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Contents 1 CHAPTER ITHE REPUBLIC 1.1 Establishment of Republic of _____ 1.2 Political system 1.3 Seat of Government 1.4 Supremacy of Constitution 2 CHAPTER IINATIONAL FLAG AND ANTHEM 2.1 National Flag of Republic 2.2 Design of National Flag 2.3 National Anthem 3 CHAPTER IIIDECLARATION OF RIGHTS 3.1 Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual 3.2 Protection of right to life 3.3 Protection of right to personal liberty 3.4 Protection from slavery and forced labor 3.5 Protection from inhuman treatment 3.6 Protection from deprivation of property 3.7 Protection against arbitrary search or entry 3.8 Provisions to secure protection of law 3.9 Protection of freedom of conscience 3.10 Protection of freedom of expression 3.11 Protection of freedom of assembly and association 3.12 Protection of freedom of movement 3.13 Protection from discrimination on ground of race, etc. 3.14 Fundamental rights and freedoms additional to other rights 3.15 Enforcement of protective provisions 3.16 Time of emergency 4 CHAPTER IVCITIZENSHIP 4.1 Citizenship by birth 4.2 Citizenship by registration 4.3 Citizenship by naturalization 4.4 Dual citizenship 4.5 Renunciation of citizenship 4.6 Deprivation of citizenship 4.7 Persons deemed to be ______ citizens 4.8 Power to make regulations 5 CHAPTER V 5.1 PART ITHE LEGISLATURE 5.1.1 Legislative power 5.1.2 The Parliament 5.2 PART IITHE SENATE 5.2.1 Constitution of Senate 5.2.2 Appointed senators 5.2.3 Elected senators 5.2.4 Standing committees of Senate 5.2.5 Announcing of legislation intended to be introduced in Senate 5.2.6 Dissolution of the Senate and vacation of seats by nominated senators in certain circumstances 5.2.7 Qualifications of senators 5.2.8 The Senate Legal Committee 5.2.9 Election of President of Senate 5.2.10 Tenure of office of President of Senate 5.2.11 Election of Deputy President of Senate 5.3 PART IIITHE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY 5.3.1 Constitution of House of Assembly 5.3.2 Elections 5.3.3 Delimitation of electoral divisions 5.3.4 Method of dividing provinces into electoral divisions 5.3.5 Powers and duties of commission for delimiting electoral divisions 5.3.6 Date from which alteration of electoral divisions takes effect 5.3.7 Duration of House of Assembly 5.3.8 Writs for general election 5.3.9 Writs for vacancies 5.3.10 Qualifications of members 5.3.11 Election of Speaker 5.3.12 Tenure of office of Speaker 5.3.13 Election of Deputy Speaker 5.4 PART IVSENATE AND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY 5.4.1 Remuneration of President of Senate and Speaker 5.4.2 Powers of Ministers and Deputy Ministers in Senate and House of Assembly 5.4.3 Vacating of seats by members 5.4.4 Tenure of seat of member of Senate or House of Assembly 5.4.5 Disqualifications from being a member of Senate or House of Assembly 5.4.6 Members sentenced to death or to imprisonment 5.4.7 Expulsion or suspension of members convicted of certain offenses 5.4.8 Penalty for sitting or voting when disqualified 5.4.9 Validity of proceedings 5.5 PART VGENERAL POWERS AND PROCEDURE 5.5.1 Power to make laws 5.5.2 Standing Orders 5.5.3 Declaration of assets and liabilities; oaths of members 5.5.4 Presiding in Parliament 5.5.5 Quorum in Parliament 5.5.6 Voting in Parliament 5.5.7 Use of languages in Parliament 5.5.8 Privileges of Parliament and members 5.5.9 Secretary to Parliament and other staff of Parliament 5.5.10 State President and other persons may address Congress 5.6 PART VIPROCEDURE IN REGARD TO BILLS 5.6.1 Introduction of Bills, motions and petitions 5.6.2 Procedure in regard to Bills 5.6.3 Disagreement between Senate and House of Assembly 5.6.4 Functions of Senate Legal Committee in regard to Bills 5.6.5 Reports of Senate Legal Committee 5.6.6 Procedure in regard to Bills where certificate of urgency is issued 5.6.7 Money Bills 5.6.8 Provisions relating to amendment of Bills 5.6.9 Assent to Bills 5.6.10 Further provisions relating to enactment of Bills 5.6.11 Enrollment of Acts 5.7 PART VIILEGISLATIVE POWERS OF THE STATE PRESIDENT 5.7.1 Power of State President to promulgate Ordinances during recess of Parliament 5.8 PART VIIISUMMONING, PROROGATION, AND DISSOLUTION 5.8.1 Sessions of Parliament 5.8.2 Prorogation and dissolution 6 CHAPTER VIHEAD OF STATE 6.1 The State President

CHAPTER I
THE REPUBLIC

Establishment of Republic of _____

1. _____ is a sovereign Republic.

Political system

2. The Republic of _____ shall be a multiparty democratic state.

Seat of Government

3. _____ shall be the seat of Government of the Republic in all its activities.

Supremacy of Constitution

4. (1) This Constitution shall be the supreme law of _____.

(2) Any law, passed before or after the commencement of this Constitution, which is inconsistent with the provisions of this Constitution, shall, to the extent in which such an inconsistency exists, be void.

CHAPTER II
NATIONAL FLAG AND ANTHEM

National Flag of Republic

5. There shall be a National Flag of the Republic of which the design shall be as set out in section 6.

Design of National Flag

6.

National Anthem

7. The National Anthem of the Republic shall be “______”.

CHAPTER III
DECLARATION OF RIGHTS

Fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual

8. Whereas every person in _____ is entitled to the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, color, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely ―

(a) life, liberty and security of the person;

(b) protection for the privacy of his home and other property and from deprivation of property without compensation;

(c) the protection of the law; and

(d) freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association,

the following provisions of this Chapter shall have effect for the purpose of affording protection to those rights and freedoms subject to such limitations of that protection as are contained in those provisions, being limitations designed to ensure that the enjoyment of the said rights and freedoms by any individual does not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others or the public interest.

Protection of right to life

9. (1) No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offense under the law of ____ of which he has been convicted.

(2) A person shall not be regarded as having been deprived of his life in contravention of this section if he dies as the result of the use, to such extent and in such circumstances as re permitted by law, of such force as is reasonably justifiable ―

(a) for the defense of any person from violence or for the defense of property;

(b) in order to effect a lawful arrest or to prevent the escape of a person lawfully detained;

(c) for the purpose of suppressing a riot, insurrection or mutiny; or

(d) in order lawfully to prevent the commission by that person of a criminal offense, or if he dies as the result of a lawful act of war.

Protection of right to personal liberty

10. (1) No person shall be deprived of his personal liberty save as may be authorized by law in any of the following cases, that is to say ―

(a) in consequence of his unfitness to plead to a criminal charge or in execution of the sentence or order of a court, whether established for _____ or some other country, in respect of a criminal offense of which he has been convicted;

(b) in execution of an order of the High Court or the Court of Appeal or such other court as may be prescribed by Parliament punishing him for contempt of any such court or of another court or tribunal;

(c) in execution of the order of a court made to secure the fulfillment of any obligation imposed on him by law;

(d) for the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court;

(e) upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed, or being about to commit, a criminal offense under the law of _____;

(f) in the case of a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, under the order of a court or with the consent of his parent or guardian, for the purpose of his education or welfare;

(g) for the purpose of preventing the spread of an infectious or contagious disease;

(h) in the case of a person who is, or is reasonably suspected to be, of unsound mind, addicted to drugs or alcohol, or a vagrant, for the purpose of his care or treatment or the protection of the community;

(i) for the purpose of preventing the unlawful entry of that person into _____, or for the purpose of effecting the expulsion, extradition or other lawful removal of that person from _____ or for the purpose of restricting that person while he is being conveyed through _____ in the course of his extradition or removal as a convicted prisoner form one country to another; or

(j) to such extent as may be necessary in the execution of a lawful order requiring that person to remain within a specified area within _____ or prohibiting him from being within such an area, or to such extent as may be reasonably justifiable for the taking of proceedings against that person with a view to the making of any such order or relating to such an order after it has been made or to such extent as may be reasonably justifiable for restraining that person during any visit that he is permitted to make to any part of _____ in which, in consequence of any such order, his presence would otherwise be unlawful.

