The

Privy Council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mon ...

of Barbados is a formal body of advisors to the head of state (the

sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

represented viceregally by the

Governor-General of Barbados The governor-general of Barbados was the representative of the Barbadian monarch from independence in 1966 until the establishment of a republic in 2021. Under the government's Table of Precedence for Barbados, the governor-general of Barbados ...

) prior to 30 November 2021 and the

President of Barbados The president of Barbados is the head of state of Barbados and the commander-in-chief of the Barbados Defence Force. The office was established when the country became a parliamentary republic on 30 November 2021. Before, the head of state was ...

as of 30 November 2021) and is provided for in the 1966

Constitution of Barbados The Constitution of Barbados is the supreme law under which Barbados is governed. The Constitution provides a legal establishment of the Government of Barbados, as well as legal rights and responsibilities of the public and various other governm ...

, which reads: :76. 1. There shall be a Privy Council for Barbados which shall consist of such person as the Governor General, after consultation with the Prime Minister, may appoint by instrument under the Public Seal. ::2. The Privy Council shall have such powers and duties as may be conferred or imposed upon it by this Constitution or any other law. ::3. The office of a member of the Privy Council appointed under this section shall become vacant - :::a. at the expiration of fifteen years from the date of his appointment or such shorter period as may be specified in the instrument by which he was appointed; :::b. when he attains the age of seventy-five years; or :::c. if his appointment is revoked by the Governor General, acting after consultation with the Prime Minister, by instrument under the Public Seal. :77. 1. The Privy Council shall not be summoned except by the authority of the Governor General acting in his discretion. ::2. The Governor General shall, so far as is practicable, attend and preside at all meetings of the Privy Council. ::3. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Privy Council may regulate its own procedure. ::4. The question whether the Privy Council has validly performed any function vested in it by this Constitution shall not be inquired into in any court. Since 30 November 2021, references to the

has been replaced with references to the

Composition

The Privy Council is appointed by the Governor-General after consultation with the Prime Minister. It consists of 12 members, with the President as chairman. It advises the Governor-General in the exercise of the royal prerogative of mercy and in the exercise of his disciplinary powers over members of the public and police services.

History

Barbados early governance

The early Barbadian

Legislature A legislature is an assembly with the authority to make law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its p ...

was composed of a Governor (who was at times also

Governor-in-chief Governor-in-chief was a title used in the British Empire for certain colonial governors, usually where authority was held over more than one colony. The title gave way in the 19th century to that of Governor-General, although it remained in use as ...

of other

British West Indies The British West Indies (BWI) were colonized British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grena ...

colonial islands including the Windward islands) has an Executive Council consisting of the Governor, Major-General, Colonial Secretary, and

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

, a Legislative Council in which the senior officer commanding the troops, the Colonial Secretary, and the Attorney-General sit ex officio, and a

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...

of twenty-four members, elected annually by franchise. The first Governor of Barbados was Henry Powell from 17 February 1627. The first Council was formed in 1657 under King Charles II and managed by his Governor and the first Privy Council head was Sir

Peter Colleton Sir Peter Colleton, 2nd Baronet, FRS (17 September 1635 – 24 March 1694) was an English baronet of the Colleton Baronets and an MP. He was the eldest son of Sir John Colleton, 1st Baronet, of Exeter, Devon, whom he succeeded in 1667. He beca ...

(1673–1674, acting). The first Member of Her Majesty's Council of Barbados in 1657 was William Sharpe.

Modern privy council

In 1965 it was recorded that "There shall be a Privy Council for Barbados which shall consist of such persons as the Governor-General, after consultation with the Prime Minister, may appoint by instrument under the Public Seal".

References

External links