Source: https://constitutions.unwomen.org/en/countries/americas/bahamas
Timestamp: 2020-08-10 17:01:33
Document Index: 41730190

Matched Legal Cases: ['Art. 8', 'Art. 11', 'Art. 26', 'Art. 15', 'Art. 28', 'Art. 104', 'Art. 70', 'Art. 32', 'Art. 72', 'Art. 38', 'Art. 41', 'Art. 46', 'Art. 47', 'Art. 15', 'Art. 123', 'Art. 2']

Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas 1973, as amended to 2002
A persons born outside The Bahamas after 9th July 1973 shall become a citizen of The Bahamas at the date of his birth if at that date his father is a citizen of The Bahamas otherwise than by virtue of this Article or Article 3(2) of this Constitution. (Art. 8)
2. If the Governor-General is satisfied that any citizen of The Bahamas has at any time after 9th July 1973 voluntarily claimed and exercised in any other country any rights available to him under the law of that country, being rights accorded exclusively to its citizens, the Governor-General may by order deprive that person of his citizenship. (Art. 11)
1. Subject to the provision of paragraph (4), (5) and (9) of this Article no law shall make any provision which is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect.
3. In this Article, the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different person attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin political opinions colour or creed whereby person of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which person 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. Paragraph (1) of this Article shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision-
b. with respect to the entry into or exclusion from, or the employment, engaging in any business or profession, movement of residence within, The Bahamas of persons who are not citizens of The Bahamas;
2. Subject to the provisions of paragraphs (6), (9) and (10) of this Article, 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 function of any public office or any public authority.
b. with respect to the entry into or exclusion from, or the employment, engaging in any business or profession, movement of residence within, The Bahamas of persons who are not citizens of The Bahamas; or
c. with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other matters of personal law; or
d. whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in paragraph (3) for this Article 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 whit or in contravention of paragraph (1) of this Article to the extent that it makes provision with respect to standards or qualifications (not being a standard or qualification specifically relating to race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed) in order to be eligible for service as a public officer or as a member of a disciplined force of for the service of a local government authority or a body corporate established by law for public purposes.
6. Paragraph (2) of this Article shall not apply to anything which is expressly of by necessary implication authorized to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in paragraphs (4) or (5) of this Article.
7. Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (4)(e) and of paragraph (9) of this Article 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. Subject to the provisions of this Article no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner-
a.in respect of any conveyance or lease or agreement for, or in consideration of , or collateral to, a conveyance or lease of any freehold or leasehold hereditament which have been offered for sale or lease to the general public;
b.in respect of any covenant or provision in any conveyance or lease or agreement for , or in consideration of, or collateral to, a conveyance or lease restricting by discriminatory provision the transfer, ownership, use or occupation of any freehold or leasehold hereditament which have been offered for sale or lease to the general public.
9. Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this Article to the extent that the law in question makes provision whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in paragraph (3) of this Article may be subjected to any restriction on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by Articles 21,22,23,24 and 25 of this Constitution, being such a restriction as is authorized by Article 21(2)(a), 22(5), 23(2), 24(2) or 25(2)(a) or (e), as the case may be.
10. Nothing in paragraph (2) of this Article 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. (Art. 26)
… Now Know Ye Therefore:
We the Inheritors of and Successors to this Family of Islands, recognizing the Supremacy of God and believing in the Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual, Do Hereby Proclaim in Solemn Praise the Establishment of a Free and Democratic Sovereign Nation founded on Spiritual Values and in which no Man, Woman or Child shall ever be Slave or Bondsman to anyone or their Labour exploited or their Lives frustrated by deprivation, and do Hereby Provide by these Articles for the indivisible Unity and Creation under God of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. (Preamble)
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. (Art. 15)
1. If any person alleges that any of the provisions of Articles 16 to 27 (inclusive) of this Constitution has been, is being of 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 paragraph (1) of this Article; and
b. to determine any question arising in the case of any parson which is referred to it in pursuance of paragraph (3) of this Article, 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 provisions of the said Articles 16 to 27 (inclusive) to the protection of which the person concerned is entitled:
3. If, in any proceedings in any court established for The Bahamas other than the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeal, any question arises as to the contravention of any of the provisions of the said Articles 16 to 27 (inclusive), the court in which the question has arisen shall refer the question to the Supreme Court.
4. No law shall make provision with respect to rights of appeal from any determination of the Supreme Court in pursuance of this Article that is less favorable to any party thereto than the rights of appeal from determinations of the Supreme Court that are accorded generally to parties to civil proceedings in that Court sitting as a court or original jurisdiction.