(2) Any person who is arrested or detained shall be informed as soon as reasonably practicable, in a language that he understands, of the reasons for his arrest or detention and shall be permitted, at his own expense, to retain and instruct without delay a legal adviser of his own choice, being a person entitled to practice in _____ as a barrister or solicitor, and to hold private communication with him; and in the case of a person who has not attained the age of sixteen years he shall also be afforded a reasonable opportunity for communication with his parent or guardian.

(3) Any person who is arrested or detained ―

(a) for the purpose of bringing him before a court in execution of the order of a court; or

(b) upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offense and who is not released, shall be brought before a court as soon as is reasonably practicable; and if any person arrested or detained upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed or being about to commit a criminal offense is not tried within a reasonable time, then, without prejudice to any further proceedings which may be brought against him, he shall be released either unconditionally or upon reasonable conditions, including in particular such conditions as are reasonably necessary to ensure that he appears at a later date for trial or for proceedings preliminary to trial.

(4) Any person who is unlawfully arrested or detained by any other person shall be entitled to compensation therefor from that other person.

(5) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of the foregoing provisions of this section to the extent that the law in question authorizes the taking during a period of public emergency of measures that are reasonably justifiable for the purpose of dealing with the situation that exists during that period of public emergency.

(6) Where a person is detained by virtue of such a law as is referred to in subsection (5), the following provisions shall apply ―

(a) he shall, as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not more than five days after the commencement of his detention, be furnished with a statement in writing, in a language that he understands, of the grounds upon which he is detained;

(b) not more that fourteen days after the commencement of his detention, a notification shall be published in the Gazette stating that he has been detained and giving particulars of the provision of law under which his detention is authorized;

(c) he may from time to time request that his case be reviewed under paragraph (d) but, where he has made such a request, no subsequent request shall be made before the expiration of three months from the making of the previous request;

(d) where a request is made under paragraph (c), the case shall, within one month of the making of the request, be reviewed by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law and presided over by a person appointed by the Chief Justice from among persons entitled to practice in _____ as barristers or solicitors; and

(e) he shall be afforded reasonable facilities to consult and instruct, at his own expense, a legal adviser of his own choice, being a person entitled to practice as aforesaid, and he and any such legal adviser shall be permitted to make written or oral representations or both to the tribunal appointed for the review of his case.

(7) On any review by a tribunal in pursuance of subsection (6) of the case of any detained person, the tribunal may make recommendations concerning the necessity or expediency of continuing his detention to the authority by whom it was ordered, but, unless it is otherwise provided by law, that authority shall not be obliged to act in accordance with any such recommendations.

(8) When any person is detained by virtue of such a law as is referred to in subsection (5) the Prime Minister or a Minister authorized by him shall, not more than thirty days after the commencement of the detention and thereafter not more than thirty days after the making of the previous report, make a report to each House stating the number of persons detained as aforesaid and the number of cases in which the authority that ordered the detention has not acted in accordance with the recommendations of a tribunal appointed in pursuance of subsection (6):

Provided that in reckoning any period of thirty days for the purposes of this subsection no account shall be taken of any period during which Parliament stands prorogued or dissolved.

Protection from slavery and forced labor

11. (1) No person shall be held in slavery or servitude.

(2) No person shall be required to perform forced labor.

3. For the purposes of this section, the expression “forced labor” does not include ―

(a) any labor required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court;

(b) any labor required of any person while he is lawfully detained that, though not required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court, is reasonably necessary in the interests of hygiene or for the maintenance of the palace at which he is detained;

(c) any labor required of a member of a disciplined force in pursuance of his duties as such or, in the case of a person who has conscientious objections to service as a member of a naval, military or air force, any labor that person is required by law to perform in place of such service; or

(d) any labor required during any period when Barbados is at war or in the event of any hurricane, earthquake, flood, fire or other like calamity that threatens the life or well-being of the community, to the extent that the requiring of such labor is reasonably justifiable, in the circumstances of any situation arising or existing during that period or as a result of that calamity, for the purpose of dealing with that situation.

Protection from inhuman treatment

12. (1) No person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading punishment or other treatment.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question authorizes the infliction of any punishment or the administration of any treatment that was lawful in _____ immediately before the coming into operation of this Constitution.

Protection from deprivation of property

13. (1) No property of any description shall be compulsorily taken possession of, and no interest in or right over property of any description shall be compulsorily acquired, except by or under the authority of a written law and where provision applying to that acquisition or taking of possession is made by a written law ―

(a) prescribing the principles on which and the manner in which compensation therefor is to be determined and given; and

(b) giving to any person claiming such compensation a right or access, either directly or by way of appeal, for the determination of his interest in or right over the property and the amount of compensation, to the High Court.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section ―

(a) to the extent that the law in question makes provision for the taking of possession or acquisition of any property ―

(i) in satisfaction of any tax, duty, rate, cess or other impost;

(ii) by way of penalty for breach of the law of forfeiture in consequence of a breach of the law;

(iii) as an incident of a lease, tenancy, mortgage, charge, bill of sale, pledge, contract, grant, permission or license;

(iv) in the execution of judgments or orders of a court in proceedings for the determination of civil rights or obligations;

(v) in circumstances where it is reasonably necessity so to do because the property is in a dangerous state o injurious to the health of human beings, animals or plants;

(vi) in consequence of any law with respect to the limitation of actions; or

(vii) for so long only as may be necessary for the purposes of any examination, investigation, trial or inquiry or, in the case of land, for the purposes of the carrying out thereon of work of soil conservation or the conservation of other natural resources o work relating to agricultural development or improvement; or

(b) to the extent that the law in question makes provision for the taking of possession or acquisition of ―

(i) enemy property;

(ii) property of a deceased person, a person of unsound mind or a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, for the purpose of its administration for the benefit of the persons entitled to the beneficial interest therein;

(iii) property of a person adjudged insolvent or a body corporate in liquidation, for the purpose of its administration for the benefit of the creditors of the insolvent person or body corporate and, subject thereto, for the benefit of other persons entitled to the beneficial interest in the property; or

(iv) property subject to a trust, for the purpose of vesting the property in persons appointed as trustees under the instrument creating the trust or by a court or, by order of a court, for the purpose of giving effect to the trust.

(3) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision for the orderly marketing or production or growth or extraction of any agricultural product or mineral or any article or thing prepared for market or manufactured therefor or for the reasonable restriction of the use of any property in the interest of safeguarding the interests of others or the protection of tenants, licensees or others having rights in or over such property.

(4) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision of the compulsory taking possession in the public interest of any property, or the compulsory acquisition in the public interest of any interest in or right over property, where that property, interest or right is held by a body corporate established directly by law for public purposes in which no monies have been invested other than monies provided by Parliament.

Protection against arbitrary search or entry

14. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be subjected to the search of his person or his property or the entry by others on his premises.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision that is reasonably required ―

(a) in the interests of defense, public safety, public order, public morality, public health, town or country planning the development or utilization of mineral resources, or the development or utilization of any other property in such manner as to promote the public benefit;

(b) for the purposes of protecting the rights or freedoms of other persons;

(c) for the purposes of authorizing an officer or agent of the Government, or of a local government authority or of a body corporate established directly by law for public purposes to enter on the premises of any person in order to inspect those premises or anything thereon for the purposes of any tax, duty, rate, cess or other impost or in order to carry out work connected with any property that is lawfully on those premises and that belongs to the Government or that authority or body corporate, as the case may be;

(d) for the purposes of authorizing the entry upon any premises in pursuance of an order of a court for the purpose of enforcing the judgment or order of a court in any proceedings; or

(e) for the purpose of authorizing the entry upon any premises for the purpose of preventing or detecting criminal offenses.

Provisions to secure protection of law

15. (1) If any person is charged with a criminal offense, then, unless the charge is withdrawn, the case shall be afforded a fair hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial court established by law.

(2) Every person who is charged with a criminal offense ―

(a) shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved or has pleaded guilty;

(b) shall be informed as soon as reasonably practicable, in a language that he understands and in detail, of the nature of the offense charged;

(c) shall be given adequate time and facilities for the preparation of his defense;

(d) shall be permitted to defend himself before the court in person or by a legal representative of his own choice;

(e) shall be afforded facilities to examine in person or by his legal representative the witnesses called by the prosecution before the court and to obtain the attendance and carry out the examination of witnesses to testify on his behalf before the court on the same conditions as those applying to witnesses called by the prosecution; and

(f) shall be permitted to have without payment the assistance of an interpreter if he cannot understand the language used at the trial of the charge and, except with his consent, the trial shall not take place in his absence unless he so conducts himself as to render the proceedings in his presence impracticable and the court has ordered the trial to proceed in his absence.

