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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: August 14, 2003


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



NS