The Bahamian Constitution Constitutional Reform Objectives of the

The Bahamian Constitution & Constitutional Reform.

Objectives of the lesson: � 1. Define words and terms like constitution, constitutional conference, White paper, independence, Bill of rights, responsibilities. � 2. Explain the importance of the constitutional conferences that were held on The Bahamas. � 3. Defend the importance of The Bahamian constitution.

What is the Constitution? �A constitution is a body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed. �In simple terms, the constitution is the supreme document that states how a country is to be ruled.

Why was a Constitution needed for The Bahamas? � When The Bahamian government decided that it would seek independence from England plans and preparations had to be made that would culminate with Bahamas becoming an independent state. � In the case of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, our current constitution came into existence after 1964, 1969 and the 1972 constitutional conferences were held. �

Consider these things! Take five minutes to answer the questions below. 1. 2. 3. Why were constitutional conferences held? Why do you suppose the conferences were held in England? Give two reasons why The Bahamian government of that period had to present drafts of the proposed constitution to The British government.

Constitutional Conference 1963 �In May 1963 a conference was held to discuss a new constitution for the country. Representatives from The Bahamas along with representatives from the British government together attended this meeting to discuss and formulate a document that was published called “The White Paper” would act as the new constitution for The Bahamas. �A total of three conferences were held. The additional conferences were held in 1969 and 1972. �The Bahamas was seeking independence from England so they were required to be apart of the negotiations for the process to be complete.

The White Paper On Independence �The Bill of Rights was the first section of “The White Paper” which outlined the rights and responsibilities of all Bahamian citizens. �There are fourteen sections that are contained in the Bill of Rights. � 1. Life, liberty, security of the person, the enjoyment of prosperity and the protection of the law. � 2. Freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association. � 3. Respect for private and family life.

The White Paper On Independence �In the “White Paper” rights were included for all Bahamian citizens despite “Race, place of origin, political opinions, color, creed or sex as long as he respects the rights and freedoms of others and the public interests”. �Additionally, the 1963 constitution also highlighted how the government of The Bahamas was to function with the country’s independence.

The 1969 Constitution �The 1969 constitution amended the 1964 constitution. The 1969 constitution made the following amendments. � 1. The Bahamas gained full internal self - government. � 2. The Bahamas was able to govern its external affairs and the internal affairs of the country. � 3. The country’s name was changed to “The Commonwealth of The Bahama Islands”. � 4. Premier was changed to Prime Minister. � 5. The makeup of the Senate was changed to reflect the political party winning the most seats in the House of Assembly.

The 1973 CONSTITUTION �In December 1972 The Bahamas government and British government held a constitutional conference in London. Before attending the constitutional conference a “Green Paper” on independence was presented before the House of Assembly. This document outlined the proposal for an independent Commonwealth of The Bahamas. This was followed by the presentation of the “White Paper” on independence on October 1972. The final stage was the signing of the independence constitution on December 20, 1972. These documents were formally presented on 10 July, 1973 on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II by His Royal Highness Prince Charles.

The 1973 CONSTITUTION � 1. The constitution is the supreme law of The Bahamas based on democracy, freedom, Christianity and the rule of law. � 2. Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State and represented by the Governor General. � 3. The Legislature has powers to enact laws for the running of the country. � 4. The government of The Bahamas is responsible for the country’s external affairs, defense and internal security. � 5. The Bill of Rights remained the same except that discrimination was not allowed in the private sector such as hotels, restaurants, theatres and public spaces. � 6. The appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries by the Cabinet and Permanent Secretaries to ensure policies are implemented and act as administrators respectively in ministries. � 7. The Attorney General must be a member of the House of Assembly and a Cabinet Minister. � 8. The composition remained the same the members in the Senate were changed to sixteen members. Nine government Senators, four opposition Senators and three chosen after consultation by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition. � 9. The British Nationality Act was replaced by The Bahamas Nationality Act. This act defines who are citizens of The Bahamas and the requirements to become a Bahamian citizen.

What is The Bill of Rights & Why is it Important? �The Bill of rights, is sometimes called The Declaration of rights or a Charter of rights, is a list of the most important rights to the citizens of a country. The purpose is to protect those rights against infringement from public official and private citizens.

What is meant by Citizen’s rights & Citizen’s responsibilities? �Rights and responsibilities help make our communities better. Rights are freedoms we have that are protected by our laws, while responsibilities are d uties or things that we should do. In order to be good citizens, or members of a community, we must understand our rights and responsibilities.

Consider This! Which citizen’s rights do the pictures depict? �A. �B.

Express Yourself �Take three minutes and explain which citizen right is most important to you and why?

Let’s Evaluate! �When you consider the measures taken to formulate The Bahamian constitution, take five minutes to defend the importance of The Bahamian constitution.

The Constitution Wrap Up �Use the clues below to give the correct answer to each clue. � 1. I am the supreme rule of law. � 2. I am the amount of constitutional conferences held to prepare The Bahamas for its constitution. � 3. These were held between Bahamian delegates and English delegates to prepare for the constitution. � 4. Constitutional conferences were held here. � 5. This contains the rights of citizens. � 6. This document was known as “The White Paper”. � 7. Duties that citizens must fulfill towards their country. � 8. Privileges extended to Bahamian citizens are also known as? � 9.

Home - Work Let’s see what you have learnt? ? �Based on the content presented in the lesson, answer the questions below. � 1. What is the constitution? � 2. Why was a constitution needed for The Bahamas? � 3. Why were the constitutional conferences held? � 4. How many constitutional conferences were held? � 5. When were the constitutional conferences held? � 6. Where were the constitutional conferences held? � 7. “The constitution is the supreme rule of law”. Do you agree with this statement. Explain your response.