(3) When a person is tried for any criminal offense, the accursed person or any person authorized by him in that behalf shall, if he so requires and subject to payment of such reasonable fee as may be prescribed by law, be given within a reasonable time after judgment a copy for the use of the accused person of any record of the proceedings made by or on behalf of the court.

(4) No person shall be held to be guilty of a criminal offense on account of any act or omission that did not, at the time it took place, constitute such an offense, and no penalty shall be imposed for any criminal offense that is more severe in degree or nature than the most severe penalty that might have been imposed for that offense at the time when it was committed.

(5) No person who shows that he has been tried by a competent court for a criminal offense and either convicted or acquitted shall again be tried for that offense or for any other criminal offense, save upon the order of a superior court in the course of appeal proceedings relating to the conviction or acquittal.

(6) No person shall be tried for a criminal offense if he shows that he has been granted a pardon for that offense.

(7) No person who is tried for a criminal offense shall be compelled to give evidence at the trial.

(8) Any court or other tribunal prescribed by law for the determination of the existence or extent of any civil right or obligation shall be established by law and shall be independent and impartial; and where proceedings for such a determination are instituted by any person before such court or other tribunal, the case shall be given a fair hearing within a reasonable time.

(9) Except with the agreement of all the parties thereto, all proceedings of every court and proceedings for the determination of the existence or extent of any civil right or obligation before any other tribunal, including the announcement of the decision of the court or other tribunal, shall be held in public.

(10) Nothing in subsection (9) shall prevent the court or other tribunal from excluding from the proceedings persons other than the parties thereto and their legal representatives to such extent as the court or other tribunal ―

(a) may by law be empowered so to do and may consider necessary or expedient in circumstances where publicity would prejudice the interests of justice or in interlocutory proceedings or in the interests of decency, public morality, the welfare of persons under the age of eighteen years or the protection of the private lives of persons concerned in the proceedings; or

(b) may by law be empowered or required so to do in the interests of defense, public safety or public order.

(11) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of ―

(a) subsection (2)(a) to the extent that the law in question imposes upon any person charged with a criminal offense the burden of proving particular facts;

(b) subsection (2)(e) to the extent that the law in question imposes conditions that must be satisfied if witnesses called to testify on behalf of an accused person are to be paid their expenses out of public funds; or

(c) subsection (5) to the extent that the law in question authorizes a court to try a member of a disciplined force for a criminal offense notwithstanding any trial and conviction or acquittal of that member under the disciplinary law of that force, so, however, that any court so trying such a member and convicting him shall in sentencing him to any punishment, take into account any punishment awarded him under that disciplinary law.

(12) In this section “criminal offense” means a criminal offense under the law in force in _____.

Protection of freedom of conscience

16. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of conscience and for the purpose of this section the said freedom includes freedom of thought and of religion, freedom to change his religion or belief and freedom, either alone or in community with others, and both in public and in private, to manifest and propagate his religion or belief in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

(2) Every religious community shall be entitled, at its own expense, to establish and maintain places of education and to manage any place of education which it wholly maintains.

(3) No religious community shall be prevented from providing religious instruction for persons of that community in the course of any education provided by that community whether or not that community is in receipt of any government subsidy, grant or other form of financial assistance designed to meet, in whole or in part, the cost of such course of education.

(4) Except with his own consent (or, if he is a person who has not attained the age of twenty-one years, the consent of his guardian), no person attending any place of education shall be inquired to receive religious instruction or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if that instruction, ceremony or observance relates to a religion which is not his own.

(5) No person shall be compelled to take any oath which is contrary to his religion or belief or to take any oath in a manner which is contrary to his religion or belief.

(6) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision ―

(a) which is reasonably required ―

(i) in the interests of defense, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or

(ii) for he purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons, including the right to observe and practice any religion without the unsolicited of members of any other religion; or

(b) with respect to standards or qualifications to be required in relation to places of education including any instruction (not being religious instruction) given at such places.

(7) References in this section to a religion shall be construed as including references to a religious denomination, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly.

Protection of freedom of expression

17. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interferences and freedom from interference with his correspondence or other means of communication.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision ―

(a) that is reasonably required in the interests of defense, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or

(b) that is reasonably required for the purpose of protecting the reputations, rights and freedoms of other persons or the private lives of persons concerned in legal proceedings, preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of the courts or regulating the administration or technical operation of telephony, telegraphy, posts, wireless broadcasting, television or other means of communication or regulating public exhibitions or public entertainments; or

(c) that imposes restrictions upon public officers or members of a disciplined force.

Protection of freedom of assembly and association

18. (1) Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of assembly and association, that is to say, his right to assemble freely and associate with other persons and in particular to form or belong to political parties or to form or belong to trade unions or other associations for the protection of his interests.

(2) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision ―

(a) that is reasonably required in the interest of defense, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or

(b) that is reasonably required for the purpose of protecting the rights or freedoms of other persons; or

(c) that imposes restrictions upon public officers or members of a disciplined force.

Protection of freedom of movement

19. (1) No person shall be deprived of his freedom of movement, that is to say, the right to move freely throughout _____, the right to reside in any part of _____, the right to enter _____, the right to leave _____ and immunity from expulsion from _____.

(2) Any restriction on a person's freedom of movement that is involved in his lawful detention shall not be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section.

(3) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision ―

(a) for the imposition of restrictions on the movement or residence within _____ of any person or on any person's right to leave _____ that are reasonably required in the interests of defense, public safety or public order;

(b) for the imposition of restrictions on the movement or residence within _____ or on the right to leave _____ of persons generally or any class of persons that are reasonably required in the interests of defense, public safety, public order, public morality or public health;

(c) for the imposition of restrictions on the movement or residence within _____ of any person who is not a citizen thereof or the exclusion or expulsion from _____ of any such person;

(d) for the imposition of restrictions on the acquisition or use of land or other property in _____;

(e) for the imposition of restrictions, on the movement or residence within _____ of any person who is not a citizen thereof or the exclusion or expulsion from _____ of any such person;

(d) for the imposition of restrictions on the acquisition or use of land or other property in _____;

(e) for the imposition of restrictions, by order of a court, on the movement or residence within _____ of any person or on any person's right to leave _____ either in consequence of this having been found guilty of a criminal offense under the law of _____ or for the purpose of ensuring that he appears before a court at a later date for trial for such a criminal offense or for proceedings preliminary to trial or for preceding relating to his extradition or lawful removal from _____;

(f) for the imposition of restrictions upon the movement or residence within ______ or on the right to leave _____ of public officers or members of a disciplined force;

(g) for the removal of persons from _____ ―

(i) to be tried or punished in some other country for a criminal offense under the law of that country;

(ii) to undergo imprisonment in some other country in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offense under the law of _____ of which he has been convicted;

(iii) to be detained in an institution in some other country for the purpose of giving effect to the order of a court made in pursuance of a law of _____ relating to the treatment of offenders under a specified age; or

(iv) to be detained for care or treatment in a hospital or other institution in pursuance of a law of _____ relating to persons suffering from defect or disease of the mind; or

(h) for the imposition of restrictions on the right of any person to leave _____ that are reasonably required in order to secure the fulfillment of any obligations imposed on that person by law.

(4) Where a person's freedom of movement is restricted by virtue of such a provision as is referred to in subsection (3)(a), the following provisions shall apply ―

(a) he shall, as soon as reasonably practicable and in any case not more than five days after the commencement of the restriction, be furnished with a statement in writing, in a language that he understands, of the grounds upon which the restriction has been imposed;

(b) not more than fourteen days after the commencement of the restriction, a notification shall be published in the Gazette stating that his freedom of movement has been restricted and giving particulars of the provision of law under which the restriction is authorized;

(c) he may from time to time request that his case be reviewed under paragraph (d) but, where he has made such a request, no subsequent request shall be made before the expiration of three months from the making of the previous request;

(d) where a request is made under paragraph (c), the case shall, within one month of the making of the request, be reviewed by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law and presided over by a person appointed by the Chief Justice from among persons entitled to practice in _____ as barristers or solicitors; and

(e) he shall be afforded reasonable facilities to consult and instruct a legal adviser of his own choice, being a person entitled to practice as aforesaid, and he and any such legal adviser shall be parted to make written or oral representations or both to the tribunal appointed for the review of his case.

