General shall be removed from office by the Governor if the Governor, acting in his discretion, is satisfied that he ought to be removed from office for inability as aforesaid or for misbehaviour.

(5) During any period when the question of removing the Auditor General from office for inability as aforesaid or for misbehaviour is being investigated by, or in pursuance of directions given by, the Governor, the Governor, acting in his discretion, may suspend the Auditor General from performing the functions of his office.

(6) References in subsections (2) to (5) of this section to the Auditor General do not include references to a person appointed to act in the office of Auditor General during any period when it is vacant or the holder thereof is unable to perform the functions thereof; and the appointment of such a person may be revoked by the Governor, acting in his discretion, at any time before the expiration of that period.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Appointment, etc., of magistrates and other legally qualified staff of the courts

89.-

(1) Power to make appointments to the offices to which this section applies and to remove or exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in those offices is vested in the Governor acting after consultation with the Chief Justice.

(2) This section applies to the offices of magistrate, member of any other civil court subordinate to the Supreme Court and registrar of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal and of such other officers of the civil courts of Bermuda who are required to possess legal qualifications as the Legislature may by law prescribe.

 

Appointment of Secretary to Cabinet

90.-

(1) Power to make appointments to the office of Secretary to the Cabinet is vested in the Governor acting in accordance with the recommendation of the Premier.

(2) Whenever occasion arises for making an appointment under this section the Public Service Commission shall submit to the Premier a list of public officers who appear to the Commission to be qualified for the appointment and the Premier shall recommend to the Governor a person whose name appears on that list.

 

Pensions

 

Applicability of pensions law

91.-

(1) Subject to the provisions of Section 93 of this Constitution, the law to be applied to the grant and payment to any officer, or to his widow, children, dependants or personal representatives, of any pension, gratuity or other like allowance (in this section and sections 92 and 93 of this Constitution referred to as an “award”) in respect of the service of that officer in a public office shall be that in force on the relevant day or any later law not less favourable to the person concerned.

(2) For the purposes of this section the relevant day is :

(a) in relation to an award granted before the date on which this Constitution comes into operation, the day on which the award was granted;

(b) in relation to an award granted or to be granted on or after the date on which this Constitution comes into operation to or in respect of a person who was a public officer before that date, the day immediately before that date;

(c) in relation to an award granted or to be granted to or in respect of a person who first becomes a public officer on or after the date on which this Constitution comes into operation, the day on which he becomes a public officer.

(3) For the purposes of this section, in so far as the law applicable to an award depends on the option of the person to or in respect of whom it is granted or to be granted, the law for which he opts shall be taken to be more favourable to him than any other law for which he might have opted.

 

Pensions, etc., charged on the Consolidated Fund

92.- Awards granted under any law for the time being in force in Bermuda shall (except so far as they are a charge on some other fund and are duly paid out of that fund to the person to whom payment is due) be a charge on and paid out of the Consolidated Fund.

 

Grant and withholding of pensions, etc.

93.-

(1) The power to grant any award under any pensions law for the time being in force in Bermuda (other than an award to which, under that law, the person to whom it is payable is entitled as of right) and, in accordance with any provisions in that behalf in any such law, to withhold, reduce in amount or suspend any award payable under any such law shall vest in the Governor.

(2) The power vested in the Governor by, subsection (1) of this section shall be exercised by him :

(a) in his discretion in the case of an award payable in respect of the services of any person who, having been a public officer, was, immediately before the date on which he ceased to hold public office, serving as :

(i) Deputy Governor;

(ii) a judge of the Supreme Court;

(iii) a judge of the Court of Appeal;

(iv) Attorney-General;

(v) Auditor; or

(vi) a member of the personal staff of the Governor;

(b) after consultation with the Public Service Commission in the case of an award payable in respect of any person who, having been a public officer, was, immediately before the date aforesaid, serving as Commissioner of Police or Deputy Commissioner of Police or in any office to which section 89 of this Constitution applies; and

(c) in accordance with the recommendation of the Public Service Commission in any other case.

(3) In this section “pensions law” means any law relating to the grant to any person, or to the widow, children, dependants or personal representatives of that person, of an award in respect of the services of that person in a public office.

 

CHAPTER VI A.- OMBUDSMAN

The Ombudsman

93 A.-

(1) There shall be an Ombudsman for Bermuda.

(2) The Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier who shall first have consulted the Opposition Leader, shall, by instrument under the Public Seal, appoint the Ombudsman.

(3) No person shall be qualified to be appointed as Ombudsman if he is or has been within the preceding three years:

(a) a Senator or a member of, or a confirmed candidate for election to, the House of Assembly; or

(b) the holder of any office in any political party.

(4) The office of Ombudsman shall become vacant:

(a) at the expiration of the period specified in the instrument by which he was appointed;

(b) if he resigns his office by writing under his hand addressed to the Governor;

(c) if he becomes a Senator or a member of, or a confirmed candidate for election to, the House of Assembly or the holder of any office in any political party; or

(d) if the Governor, acting in his discretion, directs that he shall be removed from office for inability to discharge the functions of his office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, or for contravention of subsection (5) of this section.

(5) Subject to such exceptions as the Govenor, acting in his discretion, may authorise by directions in writing, the Ombudsman shall not hold any other office of emolument either in the public service or otherwise, nor engage in any occupation for reward other than the duties of his office.

(6) Section 103(1)(b) of this Constitution shall have effect as if a reference to the Ombudsman were inserted after the reference to a judge of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal; and section 93(2)(a) of this Constitution shall have effect as if a reference to the Ombudsman were inserted after the reference to a judge of the Court of Appeal.

(Inserted by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Functions of Ombudsman

93 B.-

(1) The Ombudsman shall have such functions and jurisdiction as may be prescribed by law.

(2) In the exercise of his functions and jurisdiction, the Ombudsman shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

(3) The Ombudsman shall have no jurisdiction to inquire into any question relating to the exercise of any function by the Governor or the Deputy Governor which under this Constitution shall not be inquired into by any court.

(Inserted by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

CHAPTER VII.- FINANCE

Consolidated Fund

94.- All revenues or other moneys raised or received by or for the purposes of the Government (not being revenues or other moneys that are payable by or under any law into some other fund established for any specific purpose or that may, by or under any law, be retained by the authority that received them for the purpose of defraying the expenses of that authority) shall be paid into and form a Consolidated Fund.

 

Withdrawal of money from the Consolidated Fund or other public funds

95.-

(1) No money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund except upon the authority of a warrant under the hand of the Minister of Finance:

Provided that where, in the opinion of the Governor, acting in his discretion, moneys are required to enable him to discharge his responsibilities for the defence of Bermuda, internal security or the police, such moneys may be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund either :

(a) upon the authority of a warrant under the hand of the Minister of Finance; or

(b) upon the authority of a warrant under the hand of the Governor, acting in his discretion.

(2) No warrant shall be issued by the Minister of Finance for the purpose of meeting any expenditure unless :

(a) the expenditure has been authorised for the financial year during which the withdrawal is to take place :

(i) by an Appropriation law; or

(ii) by a supplementary estimate approved by resolution of the House of Assembly;

(b) the expenditure has been authorised in accordance with the provisions of section 97 of this Constitution; or

(c) it is expenditure (in this Chapter referred to as “statutory expenditure”) that is charged upon the Consolidated Fund by this Constitution or by any other law.

(3) No moneys shall be withdrawn from any public fund other than the Consolidated Fund unless the issue of those moneys has been authorised by or under any law.

 

Authorisation of expenditure

96.-

(1) The Minister of Finance shall cause to be prepared and laid before the House of Assembly as soon as practicable before the commencement of each financial year estimates of the revenues and expenditure of Bermuda for that year:

Provided that, if the Legislature is dissolved less than three months before the commencement of any financial year, the estimates for that year may be laid before the House as soon as practicable after the commencement of that year.

(2) The heads of expenditure contained in the estimates (other than statutory expenditure) shall be included in a bill to be known as an Appropriation bill which shall be introduced into the House of Assembly to provide for the issue from the Consolidated Fund of the sums necessary to meet that expenditure and the appropriation of those sums to the purposes specified therein.

