Understanding Belize's Legislative Chapters: A Guide To Navigating The Country's Laws

In Belize, 'Chapters' refer to the various sections of the country's legislation. The Constitution of Belize, which is the supreme law of the nation, is Chapter 4 of the Laws of Belize. It is divided into a preamble, 13 parts, and four schedules. Belize's legislation is further organised into Titles, which encompass various Chapters that address specific topics. For example, Title II: Constitution includes Chapters related to the Ombudsman, Governor-General, National Assembly, and Referendum. Each Chapter within a Title contributes to the overarching theme of that Title, providing a structured framework for the nation's legal system.

The Belize Constitution, Chapter 4 of the Laws of Belize

The 13 parts of the Belize Constitution are:

• The State and the Constitution
• Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms
• Citizenship
• The Governor-General
• The Executive
• The Legislature
• The Judiciary
• The Public Service
• Miscellaneous
• Transitional Provisions
• Repeals and Date of Commencement
• Government Control Over Public Utilities

The four schedules of the Belize Constitution are:

• Definition of Belize
• Alteration of Constitution
• Form of Oath and Affirmation
• Revocations

The National Assembly of Belize

The House of Representatives consists of 31 members, who are elected by the people in a general election every five years. Each member represents one constituency. The House of Representatives passes bills, debates national issues, and approves the government budget. The Speaker of the House of Representatives presides over the sittings of the House and is responsible for ensuring order and decorum during the sittings.

The Senate, on the other hand, discusses and confirms bills sent from the House of Representatives. It is made up of 13 members, who are appointed by the Governor-General. The President of the Senate presides over the meetings. The Senate has restricted powers when it comes to money bills, and while it can consider these bills, it cannot block or amend them.

The process of lawmaking in the National Assembly involves several stages. Firstly, an idea is accepted by the Cabinet and discussed, after which legal draftsmen draft the bill. The bill is then approved by the Cabinet and introduced into the House of Representatives for the first reading. House committee meetings are held to hear public opinions and possible changes to the bill. The bill is then debated in the House of Representatives during the second reading, and if accepted, it is voted on during the third reading. If it passes with a majority vote, it becomes an act. The act then goes through the same three stages in the Senate before becoming a law. Once the act passes the Senate, it is sent to the Governor-General for their signature.

The National Assembly plays a crucial role in providing oversight to the administrative policies and economics of the government through various Standing Committees of the House of Representatives. All proposed legislation, messages, petitions, reports, motions, and other matters are referred to the appropriate Standing Committee for examination, consideration, and reporting back to the House.

The Governor-General

In Belize, the Governor-General is the representative of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The Governor-General is appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Belize. The Governor-General has a largely ceremonial role and is expected to maintain political neutrality. They are responsible for appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors, giving royal assent to legislation passed by the National Assembly, and issuing writs for elections. The Governor-General also has the power to dissolve parliament and issue writs for new elections. After an election, the Governor-General formally requests the leader of the political party that gains the majority in parliament to form a government. They also appoint the Prime Minister and other ministers after the election.

In addition, the Governor-General appoints the twelve Members of the Senate. The Members of the House of Representatives, on the other hand, are elected in a general election under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act. The National Assembly may, by law, increase the number of Members of the House of Representatives.

The Executive

The current members of the executive include:

• Prime Minister- Hon. Dean Barrow
• Deputy Prime Minister- Hon. Patrick Faber
• Keyon Dooling, Finance and Economic Development
• Gaspar Vega, Natural Resources and Agriculture
• Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General, Foreign Affairs
• Erwin Contreras, Trade, Investment, Private Sector Development and Consumer Protection
• Patrick Faber, Education, Youth and Sports
• Anthony "Boots" Martinez, Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation
• Vacant - Feb 12 2020, National Security
• Manuel Heredia, Tourism, Culture, Civil Aviation
• Rene Montero, Works and Transport
• Michael Finnegan, Housing and Urban Development
• Liselle Alamilla, Forestry, Fisheries, Sustainable Development
• Joy Grant, Energy, Science and Technology and Public Utilities
• Godwin Hulse, Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, NEMO, Immigration and Nationality
• Charles Gibson, Public Service, and Elections and Boundaries
• Hugo Patt in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture (with special emphasis on Agriculture)
• Edmond Castro in the Ministry of Works and Transport (with special emphasis on Transport)
• Mark King in the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation (with special emphasis on the Conscious Youth Development Programme and the Gang Truce Programme)
• Herman Longsworth in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (with special emphasis on Youth and Sports)
• Santino Castillo in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (with special emphasis on Economic Development)
• Omar Figueroa in the Office of the Prime Minister

The Cabinet, appointed by the Governor-General on behalf of the Prime Minister, exercises the executive authority on behalf of the monarch. The Cabinet is responsible for making decisions on various aspects of governance, including policy formulation and implementation.

The Legislature

The National Assembly is the Legislature or Parliament of Belize. It consists of two Houses: the Senate (Upper House) and the House of Representatives (Lower House). The House of Representatives has 31 elected members, while the Senate has 12 members who are nominated and appointed by the Governor-General of Belize. However, the National Assembly may increase the number of members in the House of Representatives by law.

The National Assembly of Belize is responsible for making laws for the peace, order, and good governance of the country. For a bill to become a law, it must be passed by both Houses and then assented to by the Governor-General. The National Assembly can also postpone the implementation of any law and make laws with retrospective effect. All laws enacted by the National Assembly are referred to as "Acts".

The National Assembly plays a crucial role in providing oversight to the administrative policies and economics of the government through various Standing Committees of the House of Representatives. All proposed legislation, messages, petitions, reports, motions, and other matters under the purview of each Standing Committee are referred to the respective committee for examination, consideration, and reporting back to the House.

The life of the National Assembly is five years, but it can be prorogued or dissolved at any time by the Governor-General, who acts on the advice of the Prime Minister. The process of a bill becoming a law involves several stages, including introduction and first reading, referral to a Standing Committee, second reading, Committee of the Whole House, third reading, consideration by the Senate, and finally, the Governor-General's assent.

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