(5) On any review by a tribunal in pursuance of subsection (4) of the case of any person whose freedom of movement has been restricted the tribunal may make recommendations concerning the necessity of expediency of continuing that restriction to the authority by whom it was ordered, but, unless it is otherwise provided by law, that authority by whom it was ordered, but, unless, it is otherwise provided by law, that authority shall not be obliged to act in accordance with any such recommendations.

Protection from discrimination on ground of race, etc.

20. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section ―

(a) no law shall make any provision that is discriminatory either of itself or in its effect; and

(b) no person shall be treated in a discriminatory manner by any person acting by virtue of any written law or in the performance of the functions of any public office or any public authority.

(2) In this section the expression “discriminatory” means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, color or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which person of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not afforded to persons of another such description.

(3) Subsection (1)(a) shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision ―

(a) with respect to persons who are not citizens of _____;

(b) with respect to adoption, marriage, divorce, burial, devolution of property on death or other matters of personal law; or

(c) whereby person of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (2) may be subjected to any disability or restriction or may be accorded any privilege or advantage which, having regard to its nature and to special circumstances pertaining to those persons or to persons of any other such description, is reasonably justifiable;

(4) Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of subsection (1)(a) to the extent that it makes provision with respect to standards or qualifications (not being standards or qualifications specifically relating to race, place of origin, political opinion, color or creed) to be required of any person who is appointed to any office in the public service, any office in a disciplined force, or any office in the service of a local government authority or of a body corporate established by any law for public purposes.

(5) Subsection (1)(b) shall not apply to anything which is expressly or by necessary implication authorized to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in subsection (3) or (4).

(6) Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (2) may be subjected to any restriction on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by sections 14, 16, 17, 18 and 19, being such a restriction as is authorized by subsection (2) of section 14, subsection (6) of section 16, subsection (2) of section 17, subsection (2) of section 18, or subsection (3) of section 19, as the case may be.

(7) Subsection (1)(b) shall not affect any discretion relating to the institution, conduct or discontinuance of civil or criminal proceedings in any court that is vested in any person by this Constitution or any other law.

Fundamental rights and freedoms additional to other rights

21. The rights, duties, declarations and guarantees relating to the fundamental and other human rights and freedoms specifically mentioned in this Chapter shall not be regarded as excluding others not specifically mentioned.

Enforcement of protective provisions

22. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6), if any person alleges that any of the provisions of sections 9 to 20, is being or is likely to be contravened in relation to him (or, in the case of a person who is detained, if any other person alleges such a contravention in relation to the detained person), then, without prejudice to any other action with respect to the same matter which is lawfully available, that person (or that other person) may apply to the High Court for redress.

(2) The High Court shall have original jurisdiction ―

(a) to hear and determine any application made by any person in pursuance of subsection (2); and

(b) to determine any question arising in the case of any person which is referred to it in pursuance of subsection (3) and may make such orders, issue such writs and give such directions as it may consider appropriate for the purpose of enforcing or securing the enforcement of any of the provisions of sections 9 to 20:

Provided that the High Court shall not exercise its powers under this subsection if it is satisfied that adequate means of redress are or have been available to the person concerned under any other law.

(3) If in any proceedings in any court subordinate to the High Court any question arises as to the contravention of any of the provisions of sections 9 to 20, the person presiding in that court shall refer the question to the High Court unless, in his opinion, the raising of the question is merely frivolous or vexatious.

(4) Where any question is referred to the High Court pursuance of subsection (3), the High Court shall give its decision upon the question and the court in which the question arose shall dispose of the case in accordance with that decision or, if that decision is the subject of an appeal under this Constitution to the Court of Appeal, in accordance with the decision of the Court of Appeal.

(5) Parliament may confer upon the High Court such powers in addition to those conferred by this section as may appear to Parliament to be necessary or desirable for the purpose of enabling the High Court more effectively to exercise the jurisdiction conferred upon it by this section.

(6) Parliament may make provision with respect to the practice and procedure ―

(a) of the High Court in relation to the jurisdiction and powers conferred upon it by or under this section;

(b) of the High Court and the Court of Appeal in relation to appeals to the Court of Appeal from decisions of the High Court in the exercise of such jurisdiction; and

(c) of subordinate courts in relation to references to the High Court under subsection (3) including provision with respect to the time within which any application, reference or appeal shall or may be made or brought; and, subject to any provision so made, provision may be made with respect to the matters aforesaid by rules of court.

(7) In this section “the Court of Appeal” has the same meaning as it has in section 87.

Time of emergency

22. (1) In this Chapter “period of public emergency” means any period during which ―

(a) _____ is engaged in any war; or

(b) there is in force a proclamation by the State President declaring that a state of public emergency exists; or

(c) there is in force a resolution of each House supported by the votes of not less than two-thirds of all the members of that House declaring that democratic institutions in _____ are threatened by subversion.

(2) A proclamation made by the State President shall not be effective for the purposes of subsection (1) unless it is declared therein that the State President is satisfied ―

(a) that a public emergency has arisen as a result of the imminence of a state of war between _____ and another State or as a result of the occurrence of any earthquake, hurricane, flood, fire, outbreak of pestilence, outbreak of infectious disease or other calamity, whether similar to the foregoing or not; or

(b) that action has been taken or is immediately threatened by any person of such a nature and on so extensive a scale as to be likely to endanger the public safety or to deprive the community, or any substantial portion of the community, of supplies or services essential to life.

(3) A proclamation made by the State President for the purposes of this section shall, unless previously revoked, remain in force for one month or for such longer period, not exceeding six months, as the House of Assembly may determine by a resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of that House:

Provided that any such proclamation may be extended from time to time for a further period not exceeding six months by resolution passed in like manner and may be revoked at any time by resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the House of Assembly.

(4) A resolution passed by a House for the purposes of subsection (1)(c) may be revoked at any time by a resolution of that House supported by the votes of a majority of all the members thereof.

CHAPTER IV
CITIZENSHIP

Citizenship by birth

23. (1) The following persons are citizens of _____ by birth ― namely ―

(a) every person born in _____ before the date of independence, either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents belongs or belonged to a community indigenous to _____;

Provided that a person shall not become a citizen of _____ by virtue of this section if neither of his parents nor any of his grandparents was born in ______.

(b) every person born in ______ after the date of independence either of whose parents or any of whose grandparents is a citizen of ______; and

(c) every person born outside ______ either of whose parents is a citizen of ______.

(2) In this section, “the date of independence” means the 1st day of October 1960.

Citizenship by registration

24. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 26 of this Constitution, a person to whom the provisions of this section apply may be registered as a citizen of _____, if the State President is satisfied that ―

(a) he is a person of good character;

(b) he has shown a clear intention of his desire to be domiciled in _____; and

(c) he has taken the Oath of Allegiance prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution.

(2) The provisions of this section shall apply to ―

(a) any woman who is or has been married to a citizen of ______; or

(b) every person of full age and capacity born outside ______ any of whose grandparents is a citizen of _____.

Citizenship by naturalization

25. (1) Subject to the provisions of section 26 of this Constitution, any person who is qualified in accordance with the provisions of this section may apply to the State President for the same of a certificate of naturalization.

(2) No person shall be qualified to apply for the grant of a certificate or naturalization, unless he satisfies the State President that ―

(a) he is a person of full age and capacity;

(b) he is a person of good character;

(c) he has shown a clear intention of his desire to be domiciled in _____;

(d) he is, in the opinion of the administrator of the province where he is or he proposes to be resident, acceptable to the local community in which he is to live permanently, and has been assimilated into the way of life of _____ in that part of the Republic;

(e) he is a person who has made or is capable of making useful contribution to the advancement, progress and well-being of _____;

(f) he has taken the Oath of Allegiance prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution; and

(g) he has, immediately preceding the date of his application, either ―

(i) resided in _____ for a continuous period of fifteen years; or

(ii) resided in ______ continuously for a period of twelve months, and during the period of twenty years immediately preceding that period of twelve months has resided in _____ for periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than fifteen years.

Dual citizenship

26. (1) Subject to the other provisions of this section, a person shall forfeit forthwith his _____ citizenship if, not being a citizen of _____ by birth, he acquires or retains the citizenship or nationality of a country, other than _____, of which he is not a citizen by birth.

(2) Any registration of a person as a citizen of _____ or the grant of a certificate of naturalization to a person who is a citizen of a country other than ______ at the time of such registration or grant shall, if he is not a citizen by birth of that other country, be conditional upon effective renunciation of the citizenship or nationality of that other country within a period of not more than five months from the date of such registration or grant.