(3) If in respect of any financial year it is found :

(a) that the amount appropriated by the Appropriation law to any purpose is insufficient or that a need has arisen for expenditure for a purpose to which no amount has been appropriated by that law; or

(b) that any moneys have been expended for any purpose in excess of the amount appropriated to that purpose by the Appropriation law or for a purpose to which no amount has been appropriated by that law, a supplementary estimate, showing the sum required or spent, shall be laid before the House of Assembly.

(4) Where in respect of any financial year any supplementary estimates have been laid before the House of Assembly in accordance with the provisions of subsection (3) of this section and approved by resolution of that House, a supplementary Appropriation bill shall, as soon as practicable after the end of that year, be introduced into that House to provide for the appropriation to the purposes in question of the sums included in such estimates that have been expended for that year.

(5) Where in respect of any financial year moneys have been withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund upon the authority of a warrant issued by the Governor by virtue of the proviso to section 95(1) of this Constitution, the Minister of Finance shall, if the circumstances of the case so require, cause a statement of expenditure in respect of such moneys to be prepared and laid before the House of Assembly.

 

Authorisation of expenditure in advance of appropriation

97.- If the Appropriation law in respect of any financial year has not come into operation by the beginning of that financial year, the House of Assembly by resolution may empower the Minister of Finance to authorise the withdrawal of moneys from the Consolidated Fund for the purpose of meeting expenditure necessary to carry on the services of the Government until the expiration of four months from the beginning of that financial year or the coming into operation of the Appropriation law, whichever is the earlier.

 

Contingencies fund

98.-

(1) The Legislature may by law make provision for the establishment of a contingencies fund and for authorising the Minister of Finance to make advances from that fund if he is satisfied that there is an urgent and unforeseen need for expenditure for which no other provision exists.

(2) When any advance is made from the contingencies fund a supplementary estimate shall, as soon as practicable, be laid before the House of Assembly for the purpose of authorising the replacement of the amount so advanced.

 

Public debt

99.-

(1) All debt charges for which Bermuda is liable shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.

(2) For the purposes of this section, debt charges include interest, sinking fund charges, the repayment or amortisation debt and all expenditure in connection with the raising of loan on the security of the revenues of Bermuda or the Consolidated Fund and the service and redemption of debt thereby created.

 

Remuneration of certain officers

100.-

(1) There shall be paid to the holders of the offices to which this section applies such salary or other remuneration and such allowances as may be prescribed by or under a law enacted by the Legislature.

(2) The remuneration and allowances payable to the holders of those offices shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.

(3) The remuneration prescribed in pursuance of this section in respect of the holder of any such office and his other terms of service (other than allowances that are not taken into account in computing, under any law in that behalf, any pension payable in respect of his service in that office) shall not be altered to his disadvantage after his appointment.

(4) Where a person´s remuneration or other terms of service depend upon his option, the remuneration or terms for which he opts shall, for the purposes of subsection (3) of this section, be deemed to be more advantageous to him than any others for which he might have opted.

(5) This section applies to the offices of Governor, Chief Justice, Puisne Judge, President of the Court of Appeal, Justice of Appeal, Chairman or other member of the Public Service Commission, Attorney-General, Auditor, and Chairman and judicial member of a Constituency Boundaries Commission.

 

The Auditor

101.-

(1) There shall be an Auditor whose office shall be a public office.

(2) The accounts of the Senate, the House of Assembly, all government departments and offices (including the Public Service Commission) and all courts of Bermuda shall be audited and reported on annually by the Auditor, and for that purpose the Auditor or any person authorised by him in that behalf shall have access to all books, records, returns and other documents relating to such accounts.

(3) The Auditor shall submit his reports made under subsection (2) of this section to the Speaker of the House of Assembly who shall cause them to be laid before the House; and the Auditor shall also send a copy of each report to the Governor and to the President of the Senate and the President shall cause the copy sent to him to be laid before the Senate.

(4) In the exercise of his functions under the provisions of this section, the Auditor shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

 

CHAPTER VIII.- MISCELLANEOUS

Interpretation

102.-

(1) In this Constitution, unless it is otherwise provided or required by the context :

“election” means an election of a member or members of the House of Assembly;

“financial year” means the period of twelve months beginning on the first day of January in any year or such other day as the Legislature may prescribe;

“the Gazette” means such publication as may for the time being be appointed by the Governor to be the publication in which Government notices are published by authority and includes any supplement thereto in which Government notices are published;

“the Government” means the Government of Bermuda;

“the Governor” means the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Bermuda;

“high judicial office” means the office of judge of a court having unlimited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters in some part of the Commonwealth or a court having jurisdiction in appeals from any such court;

“House” means the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the context may require;

“law” includes any instrument having the force of law and any unwritten rule of law, and “lawful” and “lawfully” shall be construed accordingly;

“the Legislature” means the Legislature established by this Constitution;

“the Police Force” means the Bermuda Police Force established in accordance with the provisions of the Police Act 1951 of Bermuda or any law amending or replacing that Act (Police Act 1974);

“public office” means, subject to the provisions of section 103 of this Constitution, an office of emolument in the public service;

“public officer” means the holder of any public office, and includes a person appointed to act in any public office;

“the Public Seal” means the Public Seal of Bermuda;

“the public service” means the service of the Crown in a civil capacity in respect of the government of Bermuda;

“session” means, in relation to a House, the sittings of that House commencing when it first meets after any general election or prorogation of the Legislature and terminating when the Legislature is prorogued or is dissolved without having been prorogued;

“sitting” means, in relation to a House, a period during which that House is sitting continuously without adjournment and includes any period during which the House is in committee.

(2) In this Constitution, unless it is otherwise provided or required by the context :

(a) a reference to the holder of an office by the term designating his office shall be construed as including a reference to any person acting in that office or, to the extent of his authority, otherwise performing the functions of that office;

(b) references to the functions of the Governor shall be construed as references to his powers and duties in exercise of the executive authority of Bermuda and to any other powers or duties conferred or imposed on him as Governor by or under this Constitution or any other law.

(3) For the purposes of this Constitution, a person shall be deemed to possess Bermudian status :

(a) in the case of a person who possesses that status on the date on which this Constitution comes into operation under the law then in force in Bermuda, if he has not lost that status under that law or any later law amending or replacing that law that is not less favourable to him; and

(b) in the case of a person who acquires that status at any date after this Constitution comes into operation, if he has not lost that status under the law in force at the date he acquired it or any later law amending or replacing that law that is not less favourable to him.

(4) The Interpretation Act 1889 shall apply, with the necessary adaptations, for the purpose of interpreting this Constitution and otherwise in relation thereto as it applies for the purpose of interpreting and otherwise in relation to Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom.

 

References to public offices

103.-

(1) In this Constitution, references to public offices shall not be construed as including :

(a) references to the office of President or Vice-President of the Senate or Senator, Speaker, Deputy Speaker or member of the House of Assembly, Premier or other Minister, Junior Minister or Opposition Leader;

(b) except in sections 61, 91 and 93 of this Constitution, references to the office of a judge of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal or, subject to any provision made in pursuance of paragraph (c) of section 30(3) of this Constitution, any member of the Governor´s personal staff;

(c) references to the office of a member of the Public Service Commission, a Constituency Boundaries Commission or the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy;

(d) references to the office of a member of any other board, council, committee or other similar body (whether incorporated or not) established by or under any law, except in so far as the Legislature may by law otherwise prescribe, or of any such body established by directions given under section 61(2) of this Constitution;

(e) except in so far as the Legislature may by law otherwise prescribe, references to the office of any employee of any body corporate established directly by law for public purposes which is not subject under any law to any direction or control by the Governor or any Minister in the performance of its functions other than general directions as to the policy to be followed by that body.

(2) For the purposes of this Constitution, a person shall not be considered as holding a public office by reason only that he is in receipt of a pension or other like allowance in respect of service under the Crown.

