BARBADOS NATIONAL HONOURS AND DECORATIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2025
OBJECTS AND REASONS
This Bill would amend the Barbados National Honours and Decorations Act, 2021 (Act 2021-23) to make provision for
(a)
the naming or renaming of public buildings, public roads and public spaces to be considered to a national honour;
(b)
the expansion of the powers of the Advisory Council to consider nominations and make recommendations to the Prime Minister in relation to the naming or renaming of public buildings, public roads and public spaces;
(c)
certain national honours to be conferred on the holders of the office of Chief Justice of Barbados, the Chief of Staff, Barbados Defence Force and the Commissioner of Police, Barbados Police Service;
(d)
the Prime Minister to confer national honours and decorations in certain circumstances;
(e)
other matters related to paragraphs (a) to (d).
BARBADOS NATIONAL HONOURS AND DECORATIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2025
Arrangement of Sections
- Short title
- Amendment of section 2 of Act 2021-23
- Amendment of section 4 of Act 2021-23
- Amendment of section 7 of Act 2021-23
- Amendment of section 9 of Act 2021-23
- Insertion of sections 21A and 21B into Act 2021-23
- Consequential amendments SCHEDULE
Consequential amendments
BARBADOS
A Bill entitled
An Act to Barbados National Honours and Decorations Act, 2021 (Act 2021-23) to expand the national honours conferred thereunder, the circumstances under which such national honours may be conferred and matters related thereto.
ENACTED by the Parliament of Barbados as follows:
Short title
- This Act may be cited as the Barbados National Honours and Decorations (Amendment) Act, 2025.
Amendment of section 2 of Act 2021-23
- Section 2 of the Barbados National Honours and Decorations Act, 2021 (Act 2021-23), in this Act referred to as the principal Act, is amended by inserting in the appropriate alphabetical order the following:
“ “public building” means any permanent structure or erection in, on, over or under any land that is owned by the State whether affixed or not;
“public road” means any street, road or other place to which the public has access and shall not include privately owned streets or roads; and
“public space” means any place that is owned or controlled by the State to which the public has access.”.
Amendment of section 4 of Act 2021-23
- Section 4 of the principal Act is amended by inserting immediately after subsection (2), the following:
“(3) The naming or renaming of a public building, public road and public space shall be designated as a national honour for the purposes of this Act.”.
Amendment of section 7 of Act 2021-23
- Section 7 of the principal Act is amended in subsection (4) by inserting immediately after paragraph (c) the following:
“(d) consider the applications in relation to naming and renaming a public building, a public road or a public space and make recommendations to the Prime Minister in relation to those applications.”.
Amendment of section 9 of Act 2021-23
- Section 9 of the principal Act is amended by inserting immediately after subsection (2), the following:
“(2A) Notwithstanding subsection (2), with effect from the 1st day of April, 2025, the Order of the Republic may be conferred on the holder of the office of
(a)
Chief of Staff, Barbados Defence Force;
(b)
Commissioner of Police, Barbados Police Service,
and the holder shall continue to be a member of the Order notwithstanding demission or retirement from office.”.
Insertion of sections 21A and 21B into Act 2021-23
- The principal Act is amended by inserting immediately after section 21 the following:
“Naming and renaming of public buildings, public roads or public spaces
21A. The Advisory Council shall, in making a recommendation to the Prime Minister under section 7(4)(d), to name or rename a public building, a public road or a public space after a person as national honour, take into account the following:
(a)
the name of a person who has
(i)
made notable contributions to the history and development of the community or parish or existence of Barbados as a nation;
(ii)
pioneered or made exemplary achievements in any discipline including but not limited to administration, business, politics, education, science, sports or literature; or
(iii) achieved prominence in their particular field;
(b)
any relevant naming and renaming guidelines as prescribed under this Act;
(c)
any other factor that the Advisory Council may consider appropriate.
Honours conferred by the Prime Minister
21B.(1) Notwithstanding any provision in this or any other enactment, the Prime Minister may confer any honour or decoration under this Act
(a)
upon dissolution of Parliament;
(b)
upon notice to the President of the resignation of the Prime Minister;
(c)
where there are extraordinary national circumstances where a person may have contributed to the national interest, safety or well-being of the people of Barbados;
(d) where a person’s actions or contributions bring international recognition or advance the national development of Barbados.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), “extraordinary national circumstances” includes
(a)
natural disasters or national emergencies;
(b)
major international achievements or events where Barbados’ reputation is significantly advanced.
(c)
extraordinary efforts in national development projects or public service, especially under difficult circumstances; or
(d)
acts of heroism or contribution to the welfare of the nation.”.
Consequential amendments
- The enactments set out in Column 1 of the Schedule are amended in the manner specified in Column 2 of the Schedule.
SCHEDULE
(Section 7) Consequential amendments
Column 1 Column 2
Enactments Amendments
Order of Freedom of Barbados Insert immediately after section 8A the following:
Act, 2019 (Act 2019-32) “Chief Justice of Barbados to be member of Order
8B. (1) With effect from the 1st day of April, 2025, the Order of Freedom of Barbados shall be conferred on each Chief Justice of Barbados.
(2) The Chief Justice of Barbados shall continue to be a member of the Order notwithstanding demission or retirement from office.”.
Read three times and passed the House of Assembly this day of , 2025.
Speaker
Read three times and passed the Senate this day of , 2025.
President
Printed and Published by
the Barbados Government Printing Department