Renunciation of citizenship

27. (1) Any citizen of _____ of full age who wishes to renounce his _____ citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation.

(2) The State President shall cause the declaration made under subsection (1) of this section to be registered and upon such registration, the person who made the declaration shall cease to be a citizen of _____.

(3) The State President may withhold the registration of any declaration made under subsection (1) of this section if ―

(a) the declaration is made during any war in which _____ is physically involved; or

(b) in his opinion, it is otherwise contrary to public policy.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section ―

(a) “full age” means the age of twenty-one years and above;

(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.

Deprivation of citizenship

28. (1) The State President may deprive a person, other than a person who is a citizen of _____ by birth or by registration, of his citizenship, if he is satisfied that such a person has, within a period of seven years after becoming naturalized, been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than three years.

(2) The State President shall deprive a person, other than a person who is citizen of _____ by birth, of his citizenship, if he is satisfied from the records of proceedings of a court of law or other tribunal or after due inquiry in accordance with regulations made by him, that ―

(a) the person has shown himself by act or speech to be disloyal towards the Republic of _____; or

(b) the person has, during any war in which _____ was engaged, unlawfully traded with the enemy or been engaged in or associated with any business that was in the opinion of the State President carried on in such a manner as to assist the enemy of ______ in that war, or unlawfully communicated with such enemy to the detriment of or with intent to cause damage to the interest of _____.

Persons deemed to be ______ citizens

29. For the purposes of this Chapter, a parent or grandparent of a person shall be deemed to be a citizen of _____ if at the time of the birth of that person such parent or grandparent would have possessed that status by birth if he had been alive on the date of independence; and in this section, “the date of independence” has the meaning assigned to it in section 23(2) of this Constitution.

Power to make regulations

30. (1) The State President may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Chapter, prescribing all matters which are required or permitted to be prescribed or which are necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to the provisions of this Chapter, and for granting special immigrant status with full residential rights to non-_____ spouses of citizens of _____ who do not wish to acquire ______ citizenship.

(2) Any regulations made by the State President pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be laid before the Legislature.

CHAPTER V

PART I
THE LEGISLATURE

Legislative power

31. The legislative power of _____ shall be vested in the Legislature which shall consist of the State President and the Parliament.

The Parliament

32. The Parliament of _____ shall consist of a Senate and a House of Assembly.

PART II
THE SENATE

Constitution of Senate

33. (1) The Senate shall consist of ―

(a) ten senators appointed by the State President of whom two shall be appointed from each province; and

(b) so many senators, but not less than ten, in the case of each province as are equal to one-tenth of the number of the electoral divisions into which that province has at the last delimitation under this Constitution, for the election of members of the House of Assembly been divided, together with the electoral divisions into which that province has been so divided for the election of provincial councillors.

(2) Where in the case of any province the figure to be divided by ten for the purpose of determining the number of senators to be elected in respect of that province in terms of subsection (1)(b) is not a multiple of ten, that figure shall for the said purpose be assumed to be the lowest multiple of ten above the said figure.

(3) The senators referred to in subsection (1)(b) shall in the case of each province be elected jointly by the members of the provincial council of such province together with the members of the House of Assembly elected for such province.

Appointed senators

34. (1) The senators appointed by the State President in terms of section 33(1)(a) shall, subject to the provisions of section 38, hold their seats for five years.

(2) The State President shall when appointing senators have regard to the desirability of ensuring that the Senate will as far as practicable consist of persons having knowledge of matters affecting the various interests of the inhabitants of the Republic.

(3) If the seat of a senator so appointed becomes vacant, the State President shall appoint another person to hold the seat until the completion of the period for which the person in whose stead he is appointed, would have held the seat.

(4) If there are no elected senators with the legal qualifications referred to in section 40(3) or the number of elected senators with such legal qualifications is not sufficient for the purposes of that section, the State President shall appoint, in terms of section 33(1)(a), as senators one or more persons who have such legal qualifications as may be required for the purposes of section 40(3).

Elected senators

35. (1) The senators elected under section 33(1)(b) shall hold their seats for five years unless the Senate be sooner dissolved.

(2) If the seat of an elected senator becomes vacant, the the members of the provincial council of the province, together with the members of the House of Assembly elected for such province, shall elect a person to hold the seat until the completion of the period for which the person in whose stead he is elected, would have held the seat.

(3) The election of senators shall take place according to the principle of proportional representation, each voter having one transferable vote.

(4) The State President may make regulations in regard to the election of senators under this Constitution, including regulations prescribing the method of voting and of transferring and counting votes and the duties of returning officers in connection with such elections.

Standing committees of Senate

36. The Senate may from time to time establish standing committees as it may deem fit, and any Minister or Deputy Minister may at any time with due regard to the Standing Orders of the Senate, move that any matter be referred to such a committee for investigation and report.

Announcing of legislation intended to be introduced in Senate

37. The Prime Minister or any Minister acting on his behalf shall at the commencement of each session and may from time to time during the course of any session of Parliament as circumstances may require, make known what bills are to be introduced in the Senate during that session.

Dissolution of the Senate and vacation of seats by nominated senators in certain circumstances

38. (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Constitution or any other law the State President may ―

(a) at any time by proclamation in the Gazette dissolve the Senate simultaneously with the House of Assembly;

(b) dissolve the Senate at any time within one hundred and twenty days of any dissolution of the House of Assembly or the expiry of the term of office of a provincial council under section _____.

(2) Upon any such dissolution of the Senate all the members of the Senate shall vacate their seats.

(3) Any senator appointed in terms of section 33(1)(a) of this Constitution shall, subject to the provisions of this Constitution and any other law, vacate his seat if the Prime Minister vacates his office and another person becomes Prime Minister and the State President publishes a notice in the Gazette that a change of Government has occurred.

Qualifications of senators

39. No person shall be qualified to be a senator under this Constitution unless —

(a) he is a citizen of _____;

(b) he has attained the age of 30 years;

(c) he is qualified for registration as a voter for the purposes of the election of members of the House of Assembly and is so registered;

(d) he has been domiciled in _____ for a period of at least five years.

The Senate Legal Committee

40. (1) After a general election and as soon as practicable after the election of the President of the Senate in terms of section 41 and the election of the Deputy President of the Senate in terms of section 43 the President of the Senate shall, subject to the provisions of this section, appoint a committee to be known as the Senate Legal Committee.

(2) The Senate Legal Committee shall consist of such number of senators as the State President may determine and the State President may, at any time after the appointment of the Senate Legal Committee, direct that the membership thereof shall be increased or decreased, as the case may be, by such number as he may specify:

Provided that at no time shall the Senate Legal Committee consist of less than three members.

(3) A majority of the members of the Senate Legal Committee shall consist of persons holding such legal qualifications as may be prescribed by a law of the Legislature for the purposes of this section.

Election of President of Senate

41. (1) At such time on such day as may be fixed by the Secretary to Parliament, being a day not later than the day fixed in terms of section _____ for the first meeting of Parliament after a general election, and, before the Senate proceeds to the dispatch of any other business, the Senate shall elect a person to be the President of the Senate and, whenever the office of the President of the Senate becomes vacant otherwise than by reason of the dissolution of Parliament, the Senate shall not transact any other business until a person to fill that office has been elected.

(2) The President of the Senate shall be elected in accordance with the Standing Orders, either from among the members of the Senate or the House of Assembly who are neither Ministers nor Deputy Ministers, or from among persons who are not members of the Senate or the House of Assembly:

Provided that a person who is not a member of the Senate shall not be elected President of the Senate unless he possesses the qualifications and none of the disqualifications for election as a senator.

(3) Before a person who has been elected as the President of the Senate enters upon the duties of his office, he shall, unless he has already done so in accordance with the provisions of section 69, declare his assets and liabilities as prescribed in this Constitution and subsequently take and subscribe the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of membership as prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution before the Senate.

Tenure of office of President of Senate

42. (1) The President of the Senate may at any time resign his office either by announcing his resignation in person to the Senate or by notice in writing to the Secretary to Parliament.

(2) The President of the Senate shall vacate his office ―

(a) on the dissolution of Parliament next following his election; or

(b) if he becomes a Minister or a Deputy Minister; or

(c) if he is elected or appointed as a senator; or

(d) if he is elected as a member of the House of Assembly or as the Speaker; or

(e) if any circumstances arise that, if he had been a senator ―

(i) the provisions of section 61(1) would apply to him and his seat as a senator would become vacant; or

(ii) he would be required, by virtue of the provisions of section 63, to cease to exercise any of his functions as a senator.

