| The Honourable the Senate of Barbados in Parliament assembled | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Upper House |
| Leadership | |
| President of the Senate | Branford Taitt, (DLP) since TBD |
| Deputy President of the Senate of Barbados | Kerryann F. Ifill, (TBD) since TBD |
| Opposition Leader | Owen S. Arthur, (BLP) since TBD |
| Members | 21 |
| Political groups | Democratic Labour Party - DLP Barbados Labour Party - BLP 7 non-affiliated peers |
| Meeting place | |
| Senate of Barbados chamber Bridgetown, St. Michael, Barbados, West Indies |
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| Website | |
| http://www.barbadosparliament.com/the_senate.php | |
| Barbados |
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The Senate is the name given to the Upper House of the bicameral legislature the Parliament of Barbados. The Senate is accorded legitimacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados.[1] It is the smaller of both chambers and also includes HM Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Barbados (represented by the Governor-General). The Senate was established in 1964 to replace a prior body known as the Legislative Council. Besides creating and reviewing Barbadian legislation, the Senate generally reviews approved legislation originating from the House of Assembly (Lower House). One main constraint on the Senate is that it cannot author monetary or budget-related bills. Most of the non-political appointees to the Senate have been selected by the Governor-General from civil society organisations, labour collectives and public associations in Barbados.
The Senate contains Senators who are not elected by the population at large, but are nominated by the Governor-General of Barbados (on behalf of the Sovereign.). According to the Constitution of Barbados, they are partly chosen in the Governor-General's sole discretion, and in some instances on the advice of the Prime Minister, and HM's Loyal Opposition.[2] Similar to the House of Assembly chamber the term of the Senate is five years.[3]
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All 21 Barbadian Senators are technically nominated by the Queen, but this duty is (along with all of the Queen's other Barbadian duties) carried out by the Governor-General. The Governor-General appoints 12 Senators on the advice of the prime minister and 2 on the advice of the leader of the Opposition. The remaining seven Senators are nominated by the Governor-General at his discretion.
Potential Senators must meet certain criteria before they can be nominated to the upper chamber. In order to be eligible for appointment, a person must be a Barbadian citizen of at least 21 years of age who has resided in the country for the past twelve months. A person is ineligible for appointment if they are in bankruptcy, have a mental illness, hold an alligiance to a foreign state, have a capital punishment sentence, have been in prison for a time exceeding six months, or have been convicted of a crime involving electoral fraud, treason, or other dishonourable acts. Furthermore, a Senator cannot also serve as a civil servant, a member of the armed forces or police, a judge, a public prosecutor, or a controller.
Senators serve five year terms. The Senate is dissolved along with the House of Assembly before each election.
Both the Senate and the House of Assembly constitutionally share most of the same powers, however, much as in other Westminster System Parliaments, the lower house is dominant. All legislation can be introduced and amended in either house with the exception of money bills; money bills always originate in the House of Assembly, and the Senate is limited in the amendments it can make to them. If the budget is approved by the House of Assembly, but it is not approved un-amended by the Senate within one month, it can be directly submitted to the Governor-General. If regular legislation is approved by the House of Assembly twice in two consecutive sessions, but is not approved of by the Senate either time, it can also be submitted directly to the Governor-General.
When a session begins, the Senate elects a President and a Vice President. These officers may not be ministers or a parliamentary secretaries. The President usually does not vote unless there is a tie.
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