(Amended by UK SI 2579/2001)

 

Appointments

104.-

(1) Where any person has vacated any office (including any seat in either House) established by this Constitution, he may, if qualified, again be appointed or elected or otherwise selected to hold that office in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.

(2) Where a power is conferred by this Constitution upon any person to make any appointment to any office, a person may be appointed to that office, notwithstanding that some other person may be holding that office, when that other person is on leave of absence pending relinquishment of that office; and where two or more persons are holding the same office by reason of an appointment made in pursuance of this subsection, then, for the purposes of any function conferred upon the holder of that office the person last appointed to that office shall be deemed to be the sole holder of the office.

(3) In this Constitution, unless it is otherwise provided or required by the context, any reference to power to make appointments to any public office shall be construed as including reference to power to make appointments on promotion and transfer to that office and the power to appoint a person to act in that office during any period when it is vacant or the holder thereof is unable (whether by reason of absence or infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) to perform the functions of that office.

(4) Where by this Constitution any person is directed, or power is conferred on any person or authority to appoint a person, to act in an office if the holder thereof is unable to perform the functions of that office, the validity of any performance of those functions by the person so directed or of any appointment made in exercise of that power shall not be called in question in any court on the ground that the holder of the office is not unable to perform the functions of the office.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Constitution, a person may be appointed to the office of :

(a) judge of the Supreme Court;

(b) Attorney-General; or

(c) Auditor,

for such term as may be specified in the instrument of appointment, and the office of a person so appointed shall become vacant on the day on which the specified term expires.

Removal from office

105.-

(1) References in this Constitution to the power to remove a public officer from his office shall be construed as including references to any power conferred by any law to require or permit that officer to retire from the public service and to any power or right to terminate a contract on which a person is employed as a public officer and to determine whether any such contract shall or shall not be renewed.

(2) Any provision of this Constitution that vests in any person or authority power to remove any public officer from his office shall be without prejudice to the power of any person or authority to abolish any office or to any law providing for the compulsory retirement of public officers generally or any class of public officer on attaining an age specified therein.

(3) If any circumstances arise that, under the provisions of this Constitution, require the Governor to remove a judge of the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal or the Attorney General or the Auditor from office for inability to discharge the functions of his office, the Governor, acting in his discretion, may carry out such removal either by dismissing that officer or by requiring him to retire.

(4) Any power conferred by any law to permit any officer mentioned in subsection (3) of this section to retire before the date on which, under the provisions of this Constitution, he is required to vacate his office shall vest in the Governor acting in his discretion.

 

Resignations

106.-

(1) Save as otherwise provided in sections 31(1) and 32(2) of this Constitution, any person who is appointed to or to act in any office established by this Constitution may resign from that office by writing under his hand addressed to the person by whom he was appointed.

(2) The resignation of any person from any such office (including any seat in either House) by writing under his hand addressed in accordance with this Constitution to any other person shall take effect when the writing signifying the resignation is received by that other person.

 

Saving for jurisdiction of courts

107.- No provision of this Constitution that any person or authority shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority in the exercise of any functions under this Constitution shall be construed as precluding a court from exercising jurisdiction in relation to any question whether that person or authority has exercised those functions in accordance with this Constitution.

 

Power to amend and revoke instruments, etc.

108.- Where any power is conferred by this Constitution to make any proclamation, order, rules or regulations or to give any directions, the power shall be construed as including a power exercisable in like manner to amend or revoke any such proclamation, order, rules, regulations or directions.

 

FIRST SCHEDULE.- TO THE CONSTITUTION OF BERMUDA

(Sections 17, 40, 68, 76 and 80)

 

FORMS OF OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS

1.- Oath of Allegiance

I,……………………, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law. So help me God.

 

2.- Affirmation of Allegiance

I,……………………, do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, according to law.

 

3.- Oath for the due execution of the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief

I,……………………., do swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second in the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief. So help me God.

 

4.- Affirmation for the due execution of the office of Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

I,……………………., do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second in the office of Governor and Commanderin-Chief.

 

5.- Oath for the due execution of the office of Premier or other Minister or Parliamentary Secretary.

I,……………………………, being appointed Premier/ Minister/Parliamentary Secretary, do swear that I will to the best of my judgment, at all times when so required, freely give my counsel and advice to the Governor (or any other person for the time being lawfully performing the functions of that office) for the good management of the public affairs of Bermuda, and I do further swear that I will not on any account, at any time whatsoever, disclose the counsel, advice, opinion or vote of any particular Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, and that I will not, except with the authority of the Cabinet and to such extent as may be required for the good management of the affairs of Bermuda, directly or indirectly reveal the business or proceedings of the Cabinet or the nature or contents of any documents communicated to me as a Minister/Parliamentary Secretary or any matter coming to my knowledge in my capacity as such, and that in all things I will be a true and faithful Premier/Minister/Parliamentary Secretary. So help me God.

 

6.- Affirmation for the due execution of the office of Premier or other Minister or Parliamentary Secretary.

I,…………………………………., being appointed Premier Minister/Parliamentary Secretary, do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will to the best of my judgment, at all times when so required, freely give my counsel and advice to the Governor (or any other person for the time being lawfully performing the functions of that office) for the good management of the public affairs of Bermuda, and I do further solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will not on any account, at any time whatsoever, disclose the counsel, advice, opinion or vote of any particular Minister or Parliamentary Secretary, and that I will not, except with the authority of the Cabinet and to such extent as may be required for the good management of the affairs of Bermuda, directly or indirectly reveal the business or proceedings of the Cabinet or the nature or contents of any documents communicated to me as a Minister/Parliamentary Secretary or any matter coming to my knowledge in my capacity as such, and that in all things I will be a true and faithful Premier/ Minister/Parliamentary Secretary.

 

7.- Judicial Oath.

I,…………….., do swear that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, in the office of ……………. and will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of Bermuda without fear or favour, affection or ill will. So help me God.

 

8.- Judicial Affirmation.

I,………………., do solemnly and sincerely affirm and declare that I will well and truly serve Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her Heirs and Successors, in the office of ……………. and will do right to all manner of people after the laws and usages of Bermuda without fear or favour, affection or ill will.

(Retitled by UK SI 456/2003)

 

SECOND SCHEDULE.- TO THE CONSTITUTION OF BERMUDA

(section 52)

 

CONSTITUENCIES

The names and boundaries of the constituencies into which Bermuda is divided are as follows.

 

Constituency 1 .- St. George’s North

CONSTITUENCY 1 .- ST. GEORGE’S NORTH shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Somner Lane with Secretary Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Secretary Road to the junction with Park Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Park Road to the junction with Naval Tanks Hill; thence North-West along the centreline of Naval Tanks Hill to the junction with Coot Pond Road; thence North-West to a point on the coastline; thence North-East following the coastline around St. Catherine’s Point and Town Cut to the bridge to Ordnance Island; and shall include Ordnance Island, thence North along the centreline of Kings Square to the junction with Water Street; thence South-West along the centreline of Water Street to the junction with York Street; thence West along the centreline of York Street to the junction with Rose Hill Street; thence North-West along the centreline of Rose Hill Street to the junction with the St. George’s Club; thence North-East along the centreline around the Eastern side of the St. George’s Club to the junction with Somner Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of Somner Lane to the junction with Secretary Road.

 

Constituency 2 .- St. George’s West

CONSTITUENCY 2 .- ST. GEORGE’S WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Coot Pond Road with Naval Tanks Hill; thence South-East along the centreline of Naval Tanks Hill to the junction with Park Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Park Road to the junction with Secretary Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Secretary Road to the junction with Somner Lane; thence South along the centreline of Somner Lane to the junction with the St. George’s Club; thence South around the Eastern side of the St. George’s Club to the junction with Rose Hill Street; thence South-East along the centreline of Rose Hill Street to the junction with York Street; thence East along the centreline of York Street to the junction of Water Street; thence East along the centreline of Water Street to the junction with Kings Square; thence South along the centreline of Kings Square to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline and following the coastline around Ferry Point to a point on the coastline North-West of the junction of Coot Pond Road with Naval Tanks Hill; thence South-East to the junction of Coot Pond Road with Naval Tanks Hill and shall include Bartram Island, Rogue Island and Little Rogue Island.