(3) The office of the President of the Senate shall become vacant if the Senate, by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the Senate, resolves that the office of the President of the Senate shall become vacant.

(4) Any function of the President of the Senate which is required to be performed on the polling day after a dissolution of Parliament or between that day and the day when the Senate first meets thereafter shall be performed by the person who was the President of the Senate immediately before that polling day:

Provided that if at any time after the dissolution of Parliament the person who was the President of the Senate immediately before such dissolution relinquishes the functions of that office by notice in writing to the State President or is for any reason unable to perform them, those functions shall be performed by the Secretary to Parliament or by some other person appointed by the State President in that behalf.

Election of Deputy President of Senate

43. (1) After a general election and as soon as practicable after the election of the President of the Senate in terms of section 41, the Senate shall elect a senator, not being a Minister or a Deputy Minister, to be the Deputy President of the Senate and to be chairman when the Senate is in Committee and, whenever the office of the Deputy President of the Senate becomes vacant otherwise than by reason of a dissolution of Parliament, the Senate shall as soon as convenient elect another such senator to that office.

(2) The Deputy President of the Senate shall be elected in accordance with the Standing Orders.

(3) The Deputy President may at any time resign his office by notice in writing to the Secretary to Parliament and shall vacate his office ―

(a) if he ceases to be a senator; or

(b) if he is required by virtue of the provisions of section 63 or 64 to cease to exercise any of his functions as a senator; or

(c) if he becomes a Minister or a Deputy Minister.

PART III
THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Constitution of House of Assembly

44. The House of Assembly shall be composed of one hundred and twenty members, each of whom shall be directly elected by the persons entitled to vote at an election of such a member in an electoral division delimited as provided in section 46.

Elections

46. At any general election of members of the House of Assembly under this Constitution, all polls shall be taken on one and the same day in all the electoral divisions throughout the Republic, such day to be appointed by the State President.

Delimitation of electoral divisions

47. (1) At intervals of not less than five years and not more than ten years, the State President shall appoint a delimitation commission consisting of three judges of the High Court, which shall divide each province into so many electoral divisions that their number bears, as nearly as possible, the same ratio to one hundred and twenty as, in terms of the current voters’ lists, duly corrected up to the latest possible date, the number of voters in that province bears to the total number of voters in the Republic.

(2) In dividing a province into electoral divisions in terms of subsection (1) the said commission shall act in accordance with the provisions of section 48.

Method of dividing provinces into electoral divisions

48. (1) For the purposes of any division of the provinces into electoral divisions, the quota of each province shall be obtained by dividing the total number of voters in the province as ascertained from an examination of the current voters’ lists by the number of members of the House of Assembly to be elected therein.

(2) Each province shall be divided into electoral divisions in such a manner that each such division shall, subject to the provisions of subsection (3), contain a number of voters as nearly as may be equal to the quota of the province.

(3) The delimitation commission shall give due consideration to ―

(a) community or diversity of interests;

(b) means of communication;

(c) physical features;

(d) boundaries of existing electoral divisions;

(e) sparsity or density of population,

in such manner that, while taking the quota of voters as the basis of division, the commission may depart therefrom whenever it is deemed necessary, but in no case to any greater extent than fifteen per cent more or fifteen per cent less than the quota.

Powers and duties of commission for delimiting electoral divisions

49. (1) A commission constituted under the provisions of section 47 shall submit to the State President ―

(a) a list of electoral divisions, with the names given to them by the commission and a description of the boundaries of every such division;

(b) a map or maps showing the electoral divisions into which the provinces have been divided;

(c) such further particulars as it considers necessary.

(2) The State President may refer to the commission for its consideration all matters relating to such list or arising out of the powers or duties of the commission.

(3) The State President shall by proclamation in the Gazette make known the names and boundaries of the electoral divisions as finally settled and certified by the commission, or a majority thereof, and thereafter, until there shall be a re-division, the electoral divisions as named and defined shall be the electoral divisions of _____ in the provinces.

(4) If any discrepancy arises between the description of the divisions and the aforesaid map or maps, the description shall prevail.

Date from which alteration of electoral divisions takes effect

50. Any alteration in the number of members of the House of Assembly to be elected in the several provinces, and any re-division of the provinces into electoral divisions, shall, in respect of the election of members of the House of Assembly, come into operation at the next general election held after the completion of the re-division or of any allocation consequent upon such alteration, and not earlier.

Duration of House of Assembly

51. The House of Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, continue for a term of five years from the day of its first meeting and shall stand dissolved at the expiration of its term.

Writs for general election

52. (1) The State President may cause writs to be issued for general elections of members of the House of Assembly.

(2) After the first general election, the writs shall be issued within ten days from the expiry of a House of Assembly or from the proclamation of a dissolution thereof.

Writs for vacancies

53. Whenever a vacancy happens in the House of Assembly, the Speaker shall issue his writ for the election of a new member, or if there is no Speaker or if he is absent from _____ the State President may issue the writ.

Qualifications of members

54. No person shall be qualified to be a member of the House of Assembly under this Constitution unless —

(a) he is a citizen of _____;

(b) he has attained the age of 21 years;

(c) he is qualified for registration as a voter for the purposes of the election of members of the House of Assembly and is so registered; and

(d) he has been domiciled in _____ for a period of at least five years.

Election of Speaker

55. (1) At such time on such day as may be fixed by the Secretary to Parliament, being a day not later than the day fixed in terms of section _____ for the first meeting of Parliament after a general election, and, before the House of Assembly proceeds to the dispatch of any other business, the House of Assembly shall elect a person to be the Speaker and, whenever the office of the Speaker becomes vacant otherwise than by reason of the dissolution of Parliament, the House of Assembly shall not transact any other business until a person to fill that office has been elected.

(2) The Speaker shall be elected in accordance with the Standing Orders, either from among the members of the Senate or the House of Assembly who are neither Ministers nor Deputy Ministers, or from among persons who are not members of the Senate or the House of Assembly:

Provided that a person who is not a member of the House of Assembly shall not be elected Speaker unless he possesses the qualifications and none of the disqualifications for election as a member of the House of Assembly.

(3) Before a person who has been elected as the Speaker enters upon the duties of his office, he shall, unless he has already done so in accordance with the provisions of section 69, declare his assets and liabilities as prescribed in this Constitution and subsequently take and subscribe the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of membership as prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution before the House of Assembly.

Tenure of office of Speaker

56. (1) The Speaker may at any time resign his office either by announcing his resignation in person to the House of Assembly or by notice in writing to the Secretary to Parliament.

(2) The Speaker shall vacate his office ―

(a) on the dissolution of Parliament next following his election; or

(b) if he becomes a Minister or a Deputy Minister; or

(c) if he is elected or appointed as a senator or elected as the President of the Senate; or

(d) if he is elected as a member of the House of Assembly; or

(e) if any circumstances arise that, if he had been a member of the House of Assembly ―

(i) the provisions of section 61(1) would apply to him and his seat as a member would become vacant; or

(ii) he would be required, by virtue of the provisions of section 63, to cease to exercise any of his functions as a member.

(3) The office of the Speaker shall become vacant if the House of Assembly, by an affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House of Assembly, resolves that the office of the Speaker shall become vacant.

(4) Any function of the Speaker which is required to be performed on the polling day after a dissolution of Parliament or between that day and the day when the House of Assembly first meets thereafter shall be performed by the person who was the Speaker immediately before that polling day:

Provided that if at any time after the dissolution of Parliament the person who was the Speaker immediately before such dissolution relinquishes the functions of that office by notice in writing to the State President or is for any reason unable to perform them, those functions shall be performed by the Secretary to Parliament or by some other person appointed by the State President in that behalf.

Election of Deputy Speaker

57. (1) After a general election and as soon as practicable after the election of the Speaker in terms of section 55, the House of Assembly shall elect a member of the House of Assembly, not being a Minister or a Deputy Minister, to be the Deputy Speaker and to be chairman when the House of Assembly is in Committee and, whenever the office of the Deputy Speaker becomes vacant otherwise than by reason of a dissolution of Parliament, the House of Assembly shall as soon as convenient elect another such member to that office.

(2) The Deputy Speaker shall be elected in accordance with the Standing Orders.

(3) The Deputy Speaker may at any time resign his office by notice in writing to the Secretary to Parliament and shall vacate his office ―

(a) if he ceases to be a member of the House of Assembly; or

(b) if he is required by virtue of the provisions of section 63 or 64 to cease to exercise any of his functions as a member of the House of Assembly; or

(c) if he becomes a Minister or a Deputy Minister.

