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                                                                      EXHIBIT 31

                                  CERTIFICATION

I, John F. Burke, certify that:

1.      I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Annuity and Life
        Re (Holdings), Ltd.;

2.      Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement
        of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
        the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
        statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered
        by this report;

3.      Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
        information included in this report, fairly present in all material
        respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
        of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.      I am responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls
        and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and
        15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:

                (a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused
                such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under my
                supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
                registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
                known to me by others within those entities, particularly during
                the period in which this report is being prepared;

                (b) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure
                controls and procedures and presented in this report my
                conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls
                and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this
                report based on such evaluation; and

                (c) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's
                internal control over financial reporting that occurred during
                the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's
                fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has
                materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
                affect, the registrant's internal control over financial
                reporting; and

5.      I have disclosed, based on my most recent evaluation of internal control
        over financial reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit
        committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing
        the equivalent functions):

                (a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the
                design or operation of internal control over financial reporting
                which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's
                ability to record, process, summarize and report financial
                information; and

                (b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management
                or other employees who have a significant role in the
                registrant's internal control over financial reporting.


Date: November 14, 2003


/s/ John F. Burke
---------------------------------
Name:  John F. Burke,
Title:  Chief Executive Officer
and Chief Financial Officer