 

Constituency 3 .- St. David’s

CONSTITUENCY 3 .- ST. DAVID’S shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of St. David’s Road and Pepper Hall Road; thence West along the centreline of St. David’s Road to the junction with Dolly’s Bay Road; thence West to a point on the coastline; thence North along the coastline around Great Bay, St. David’s Head and Ruth’s Point to a point on the coastline South-East of the junction of Cooper’s Island Road with Southside Road; thence North-West to the junction of Cooper’s Island Road with Southside Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Southside Road to the junction with Tommy Fox Road; thence North along the centreline of Tommy Fox Road to the junction with The Sink Road; thence North along the centreline of The Sink Road to the junction with Bee Hive Drive; thence North-East along the centreline of Bee Hive Drive to a point on Pepper Hall Road; thence North along the centreline of Pepper Hall Road to the junction with St. David’s Road and shall include Little Oswego Island and Great Oswego Island.

 

Constituency 4 .- St. George’s South

CONSTITUENCY 4 .- ST. GEORGE’S SOUTH shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of North Shore Road with Trinity Church Road; thence North-East to the junction of North Shore Road and Fractious Street; thence West to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North-East along the coastline including Coney Island; thence East along the coastline to a point on the coastline at Blue Hole Hill; thence North-East along the west face of the Causeway to the Longbird Bridge; thence continuing around the coastline around Stonecrusher Corner and Stocks Harbour and the coastline of St. George’s Harbour and Smith’s Harbour to a point on the coastline West of the junction of Dolly’s Bay Road and St. David’s Road; thence East to the junction of Dolly’s Bay Road and St. David’s Road; thence North-West along the centreline of St. David’s Road to the junction with Pepper Hall Road; thence South along the centreline of Pepper Hall Road to a point that aligns with the centreline of Bee Hive Drive; thence West along the centreline of Bee Hive Drive to the junction of The Sink Road; thence South along the centreline of The Sink Road to the junction with Tommy Fox Road; thence West along the centreline of Tommy Fox Road to the junction with Southside Road; thence East along the centreline of Southside Road to the junction with Cooper’s Island Road; thence South-East to a point on the coastline; thence South along the coastline and including Cooper’s Island and continuing around the coastline of the Airport to the North end of the Causeway at the Longbird Bridge; thence South along the east face of the Causeway to Blue Hole Hill; thence South-West along the centreline of Blue Hole Hill to the junction with Wilkinson Avenue; thence South along the centreline of Wilkinson Avenue to the junction of Harrington Sound Road; thence South to a point on the coastline; thence West along the coastline to a point on the coastline South of the junction of Trinity Church Road and Bayside Lane; thence North to the junction of Trinity Church Road and Bayside Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of Trinity Church Lane to the junction with North Shore Road, and shall include Brook’s Island, Burt’s Island, Grazbury’s Island, Nonsuch Island, Idol Island, Brangman’s Fort, Coney Island, Hen Island, Horseshoe Island, Peggy’s Island, Higgs Island, Paget Island, Smith’s Island, Governor’s Island, and Bremen Island.

 

Constituency 5 .- Hamilton East

CONSTITUENCY 5 .- HAMILTON EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of North Shore Road with Twin Lanes South; thence North-West along the centreline of Twin Lanes South to the junction with the Railway Trail; thence South-West to the junction with Redkiln Road; thence North West to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North-East along the coastline to a point on the coastline North-West of the junction of North Shore Road with Fractious Street; thence South-East to the junction of North Shore Road with Fractious Street; thence South-West along the centreline of North Shore Road to the junction with Trinity Church Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Trinity Church Road to the junction with Bayside Lane; thence South to a point on the coastline of Harrington Sound; thence South-West along the coastline of Harrington Sound to a point on the coastline South-East of the end point of My Lord’s Bay Road; thence North-West to the end of My Lord’s Bay Road; thence North-West along the centreline of My Lord’s Bay Road to the junction with North Shore Road; thence North-East along the centreline of North Shore Road to the junction with Twin Lanes South and shall include Bay Island.

 

Constituency 6 .- Hamilton West

CONSTITUENCY 6 .- HAMILTON WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of the Railway Trail with Redkiln Road; thence North-East along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Twin Lanes South; thence South-East along the centreline of Twin Lanes South to the junction with North Shore Road; thence South-West along the centreline of North Shore Road to the junction with My Lord’s Bay Road; thence South-East along the centreline of My Lord’s Bay Road to the end of My Lord’s Bay Road continuing to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline and following the coastline of Harrington Sound to a point on the coastline North-East of the end of Commonland Point Road; thence South-West to the end of Commonland Point Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Commonland Point Road to the junction with North Shore Road; thence West to a point on the coastline; thence North along the coastline to a point on the coastline North-West of the junction of the Railway Trail with Redkiln Road; thence South-East to the junction of the Railway Trail with Redkiln Road and shall include The Stags, Collins Island, Rabbit Island, Crow Island and Trunk Island.

 

Constituency 7 .- Hamilton South

CONSTITUENCY 7 .- HAMILTON SOUTH shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Harrington Hundreds Road with Harrington Sound Road; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence continuing East along the coastline of Harrington Sound to a point on the coastline South of the junction of Wilkinson Avenue and Harrington Sound Road; thence North along the centreline of Wilkinson Avenue to the junction with Blue Hole Hill; thence along the centreline of Blue Hole Hill to the junction with the Southern end of The Causeway; thence East to a point on the coastline; thence South along the coastline of Castle Harbour and following the coastline around Tucker’s Town and Castle Cut to a point on the coastline South of the junction of South Road with Watch Hill Road; thence North-West to the junction of South Road with Watch Hill Road; thence North-East along South Road to the junction with the Western Boundary of the Winterhaven Nature Reserve; thence North-West along the Western Boundary to a point on Knapton Hill; thence South-West along the centreline of Knapton Hill to the junction with Harrington Hundreds Road; thence North along the centreline of Harrington Hundreds Road to the junction with Harrington Sound Road, and shall include Castle Island, Charles’ Fort, Rushy Island, Turtle Island and Hall’s Island.

 

Constituency 8 .- Smith’s South

CONSTITUENCY 8 .- SMITH’S SOUTH shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Verdmont Road with Middle Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with North Shore Road; thence North-West along the centreline of North Shore Road to the junction of the coastline with Flatts Bridge; thence continuing East along the coastline of Harrington Sound and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of Harrington Sound Road with Harrington Hundreds Road; thence South to the junction of Harrington Sound Road with Harrington Hundreds Road; thence South along the centreline of Harrington Hundreds Road to the junction with Knapton Hill; thence North-East along the centreline of Knapton Hill to a point on Knapton Hill at the Western boundary of the Winterhaven Nature Reserve; thence South-East along the Western Boundary to a point on South Road; thence West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Watch Hill Road; thence South-East to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline at the Western boundary of Spittal Pond Nature Reserve; thence North along the Western Boundary of Spittal Pond Nature Reserve to the junction with South Road; thence South-West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with St. Mark’s Road; thence North along the centreline of St. Mark’s Road to the junction with Verdmont Road; thence North along the centreline of Verdmont Road to the junction with Middle Road.

 

Constituency 9 .- Smith’s West

CONSTITUENCY 9 .- SMITH’S WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Hermitage Road with Middle Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Verdmont Road; thence South along the centreline of Verdmont Road to the junction with St. Mark’s Road; thence South-East along the centreline of St. Mark’s Road to the junction with South Road; thence North-East along the centreline of South Road to the junction with the Western boundary of Spittal Pond Nature Reserve; thence South along the Western boundary of Spittal Pond Nature Reserve to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline South-East of the junction of South Road with Green View Lane; thence North-West along a straight line to the junction of Green View Lane with South Road; thence South-West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Collectors Hill; thence North along the centreline of Collectors Hill to the junction with Verdmont Road; thence North along the centreline of Verdmont Road to the junction with Hermitage Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Hermitage Road to the junction with Middle Road.