PART IV
SENATE AND HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY

Remuneration of President of Senate and Speaker

58. (1) There shall be charged upon and paid out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the President of the Senate and to the Speaker such salaries as may be prescribed from time to time by a law of the Legislature and such allowances as may be prescribed by or under any such law.

(2) The salary of the President of the Senate or of the Speaker shall not be reduced during his continuance in office.

(3) A person who was the President of the Senate or the Speaker immediately before a dissolution of Parliament shall continue to receive the salary and allowances of the President of the Senate or the Speaker, as the case may be, until such time as the Senate or the House of Assembly, respectively, first meets after the dissolution or until he ceases to perform the functions of ―

(a) the President of the Senate in the circumstances referred to in section 42(4); or

(b) the Speaker in the circumstances referred to in section 56(4);

as the case may be.

Powers of Ministers and Deputy Ministers in Senate and House of Assembly

59. A Minister or Deputy Minister who is a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly shall have the right to sit and speak both in the Senate and in the House of Assembly but shall vote only in the House of which he is a member.

Vacating of seats by members

60. (1) A member of the Senate who is elected as a member of the House of Assembly or as the Speaker shall vacate his seat as a senator with effect from the date on which he becomes a member of the House of Assembly or is elected as the Speaker, as the case may be.

(2) A member of the House of Assembly who is elected or appointed as a member of the Senate or elected as the President of the Senate shall vacate his seat as a member of the House of Assembly with effect from the day on which he becomes a member of the Senate or is elected as the President of the Senate, as the case may be.

Tenure of seat of member of Senate or House of Assembly

61. (1) The seat of a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly shall become vacant —

(a) on the dissolution of Parliament next following his election or appointment; or

(b) if he resigns his seat by notice in writing to the President of the Senate or the Speaker, as the case may be, or, in the case of the death, incapacity or absence from _____ of the President of the Senate or the Speaker, to the Secretary to Parliament; or

(c) if he is absent from twenty-one consecutive sittings during any session without the leave of the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, and the Senate or the House of Assembly has resolved by a majority of the total membership of the Senate or the House of Assembly that the seat shall become vacant; or

(d) if he is elected as the President of the Senate or the Speaker; or

(e) if he accepts any public office; or

(f) if he ceases to be qualified for election to the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be; or

(g) if he becomes subject to any of the disabilities mentioned in section 62;

(h) in the circumstances set out in section 63; or

(i) if he is required, by virtue of the provisions of section 64, to vacate his seat.

(2) The resignation of a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly shall not become effective to render the seat of that member vacant under the provisions of subsection (1)(b) in any case in which —

(a) proceedings are pending in respect of that member's election, if it is alleged that illegal or corrupt practices took place at such election; or

(b) proceedings in the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, are contemplated or pending in respect of that member's conduct in or as a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly;

unless the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, by resolution accepts the resignation.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1)(e), a person shall not be deemed to have accepted a public office by reason of —

(a) accepting appointment as a Minister or a Deputy Minister; or

(b) holding any office for which no renumeration is paid other than payment by way of traveling or subsistence allowances or out-of-pocket expenses.

Disqualifications from being a member of Senate or House of Assembly

62. (1) No person shall be capable of being elected or of sitting as a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly, if —

(a) subject to the provisions of section 26 of this Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than _____ or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the Legislature, has made a declaration of allegiance to such a country; or

(b) he is an unrehabilitated insolvent; or

(c) he is of unsound mind, and has been so declared by a competent court; or

(d) within a period of less than 10 years before the date of an election to a legislative house, he has been convicted and sentenced for an offence involving dishonesty or he has been found guilty of a contravention of the Code of Conduct; or

(e) he is a member of a secret society; or

(f) he has been indicted for embezzlement or fraud by Judicial Commission of Inquiry or an Administrative Panel of Inquiry or a Tribunal set up under the Tribunals of Inquiry Act, a Tribunals of Inquiry Law or any other law.

Members sentenced to death or to imprisonment

63. (1) In the event of a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly being convicted —

(a) within _____ of a criminal offense; or

(b) outside _____ of an offense, by whatever name called, which if committed in _____ would have been a criminal offense;

and being sentenced by a court to death or imprisonment, by whatever name called, for a term of six months or more, such member shall cease forthwith to exercise his functions or to be entitled to any renumeration as a member and, subject to the other provisions of this section, his seat shall become vacant at the expiration of thirty days from the date of such sentence.

(2) When during the period of thirty days referred to in subsection (1), an application for a free pardon is made or an appeal is filed, the question whether the member is to vacate his seat shall not be determined until the final disposal of such application or appeal, whereupon the member shall forthwith vacate his seat unless —

(a) he is granted a free pardon; or

(b) his conviction is set aside; or

(c) his sentence is reduced to a term of imprisonment of less than six months; or

(d) a punishment other than imprisonment is substituted.

(3) Where as a consequence of the final disposal of the application or appeal of the member, his conviction or sentence is varied in any manner specified in paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (2), the member shall not vacate his seat, unless he has previously resigned, but shall be entitled to resume his functions as a member and to receive renumeration as such for the period during which he ceased to exercise his functions as a member by reason of the other provisions of this section.

(4) For the purposes of this section —

(a) two or more sentences of imprisonment that are required to be served consecutively shall be regarded as a single term of imprisonment for the aggregate period of those terms;

(b) two or more sentences of imprisonment that are required to be served concurrently shall be regarded as a single term of imprisonment for the period of the longest of such terms;

(c) a person shall be regarded as sentenced notwithstanding that the execution of the sentence or any part thereof has been suspended;

(d) no account shall be taken of any sentence of imprisonment imposed as an alternative to, or in default of, the payment of a fine.

Expulsion or suspension of members convicted of certain offenses

64. (1) If —

(a) a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly is convicted of an offense described in section 63(1) and is sentenced to imprisonment for a lesser period than that specified in that subsection or to a fine or other punishment not specified in that subsection; and

(b) the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, after taking into account the nature of the offense and the sentence imposed, resolves by the affirmative votes of not less than two-thirds of its total membership that the member is unfit to continue as a member or that the member should be suspended from the service of the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, for such period, not exceeding six months, as the Senate or the House of Assembly may specify;

the member shall forthwith vacate his seat or, as the case may be, be suspended from the service of the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, for the period so specified.

(2) A member of the Senate or the House of Assembly who is suspended from the service of the Senate or the House of Assembly in terms of subsection (1) shall not exercise his functions and shall not be entitled to any renumeration as a member during the period of his suspension.

Penalty for sitting or voting when disqualified

65. If any person who is by law incapable of sitting as a senator or member of the House of Assembly shall, while so disqualified and knowing or having reasonable grounds for knowing that he is so disqualified, sit or vote as a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly, he shall be liable to a penalty of five hundred dollars for each day on which he shall so sit or vote, to be recovered on behalf of the Consolidated Revenue Fund by action of the High Court.

Validity of proceedings

66. Subject to the provisions of section 71, the Senate or the House of Assembly shall not be disqualified for the transaction of business by reason of any vacancy among the members thereof, including any vacancy not filled when the Senate or the House of Assembly is reconstituted at any time or when a member is suspended in terms of section 63 or 64 and any proceedings therein shall be valid notwithstanding that some person who was not entitled so to do sat or voted in the Senate or the House of Assembly or otherwise took part in the proceedings.

PART V
GENERAL POWERS AND PROCEDURE

Power to make laws

67. (1) The Legislature shall, subject to the provisions of section 4, have full power to make laws, to be entitled “Acts”, for the peace, order and good government of _____.

(2) The powers of the Legislature shall extend to the making of laws having extra-territorial operation.

Standing Orders

68. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the Senate and the House of Assembly may, jointly or severally as may be appropriate, make Standing Orders with respect to —

(a) the passing, instituting, and numbering of Bills;

(b) the notification to the State President of any vacancy in the membership of the Senate or the House of Assembly;

(c) any manner in connection with which Standing Orders may be made in terms of this Constitution;

and, generally, with respect to the regulation and orderly conduct of proceedings and business in and between the Senate and the House of Assembly.

Declaration of assets and liabilities; oaths of members

69. Every member of the Senate or the House of Assembly shall, before taking his seat, declare his assets and liabilities as prescribed in this Constitution and subsequently take and subscribe the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of membership as prescribed in the Seventh Schedule to this Constitution before the President of the Senate or, as the case may be, the Speaker.

