The Bahamas

The Commonwealth of The Bahamas

Over 270 years of uninterrupted Parliamentary Democracy makes The Bahamas one of the most stable countries in the world. Prior to its independence in 1973, The Commonwealth of The Bahamas was a British Colony. To this date, The Bahamas remains a member of the Commonwealth and also holds membership in the United Nations and Organization of American States.

The political system is based on the British parliamentary system. The Parliament comprises the House of Assembly and the Senate. Members of the House are elected directly every five years. The members of the Senate are appointed by the Governor General. The Prime Minister proposes the majority of the Senators, the Opposition Leader proposes 1/4 of the Members, and the remaining (1/3 of the number the Prime Minister proposes) members are appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.

The Prime Minister is the head of the Executive Branch of Government and heads a Cabinet of minimum 8 other ministers, one being the Attorney General.

The Bahamian Judiciary is fully independent from the rest of the government. English Common Law forms the basis of the judiciary system although many Bahamian statutory elements have been added over the years. The Supreme Court is the main court in the Bahamas. Its decisions may be appealed before The Bahamas Court of Appeal. Final appeals may be presented to the Privy Council in London.