 

Constituency 10 .- Smith’s North

CONSTITUENCY 10 .- SMITH’S NORTH shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Loyal Hill Road and North Shore Road; thence North-West to a point on the coastline; thence North-East along the coastline and following the coastline to the junction of North Shore Road with Flatts Bridge; thence across Flatts Bridge; thence following the coastline of Flatts Inlet and the north shore to a point on the coastline West of the junction of Commonland Point Road and North Shore Road; thence Eastwards along the centreline of Commonland Point Road to a point on the coastline of Harrington Sound; thence South along the coastline of Harrington Sound across Flatts Bridge to a point on the coastline at the junction of Flatts Bridge and North Shore Road; thence South-East along the centreline of North Shore Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Vesey Street; thence North-West along the centreline of Vesey Street to the junction with Valley Heights Road; thence North-West following the property lines dividing properties accessed from Loyal Hill Road and Loyal Hill Crescent from the properties accessed from Foothills Road and Valley Heights Road, continuing to a point on the Railway Trail equidistant between the junctions of Loyal Hill Road and Foothills Road; thence West along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Loyal Hill Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Loyal Hill Road to the junction with North Shore Road and shall include Gibbet Island.

 

Constituency 11 .- Devonshire East

CONSTITUENCY 11 .- DEVONSHIRE EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Poinciana Road with Watlington Road East; thence North-East along the centreline of Watlington Road East to the junction with Chaingate Hill; thence North-West along the centreline of Chaingate Hill to the junction with Middle Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Hermitage Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Hermitage Road to the junction with Verdmont Road; thence South along the centreline of Verdmont Road to the junction with Collectors Hill; thence South along the centreline of Collectors Hill to the junction with South Road; thence North-East along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Green View Lane; thence South-East along Green View Lane following a straight line to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline South-East of the junction of Devon Point Lane with Devonshire Bay Road; thence North-West to the junction of Devon Point Lane with Devonshire Bay Road; thence South along the centreline of Devonshire Bay Road to the junction with an unnamed road connecting to Rocky Bay Lane; thence West to the junction of the unnamed road with Rocky Bay Lane; thence North along the centreline of Rocky Bay Lane to the junction with South Road; thence North-East along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Poinciana Road; thence North along the centreline of Poinciana Road to the junction with Watlington Road East.

 

Constituency 12 .- Devonshire South Central

CONSTITUENCY 12 .- DEVONSHIRE SOUTH CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the centre of Crow Lane Roundabout Eastwards along the centreline of Berry Hill Road to the junction with Tee Street; thence North along the centreline of Tee Street to the junction with Middle Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Brighton Hill Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Brighton Hill Road to the junction with Watlington Road East; thence North-East along the centreline of Watlington Road East to the junction with Poinciana Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Poinciana Road to the junction with South Road; thence South-West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Rocky Bay Lane; thence South along the centreline of Rocky Bay Lane to the junction with an unnamed road connecting to Devonshire Bay Road; thence East along the unnamed road to the junction with Devonshire Bay Road; thence North along the centreline of Devonshire Bay Road to the junction with Devon Point Lane; thence South-East to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline South of Bellevue Lane; thence North-West to Bellevue Lane and thence North-West along the centreline of Bellevue Lane to the junction with Bellevue Drive; thence North-West along the centreline of Bellevue Drive to the junction with South Road; thence West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Tribe Road No.2; thence North-West along the centreline of Tribe Road No.2 to the junction with Stowe Hill; thence North along the centreline of Stowe Hill to the junction with The Lane; thence North along the centreline of The Lane to the centre of Crow Lane Roundabout.

 

Constituency 13 .- Devonshire North Central

CONSTITUENCY 13 .- DEVONSHIRE NORTH CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Frog Lane with Old Military Road; thence North along the centreline of Frog Lane to the junction with Palmetto Road; thence North along the centreline of Palmetto Road to the junction with Dock Hill; thence North-West along the centreline of Dock Hill to the junction with North Shore Road; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence East along the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of Loyal Hill Road and North Shore Road; thence South to the junction of North Shore Road and Loyal Hill Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Loyal Hill Road to the junction with the Railway Trail; thence East along the Railway Trail to a point on the Railway Trail equidistant between the junctions of Loyal Hill Crescent and Foothills Road; thence South-East following the property lines dividing properties accessed from Loyal Hill Road and Loyal Hill Crescent from the properties accessed from Foothills Road and Valley Heights Road, continuing to the junction with Vesey Street; thence North-East along the centreline of Vesey Street to the junction with Middle Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Chaingate Hill; thence South-East along the centreline of Chaingate Hill to the junction with Watlington Road East; thence South-West along the centreline of Watlington Road East to the junction with Brighton Hill Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Brighton Hill Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Fort Hill Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Fort Hill Road to the junction with Cedarbridge Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of Cedarbridge Lane to the junction with the Eastern boundary of the Cedar Park Properties; thence North-West along the Eastern boundary of the Cedar Park properties and the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy to a point on the centreline of Parsons Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of Parsons Lane to the junction with Old Military Road; thence South-West along Old Military Road to the junction with Frog Lane.

 

Constituency 14 .- Devonshire North West

CONSTITUENCY 14 .- DEVONSHIRE NORTH WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Palmetto Road with Border Lane North; thence East along the centreline of Palmetto Road to the junction with Frog Lane; thence South along the centreline of Frog Lane to the junction with Old Military Road; thence East along the centreline of Old Military Road to the junction with Parsons Lane; thence South-East along the centreline of Parsons Lane to the junction with the Eastern boundary of Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy; thence along the Eastern boundary of Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy and the Cedar Park Properties to the junction with Cedarbridge Lane; thence West along the centreline of Cedarbridge Lane to the junction with Fort Hill Road; thence South along the centreline of Fort Hill Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Tee Street; thence South along the centreline of Tee Street to the junction with Berry Hill Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Berry Hill Road to the Centre of Crow Lane Roundabout; thence North-West along the Northern carriageway of Crow Lane to the junction with Corkscrew Hill; thence North-East along the centreline of Corkscrew Hill to the junction with Tribe Road No.3; thence North along Tribe Road nº 3 to the junction with Happy Valley Road; thence West along the centreline of Happy Valley Road to the junction with Deepdale Road West; thence North along the centreline of Deepdale Road West to the junction with Parsons Road; thence East along the centreline of Parsons Road to the junction with Border Lane South; thence North along the centreline of Border Lane South to the junction with Friswells Road; thence North along the centreline of Friswells Road to the junction with Border Lane North; thence North along the centreline of Border Lane North to the junction with Palmetto Road.

 

Constituency 15 .- Pembroke East

CONSTITUENCY 15 .- PEMBROKE EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of North Shore Road with Band Room Lane; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence continuing East along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of Dock Hill with North Shore Road; thence South to the junction of Dock Hill with North Shore Road; thence South along the centreline of Dock Hill to the junction with Palmetto Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Palmetto Road to the junction with Marsh Folly Road; thence North along the centreline of Marsh Folly Road to the junction with St. Monica’s Road; thence East along the centreline of St. Monica’s Road to the junction with an unnamed road at St. Monica’s Church; thence North along the centreline of the unnamed road to the junction with Mission Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of Mission Lane to the junction with North Shore Road; thence East to the junction of Band Room Lane and North Shore Road.