5. Parliament may make laws to confer upon the Supreme Court such additional or supplementary powers as may appear to be necessary or desirable for enabling the Court more effectively to exercise the jurisdiction conferred upon it by paragraph (2) of this Article and may make provision with respect to the practice and procedure of the Court while exercising that jurisdiction. (Art. 28)
2. An appeal shall lie as of right to the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty's Privy Council or to such other court as may be prescribed by Parliament under Article 105(3) of this Constitution form any decisions given by the Court of Appeal in any such case. (Art. 104)
1. This Article applies to any period when-
a. The Bahamas is at war; or
b. there is in force a proclamation (in this section referred to as a "proclamation of emergency") made by the Governor-General and published in the Gazette declaring that a state of public emergency exists for the purposes of this section.
2. Nothing contained in or done under that authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of Article 19, any provision of Article 20 other than paragraph (4) thereof, or any provision of Article 21 to 26 (inclusive) of this Constitution to the extent that the law in Question makes in relation to any period to which this Article applies provision, or authorizes the doing during any such period of anything, which is reasonably justifiable in the circumstances of any situation or existing during that period for the purpose of dealing with that situation.
3. In this Article, the expression "discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different person attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin political opinions colour or creed whereby person of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which person of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not accorded to persons of another such description.
5. Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of paragraph (1) of this Article to the extent that it makes provision with respect to standards or qualifications (not being a standard or qualification specifically relating to race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed) in order to be eligible for service as a public officer or as a member of a disciplined force of for the service of a local government authority or a body corporate established by law for public purposes.
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 association for the protection of his interests.
1. There shall be a Parliamentary Commissioner for The Bahamas whose office shall be a public office.
4. The Parliamentary Commissioner shall have general responsibility for, and shall supervise, the registration of electors for the election of members of the House of Assembly and the conduct of elections of such members and shall have such powers and other functions relating to such registration and such elections as may be prescribed. (Art. 70A)
There shall be a Governor-General of The Bahamas who shall be appointed by Her Majesty and shall hold office during Her Majesty's pleasure and who shall be Her Majesty's representative in The Bahamas. (Art. 32)
2. The Cabinet shall consist of the Prime Minister and not less than eight other Ministers (of whom one shall be the Attorney-General), as may be appointed in accordance with the provisions of Article 73 of this Constitution. (Art. 72)
b. if it appears to him that party does not have an undisputed leader in that House or that no party commands the support of such a majority, the member of the House of Assembly who, in his judgment, is most likely to command the support of the majority of members of that House, and who is willing to accept the office of Prime Minister.
There shall be a Parliament of The Bahamas which shall consist of Her majesty, a Senate and a House of Assembly. (Art. 38)
Subject to the provisions of Article 42 of this Constitution, a person shall be qualified to be appointed as a Senator if, and shall not be qualified to be so appointed unless, he is a citizen of The Bahamas, of the age of thirty years or upwards and has ordinarily resided in The Bahamas for a period of nor less than one year immediately before the date of his appointment. (Art. 41)
2. The members of the House shall be known as "Members of Parliament" and shall be persons who, being qualified for election as Members of Parliament in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution, have been so elected in the manner provided by any law in force in The Bahamas. (Art. 46)
a. is a citizen of The Bahamas of the age of twenty-one years or upwards; and
b. has ordinarily resided in The Bahamas for a period of not less than one year immediately before the date of his nomination for election. (Art. 47)
c. protection for the privacy of his home and other property … (Art. 15)
1. No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
5. In this Article "pension law" means nay law relating to the grant to any person or to the widow, children, dependents or personal representatives of that person, of an award of any pension, compensation, gratuity or other like allowance in respect of the service of that person in a public office an includes any instrument make under any such law. (Art. 123)
This Constitution is the supreme law of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, if any other law is inconsistent with this Constitution, this Constitution, shall prevail and the other law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void. (Art. 2)
3. The Attorney-General may, in the case of any offence to which this paragraph applies, give general or special directions to the Director of Public Prosecutions as to the exercise of the powers conferred upon the Director of Public Prosecutions by Article 92A and the Director of Public Prosecutions shall act in accordance with those directions.
4. Paragraph (3) applies to-
b. any offence under an enactment relating to any right or obligation of The Bahamas under international law.
Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas 1973, as amended to 2002 (English). The proposed Bahamas Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 2014 (English) is expected to provide for gender equality with respect to provisions addressing citizenship and nationality.