 

Constituency 16 .- Pembroke East Central

CONSTITUENCY 16 .- PEMBROKE EAST CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Perimeter Lane with Marsh Folly Road; thence East along the centreline of Marsh Folly Road to the junction of Marsh Folly Road and the Eastern boundary of the Government House property; thence North along the Eastern boundary of the Government House property to its junction with North Shore Road; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence East along the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of North Shore Road and Band Room Lane; thence South to the junction of North Shore Road and Band Room Lane; thence West along the centreline of North Shore Road to the junction with Mission Lane; thence South along the centreline of Mission Lane to the junction with the unnamed road at St. Monica’s Church; thence South along the unnamed road to St. Monica’s Road; thence West along St. Monica’s Road to the junction with Marsh Folly Road; thence South along the centreline of Marsh Folly Road to the junction with Palmetto Road; thence East along Palmetto Road to the junction with Border Lane North; thence South along the centreline of Border Lane North to the junction with Friswells Road; thence South along the centreline of Friswells Road to the junction with Border Lane South; thence South along the centreline of Border Lane South to the junction with Parsons Road; thence West along the centreline of Parsons Road to the junction with Deepdale Road West; thence South along the centreline of Deepdale Road West to the junction with Happy Valley Road; thence West along the centreline of Happy Valley Road to the junction with Happy Valley Lane; thence West along Happy Valley Lane to the junction with Tribe Road No.1; thence North along Tribe Road No.1 to the junction with Curving Avenue; thence North along the centreline of Curving Avenue to the junction with St. Augustine Road; thence North along the centreline of St. Augustine Road to the junction with Parsons Road; thence East along the centreline of Parsons Road to the junction with The Glebe Road; thence North along the centreline of The Glebe Road to the junction of Perimeter Lane; thence West along the centreline of Perimeter Lane to the junction with Marsh Folly Road.

 

Constituency 17 .- Pembroke Central

CONSTITUENCY 17 .- PEMBROKE CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of St. John’s Road with Pitts Bay Road; thence East along the centreline of St. John’s Road to the junction with Berkeley Road; thence North along the centreline of Berkeley Road to the junction with Mount Hill; thence North-East along the centreline of Mount Hill to the junction with Fruitland Lane; thence North along the centreline of Fruitland Lane to the end of Stepney Lane; thence North along the centreline of Stepney Lane to the junction with North Shore Road; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence continuing East along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of North Shore Road and the Eastern boundary of the Government House property; thence South along the eastern Boundary of the Government House property to Marsh Folly Road; thence West along the centreline of Marsh Folly Road to the junction with Dutton Avenue; thence South along the centreline of Dutton Avenue to the junction with North Street; thence East along the centreline of North Street to the junction with Union Street; thence South along the centreline of Union Street to the junction with King Street; thence East and then South along the centreline of King Street to the junction with Dundonald Street; thence West along the centreline of Dundonald Street to the junction with Court Street; thence North along the centre of Court Street to the junction of Elliot Street; thence West along the centreline of Elliot Street to the junction with Brunswick Street; thence North along the centreline of Brunswick Street to the junction with North Street; thence West along the centreline of North Street to the junction with Cedar Avenue; thence North along the centreline of Cedar Avenue to the junction with Laffan Street; thence West along the centreline of Laffan Street to the junction with Canal Road; thence West along the centreline of Canal Road to the junction with Woodlands Road; thence South along the centreline of Woodlands Road to the junction with Serpentine Road; thence West along the centreline of Serpentine Road to the junction with Pitts Bay Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Pitts Bay Road to the junction with St. John’s Road.

 

Constituency 18 .- Pembroke West Central

CONSTITUENCY 18 .- PEMBROKE WEST CENTRAL shall include all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of St. John’s Road with Sunset View Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Sunset View Road to the junction with Sunset Pass; thence North-West along the centreline of Sunset Pass to the junction with North Shore Road; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence continuing East along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of North Shore Road with Stepney Lane; thence South to the junction of North Shore Road with Stepney Lane; thence South along the Centreline of Stepney Lane to the end of Fruitland Lane; thence South along the centreline of Fruitland Lane to the junction with Mount Hill; thence West along the centreline of Mount Hill to the junction with Berkeley Road; thence South along the centreline of Berkeley Road to the junction with St. John’s Road; thence West along the centreline of St. John’s Road to the junction with Sunset View Road.

 

Constituency 19 .- Pembroke West

CONSTITUENCY 19 .- PEMBROKE WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of St. John’s Road with Sunset View Road; thence East along the centreline of St. John’s Road to the junction with Traveller’s Lane; thence South along the centreline of Traveller’s Lane to a point on the coastline South of the end of Traveller’s Lane; thence continuing West along the coastline and following the coastline around Spanish Point peninsula to a point on the coastline North of the junction of North Shore Road with Sunset Pass; thence South to the junction of North Shore Road with Sunset Pass; thence South-East along the centreline of Sunset Pass to the junction with Sunset View Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Sunset View Road to the junction with St. John’s Road and shall include Mount Island, Tilley Island, Rushy Island and Cobbler’s Island.

 

Constituency 20 .- Pembroke South West

CONSTITUENCY 20 .- PEMBROKE SOUTH WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of King Street and Front Street; thence East along the centreline of Front Street to the entrance of Hamilton Dock; thence South along the Eastern boundary of Hamilton Dock to a point on the coastline; thence West along the coastline of Hamilton Harbour and continuing around Point Shares peninsula to a point on the coastline in Mills Creek at the end of Traveller’s Lane; thence along the centreline of Traveller’s Lane to the junction with St. John’s Road; thence East along the centreline of St. John’s Road to the junction with Pitts Bay Road; thence South along the centreline of Pitts Bay Road to the junction with Serpentine Road; thence East along the centreline of Serpentine Road to the junction with Woodlands Road; thence North along the centreline of Woodlands Road to the junction with Canal Road; thence East along the centreline of Canal Road to the junction with Laffan Street; thence East along the centreline of Laffan Street to the junction with Cedar Avenue; thence South along the centreline of Cedar Avenue to the junction with North Street; thence East along the centreline of North Street to the junction with Brunswick Street; thence South along the centreline of Brunswick Street to the junction with Elliot Street; thence East along the centreline of Elliot Street to the junction with Court Street; thence South along the centreline of Court Street to the junction with Dundonald Street; thence East along the centreline of Dundonald Street to the junction with King Street; thence South along the centreline of King Street to the junction with Front Street and shall include Cat Island, Partridge Island, Goose Island, Bird Island, Goat Island, Stipple Island, Agar’s Island and Saltus Island.

 

Constituency 21 .- Pembroke South East

CONSTITUENCY 21 .- PEMBROKE SOUTH EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Dutton Avenue with Marsh Folly Road; thence East along the centreline of Marsh Folly Road to the junction with Perimeter Lane; thence South-East along the centreline of Perimeter Lane to the junction with The Glebe Road; thence South along the centreline of The Glebe Road to the junction with Parsons Road; thence West along the centreline of Parsons Road to the junction with St. Augustine Road; thence South along the centreline of St. Augustine Road to the junction with Curving Avenue; thence South along the centreline of Curving Avenue to the junction with Tribe Road No. 1; thence South on Tribe Road No. 1 to the junction with Happy Valley Lane; thence East along the centreline of Happy Valley Lane to the junction with Happy Valley Road; thence East along the centreline of Happy Valley Road to the junction with Tribe Road nº 3; thence South along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 3 to the junction with Corkscrew Hill; thence South along the centreline of Corkscrew Hill to the junction with the North carriageway of Crow Lane; thence South-East along the North carriageway of Crow Lane to the centre of Crow Lane Roundabout; thence South-West along the centreline of The Lane to the junction with Trimingham Drive; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence North along the coastline to the Foot of the Lane; thence West along the coastline to a point on the coastline South of the entrance to Hamilton Dock; thence North along the Eastern boundary of Hamilton Dock to the entrance of Hamilton Dock on Front Street; thence West along Front Street to the junction with King Street; thence North along the centreline of King Street to the junction with Union Street; thence North-West along the centreline of Union Street to the junction with North Street; thence West along the centreline of North Street to the junction with Dutton Avenue; thence North along the centreline of Dutton Avenue to the junction with Marsh Folly Road.

 

Constituency 22 .- Paget East

CONSTITUENCY 22 .- PAGET EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Cobbs Hill Road with Ord Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Ord Road to the junction with the Railway Trail; thence North-West along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Tribe Road  nº 4A; thence North along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 4A to the junction with Middle Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with South Road; thence East along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Lovers Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of Lovers Lane to the junction with the unnamed road; thence North-East along the centreline of the unnamed road to the junction with Harbour Road; thence North to a point on the coastline at Red Hole; thence continuing North-East along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North-West of the junction of The Lane with Trimingham Drive; thence South-East to the junction of The Lane with Trimingham Drive; thence South-West along the centreline of The Lane to the junction with Stowe Hill; thence South along the centreline of Stowe Hill to the junction with Tribe Road No.2; thence South-East along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 2 to the junction with South Road; thence East along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Bellevue Drive; thence South-East along Bellevue Drive and continuing straight onto Bellevue Lane; thence South-East from a bend in Bellevue Lane to a point on the coastline; thence South-West along the coastline to a point on the coastline South-East of the junction of South Road with Honey Hill; thence North-West to the junction of South Road with Honey Hill; thence West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Cobbs Hill Road; thence North along the centreline of Cobbs Hill Road to the junction with Ord Road.

 

Constituency 23 .- Paget West

CONSTITUENCY 23 .- PAGET WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Middle Road with Morgan Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Morgan Road to the junction with Harbour Road; thence North-West to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North-East along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of Harbour Road with the unnamed road at Red Hole; thence South-West to the junction of the Harbour Road with the unnamed road; thence South-West along the unnamed road to the junction with Lovers Lane; thence South-East along the centreline of Lovers Lane to the junction with South Road; thence South-West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Chapel Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Tribe Road No.4A to the junction with the Railway Trail; thence East along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Ord Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Ord Road to the junction with Cobbs Hill Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Cobbs Hill Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Morgan Road and shall include Burnt Island, White’s Island, Doctor’s Island and Spectacle Island.

 

Constituency 24 .- Warwick South East

CONSTITUENCY 24 .- WARWICK SOUTH EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Rocklands Road with the Railway Trail; thence North-East along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Cobbs Hill Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Cobbs Hill Road to the junction with South Road; thence North-East along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Honey Hill; thence South-East to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline to a point on the coastline South-East of the junction of South Road with Marley Beach Lane; thence North-West to the junction of South Road with Marley Beach Lane; thence West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Rocklands Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Rocklands Road to the junction with Rocklands Crescent; thence North-East along the centreline of Rocklands Crescent to the junction with Rocklands Road; thence North along the centreline of Rocklands Road to the junction with the Railway Trail.

 

Constituency 25 .- Warwick North East

CONSTITUENCY 25 .- WARWICK NORTH EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Middle Road and Longford Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Longford Road to the junction with St. Mary’s Road; thence South-West along the centreline of St. Mary’s Road to the junction with Tribe Road No.6; thence North-West along the centreline of Tribe Road  nº 6 to the junction with Harbour Road; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North-East along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North-East of the junction of Harbour Road with Morgan Road; thence South-East to the junction of Harbour Road with Morgan Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Morgan Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Cobbs Hill Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Cobbs Hill Road to the junction with the Railway Trail; thence West along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction of Tribe Road No.3; thence North-West along Tribe Road  nº 3 to the junction with Olive Bank Drive thence North-West along the centreline of Olive Bank Drive to the junction with Middle Road and shall include Lefroy Island, Agassiz Island, Verrill Island, Beebe Island, Hinson Island, Darrell Island, Burt Island, Grace Island, Alpha Island, Beta Island, Gamma Island, Delta Island, Epsilon Island, Zeta Island, Eta Island, Theta Island, Iota Island, Kappa Island, Lambda Island, Hawkins Island, Pearl Island, Nelly Island, Ports Island, Long Island, Fern Island, Marshall Island, Godet’s Island, Watling Island and Bluck’s Island.

 

Constituency 26 .- Warwick South Central

CONSTITUENCY 26 .- WARWICK SOUTH CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Middle Road with Stadium Lane; thence East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Olive Bank Drive; thence South East along the centreline of Olive Bank Drive to the junction with Tribe Road nº 3; thence South-East along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 3 to the junction with the Railway Trail; thence North-East along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Rocklands Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Rocklands Road to the junction with Rocklands Crescent; thence East along the centreline of Rocklands Crescent to the junction with Rocklands Road; thence South along the centreline of Rocklands Road to the junction with South Road; thence East along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Marley Beach Lane; thence South-East to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South-West along the coastline to a point on the coastline at the Western Boundary of Astwood Park; thence North-West along the Western Boundary of Astwood Park to South Road; thence South-West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Warwick Lane; thence West along the centreline of Warwick Lane to the junction with Spice Hill Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Spice Hill Road to the junction with Pearman’s Hill; thence North-West along the centreline of Pearman’s Hill to the junction with Pearman’s Hill West; thence South-West along the centreline of Pearman’s Hill West to the junction with Stadium Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of Stadium Lane to the junction with Middle Road.

 

Constituency 27 .- Warwick North Central

CONSTITUENCY 27 .- WARWICK NORTH CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Middle Road and Burnt House Hill; thence North along the centreline of Burnt House Hill to the junction with Harbour Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Burnt House Drive to a point on the coastline; thence East along the coastline to a point on the coastline at the junction of Harbour Road with Tribe Road No.6; thence South-East along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 6 to the junction with St. Mary’s Road; thence North-East along the centreline of St. Mary’s Road to the junction with Longford Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Longford Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Burnt House Hill.

 

Constituency 28 .- Warwick West

CONSTITUENCY 28 .- WARWICK WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Camp Hill with Middle Road; thence East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Leith Hill Lane; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence East along the coastline and following the coastline around the peninsula to a point on the coastline North-East of the junction of Harbour Road with Burnt House Hill; thence South-West to the junction of Harbour Road with Burnt House Hill; thence South along the centreline of Burnt House Hill to the junction with Middle Road, thence East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Stadium Lane; thence South-East along the centreline of Stadium Lane to the junction with Pearman’s Hill West; thence South-West along the centreline of Pearman’s Hill West to the junction of Pearman’s Hill; thence South-East along the centreline of Pearman’s Hill to the junction with Spice Hill Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Spice Hill Road to the junction with Warwick Lane; thence East along the centreline of Warwick Lane to the junction with South Road; thence East along the centreline of South Road to the Western boundary of Astwood Park; thence South-East along the Western boundary of Astwood Park to a point on the coastline; thence West along the coastline to a point on the coastline South of the junction with Long Bay Place and South Road; thence North-West to the junction of Long Bay Place and South Road; thence West along the centreline of South Road to the junction with Camp Road; thence North along the centreline of Camp Road to the junction with Spice Hill Road; thence West along the centreline of Spice Hill Road to the junction with Camp Hill; thence North along the centreline of Camp Hill to the junction of Middle Road, and shall include Riddell’s Island.

 

Constituency 29 .- Southampton East

CONSTITUENCY 29 .- SOUTHAMPTON EAST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Riviera Road and the Railway Trail; thence North-East along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Scenic Heights Pass; thence North-West to the junction with Middle Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Raynor Heights; thence North-West along the property boundaries that divide Williamsville Place from Plumber Lane to a point on the coastline; thence East along the coastline to a point on the coastline North-West of the junction of Leith Hill Lane and Middle Road; thence South-East to the junction of Leith Hill Lane and Middle Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Camp Hill; thence South-East along the centreline of Camp Hill to the junction with Spice Hill Lane; thence East along the centreline of Spice Hill Lane to the junction with Camp Road; thence South along the centreline of Camp Road to the junction with South Road; thence North-East along the centreline of South Road to the junction of South Road and Long Bay Place; thence South-East to a point on the coastline; thence West along the coastline to a point on the coastline on the Western Boundary of South Shore Park; thence North along the Western Boundary of South Shore Park to the junction with South Road; thence North-East along the centreline of South Road to the Eastern boundary of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel property; thence North along the Eastern boundary of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel property to the end of Riviera Road; thence North along Riviera Road to the junction with the Railway Trail.

 

Constituency 30 .- Southampton East Central

CONSTITUENCY 30 .- SOUTHAMPTON EAST CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Tribe Road nº 3 with the Railway Trail; thence North to a point on the coastline; thence continuing East along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the property boundaries that divide Williamsville Place from Plumber Lane; thence South along the property boundaries that divide Williamsville Place from Plumber Lane to the junction of Middle Road with Raynor Heights; thence South-West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Scenic Heights Pass; thence South-East along the centreline of Scenic Heights Pass to the junction with the Railway Trail; thence South-West along the centreline of the Railway Trail to the junction with Riviera Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Riviera Road; thence continuing along the Eastern boundary of the Fairmont Southampton Hotel property to a point on South Road; thence South-West along the centreline of South Road to the junction of South Road and the Western Boundary of South Shore Park; thence South along the Western boundary of South Shore park to a point on the coastline; thence continuing West along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline South of the junction of South Road with Church Road; thence North to the junction of South Road with Church Road; thence North along the centreline of Church Road to the junction with St. Anne’s Road; thence East along the centreline of St. Anne’s Road to the junction with Tribe Road nº 3; thence North along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 3 to the junction with the Railway Trail and shall include Spectacle Island, Bartlett Islands, and Perot’s Island.

 

Constituency 31 .- Southampton West Central

CONSTITUENCY 31 .- SOUTHAMPTON WEST CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Luke’s Pond Drive with Middle Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Tribe Road No. 5; thence North-East along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 5 to the junction with Rockaway Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Rockaway Road to the junction with Rockaway Drive; thence South-East along the centreline of Rockaway Drive continuing to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline North of the junction of Tribe Road No.3 with the Railway Trail; thence South to the junction of the Railway Trail and Tribe Road No.3; thence South along the centreline of Tribe Road nº 3 to the junction with St. Anne’s Road; thence West along the centreline of St. Anne’s Road to the junction with Church Road; thence South along the centreline of Church Road to the junction with South Road; thence South to a point on the coastline; thence continuing West along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline South-West of the end of Luke’s Pond Drive; thence North-East to the end of Luke’s Pond Drive and thence along the centreline of Luke’s Pond Drive to the junction with Middle Road and shall include Five Star Island and Buck Island.

 

Constituency 32 .- Southampton West

CONSTITUENCY 32 .- SOUTHAMPTON WEST shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Woodlawn Road with Middle Road; thence South-East along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction of George’s Bay Road; thence North-East along the centreline of George’s Bay Road to Constitution Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Constitution Road to the junction with Lexington Road; thence North-West to a point on the coastline; thence continuing East along the coastline and following the coastline around the peninsula to a point on the coastline East of Rockaway Drive; thence West to the end of Rockaway Drive; thence West along the centreline of Rockaway Drive to the junction with Rockaway Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Rockaway Road and thence continuing into Tribe Road No.5 to the junction with Middle Road; thence South along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction of Middle Road and Luke’s Pond Drive; thence South-West along the centreline of Luke’s Pond Drive continuing to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North-West along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline South-West of the end of Beach Road; thence North-East to the end of Beach Road and thence along the centreline of Beach Road to the junction with Woodlawn Road; thence North-East along the centreline of Woodlawn Road to the junction with Middle Road.

 

Constituency 33 .- Sandys South

CONSTITUENCY 33 .- SANDYS SOUTH shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Somerset Road with Bay Lane; thence South along the centre line of Somerset Road to the junction with Sound View Road; thence East along the centreline of Sound View Road to the junction with Heathcote Hill; thence South and East along the property boundaries that divide the properties of Heathcote Hill and Kiskadee Lane from the Heydon Trust Property; thence North-East along the boundary of the Heydon Trust Property to a point on the Railway Trail; thence North on the Railway Trail to the bridge over Sound View Drive; thence South-East along Sound View Drive and continuing to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South along the coastline and following the coastline to Somerset Bridge; thence South-East to a point on the coastline North-West of the junction of Constitution Road and Lexington Road; thence South-East to the junction of Constitution Road with Lexington Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Constitution Road to the junction with George’s Bay Road; thence South-West along the centreline of George’s Bay Road to the junction with Middle Road; thence North-West along the centreline of Middle Road to the junction with Woodlawn Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Woodlawn Road to the junction with Beach Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Beach Road continuing to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North-West along the coastline and following the coastline to Somerset Bridge; thence North-East along the East face of Somerset Bridge; thence following the coastline around Somerset Island to a point on the coastline West of the junction of Bay Lane with Somerset Road; thence East to the junction of Bay Lane with Somerset Road; and shall include Whale Island, Bethell’s Island and Morgan’s Island.

 

Constituency 34 .- Sandys South Central

CONSTITUENCY 34 .- SANDYS SOUTH CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of Sound View Road and Somerset Road; thence North along the centre line of Somerset Road to the junction of Somerset Road and Scott’s Hill Road; thence East along the centreline of Scott’s Hill Road to the junction with Sound View Road; thence South to the junction of Sound View Road and Gwelly Lane; thence South-East to a point on the coastline; thence continuing South along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline South-East of the end of Sound View Drive; thence North-West to the end of South View Drive along the centreline of Sound View Drive to the point at which the Railway Trail bridge passes over Sound View Drive; thence South-West along the centreline of the Railway Trail to a point at the junction with the Northern boundary of the Heydon Trust Property; thence West and then North along the property boundaries that divide the properties of Heathcote Hill and Kiskadee Lane from the Heydon Trust property; thence to the junction of Heathcote Hill and Sound View Road; thence South-West to the junction of Sound View Road and Somerset Road.

 

Constituency 35 .- Sandys North Central

CONSTITUENCY 35 .- SANDYS NORTH CENTRAL shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of West Side Road with Cedars Lane; thence East along the centreline of Cedars Lane to the junction with Long Bay Lane; thence North along the centreline of Long Bay Lane to the junction with Gilbert Lane; thence East along the centreline of Gilbert Lane to the junction with School Lane; thence South-East along the centreline of School Lane to the junction with Somerset Road; thence North-east along the centreline of Somerset Road to the junction with Mangrove Bay Road; thence East along the centreline of Mangrove Bay Road to the junction with East Shore Road; thence South-East along the centreline of East Shore Road to the junction with Scott’s Hill Road; thence East to a point on the coastline; thence following the coastline around and including Cavello Bay to a point on the coastline South-East of the junction of Sound View Road and Gwelly Lane; thence North-West to the junction of Gwelly Lane and Sound View Road; thence along the centreline of Sound View Road to the junction of Sound View Road and Scott’s Hill Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Scott’s Hill Road to the junction with Somerset Road; thence South-West along the centreline of Somerset Road to the junction with Bay Lane; thence West to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North along the coastline and following the coastline to a point on the coastline West of the junction of West Side Road and Cedars Lane; thence East to the junction of West Side Road and Cedars Lane.

 

Constituency 36 .- Sandys North

CONSTITUENCY 36 .- SANDYS NORTH shall be all that land contained within a line drawn from the junction of West Side Road with Cedars Lane; thence West to a point on the coastline; thence continuing North along the coastline and following the coastline to Watford Bridge; thence to a point on the coastline East of the junction of Scott’s Hill Road with East Shore Road; thence West to the junction of Scott’s Hill Road with East Shore Road; thence North-West along the centreline of East Shore Road to the junction with Mangrove Bay Road; thence West along the centreline of Mangrove Bay Road to the junction with Somerset Road; thence West along the centreline of Somerset Road to the junction with School Lane; thence North-West along the centreline of School Lane to the junction with Gilbert Lane; thence West along the centreline of Gilbert Lane to the junction with Long Bay Lane; thence South along the centreline of Long Bay Lane to the junction with Cedars Lane; thence West along the centreline of Cedars Lane to the junction with West Side Road, and shall include Watford Island, Boaz Island, Ireland Island South, Ireland Island North, Daniel’s Island, One Tree Island and Cross Island..

 

(Revoked and replaced by BR 89/2010)

(Amended by:

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 1968 (UK SI 1968 nº 463)

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1968 (UK SI 1968 nº 726)

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 1973 (UK SI 1973 nº 233)

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 1979 (UK SI 1979 nº 452)

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 1979 (UK SI 1979 nº 1310)

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 1989 (UK SI 1989 nº 151)

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 2001 (UK SI 2001 nº 2579)

Bermuda Constitution (Amendment) Order 2003 (UK SI 2003 nº 456)

Constitution of Bermuda (Constituency Boundaries) Order 2010 (BR 89/2010)

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* 2 June 1968

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