Presiding in Parliament

70. (1) The President of the Senate or, when he is unable to act, the Deputy President of the Senate or, when they are both unable to act, a senator, not being a Minister or a Deputy Minister, elected or appointed in accordance with the Standing Orders, shall preside over the deliberations of the Senate:

Provided that the President of the Senate or the Deputy President of the Senate or other senator, as the case may be, when acting for the President of the Senate shall not preside over the deliberations of the Senate in Committee.

(2) The Speaker or, when he is unable to act, the Deputy Speaker or, when they are both unable to act, a member of the House of Assembly, not being a Minister or a Deputy Minister, elected or appointed in accordance with the Standing Orders, shall preside over the deliberations of the House of Assembly:

Provided that the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker or other member of the House of Assembly, as the case may be, when acting for the Speaker shall not preside over the deliberations of the House of Assembly in Committee.

Quorum in Parliament

71. (1) If objection is taken by a member of the Senate that there are present, besides the President of the Senate or the senator presiding, fewer than twenty senators and, after such interval as may be prescribed in the Standing Orders, the President of the Senate or senator presiding ascertains that the number of senators present is less than twenty, the Senate shall thereupon be adjourned in accordance with the Standing Orders.

(2) If objection is taken by a member of the House of Assembly that there are present, besides the Speaker or the member presiding, fewer than forty members and, after such interval as may be prescribed in the Standing Orders, the Speaker or member presiding ascertains that the number of members present is less than forty, the House of Assembly shall thereupon be adjourned in accordance with the Standing Orders.

Voting in Parliament

72. (1) Save as otherwise provided in this Constitution, all questions proposed for decision in the Senate or the House of Assembly shall be determined by a majority of the votes of the members present and voting.

(2) If, upon any question before the Senate or the House of Assembly, the votes of the members are equally divided, the motion shall be lost unless the person who is presiding has, by virtue of the proviso to subsection (3), a casting vote.

(3) The person presiding at a sitting of the Senate or of the House of Assembly, as the case may be, shall not have an original or a casting vote:

Provided that a senator or a member of the House of Assembly when presiding at a sitting of the Senate or of the House of Assembly, as the case may be, shall have and exercise a casting but not an original vote.

Use of languages in Parliament

73. Until the Legislature otherwise provides, all debates and proceedings in the Senate or the House of Assembly shall be conducted and all records thereof shall be kept in Kiswahili, English, Afrikaans or Hindustani.

Privileges of Parliament and members

74. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and to the rules and Standing Orders regulating the procedure of Parliament, there shall be freedom of speech in Parliament.

(2) No member of Parliament shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in Parliament or any committee thereof, and no person shall be so liable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of either House of Parliament of any report, paper, votes or proceedings.

(3) In other respects, the powers, privileges and immunities of each house of Parliament, and of the members and the committees of each House, shall be such as may be prescribed from time to time by a law of the Legislature.

(4) The provisions of subsections (1), (2) and (3) shall apply in relation to persons who by virtue of this Constitution have the right to speak in, and otherwise to take part in the proceedings of, a House of Parliament or any committee thereof as they apply in relation to members of Parliament.

Secretary to Parliament and other staff of Parliament

75. (1) There shall be a Secretary to Parliament appointed by the Speaker after consulting the President of the Senate and subject to the approval of the House of Assembly.

(2) A person appointed as the Secretary to Parliament shall not be removable from office except in pursuance of a resolution by the House of Assembly.

(3) The salary of the Secretary to Parliament shall not be reduced during his continuance in office.

(4) Subject to any wishes which may be expressed from time to time by the House of Assembly, the Speaker shall, after consulting the President of the Senate, appoint such number of other staff of Parliament as the Speaker may from time to time consider necessary.

(5) The staff of Parliament shall be appointed on terms of service approved from time to time by the House of Assembly and shall be deemed to be public officers but shall not form part of the civil service of the Government of _____.

State President and other persons may address Congress

76. (1) The State President may at any time —

(a) attend and address the Senate or the House of Assembly; or

(b) call a joint meeting of the Senate and the House of Assembly and attend and address such joint meeting.

(2) The State President may send messages to the Senate or the House of Assembly and any such message shall be read by a Minister designated by the State President at the first convenient sitting of the the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be, after it is received.

(3) The Senate and the House of Assembly may, either jointly or severally, pursuant to a resolution, invite any person to address the Senate or the Assembly or, as the case may be, a joint meeting of the Senate and the House of Assembly.

PART VI
PROCEDURE IN REGARD TO BILLS

Introduction of Bills, motions and petitions

77. (1) Any Bill may originate in the House of Assembly.

(2) Any Bill, other than a Money Bill or a private Bill, may originate in the Senate.

(3) Subject to the conditions of this Constitution and the Standing Orders —

(a) any member of the Senate may introduce any Bill into or move any motion for debate in or present any petition to the Senate and the same shall be debated and disposed of according to the Standing Orders of the Senate;

(b) any member of the House of Assembly may introduce any Bill into or move any motion for debate in or present any petition to the House of Assembly and the same shall be debated and disposed of according to the Standing Orders of the House of Assembly;

(c) any Minister or Deputy Minister who is a member of the Senate or the House of Assembly may introduce any Bill into or move any motion for debate in or present any petition to either the Senate or the House of Assembly and the same shall be debated and disposed of according to the Standing Orders of the Senate or the House of Assembly, as the case may be.

(4) Except on the recommendation of the State President signified by a Minister or a Deputy Minister, the Senate or the House of Assembly shall not —

(a) proceed upon any Bill, including any amendment to a Bill, which, in the opinion of the President of the Senate or the Speaker, as the case may be, makes provision for any of the following matters —

(i) imposing or increasing any tax;

(ii) imposing or increasing any charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund or other public funds of _____ or altering any such charge otherwise than by reducing it;

(iii) compounding or remitting any debt due to the Government of _____;

(iv) authorizing the making or raising of any loan by the Government of _____; or

(b) proceed upon any motion, including any amendment to a motion, the effect of which, in the opinion of the President of the Senate or the Speaker, as the case may be, is that provision should be made for any of the manners specified in paragraph (a); or

(c) receive any petition which, in the opinion of the President of the Senate or the Speaker, as the case may be, requests that provision be made for any of the manners specified in paragraph (a).

(5) The provisions of subsection (4) shall not apply to —

(a) any Bill introduced, motion moved, or petition presented by a Minister or a Deputy Minister; or

(b) any amendment moved by a Minister or a Deputy Minister to a Bill or motion.

Procedure in regard to Bills

78. (1) Immediately after a Bill which originates in the House of Assembly has been given a final reading and passed by the House of Assembly, the Speaker shall cause an authenticated copy of the Bill to be transmitted to the Senate for consideration and the day on which it is transmitted to be recorded in the journal of the House of Assembly.

(2) A Bill transmitted to the Senate in terms of subsection (1) shall be introduced forthwith into the Senate and, subject to the provisions of section 83, the Senate may reject the Bill or pass the Bill, with or without amendments.

(3) A Bill introduced into the Senate in terms of subsection (2) which has been given a final reading and passed by the Senate with amendments shall be returned forthwith to the House of Assembly with the amendments duly certified by the Secretary to Parliament and the House of Assembly may reject, agree to, or amend the amendments made to the Bill by the Senate.

(4) Immediately after a Bill which originates in the Senate has been given a final reading and passed by the Senate, the President of the Senate shall cause an authenticated copy of the Bill to be transmitted to the House of Assembly for consideration and the day on which it is transmitted to be recorded in the journal of the Senate.

(5) A Bill transmitted to the House of Assembly in terms of subsection (4) shall be introduced into the House of Assembly as soon as may be convenient and the House of Assembly may reject the Bill or pass the Bill, with or without amendments.

(6) A Bill introduced into the House of Assembly in terms of subsection (5) which has been given a final reading and passed by the House of Assembly with amendments shall be forthwith returned to the Senate with the amendments duly certified by the Secretary to Parliament and the Senate may reject, agree to, or amend the amendments made to the Bill by the House of Assembly.

Disagreement between Senate and House of Assembly

79. (1) If —

(a) the Senate and the House of Assembly have not agreed upon the amendments to be made to a Bill which originates in the House of Assembly before the expiration of a period of one hundred and eighty days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate; or

(b) the Senate and the House of Assembly have not agreed upon the amendments to be made to a Bill which originates in the Senate before the expiration of a period of one hundred and eighty days beginning on the day of the return of the Bill to the Senate; or

(c) a Bill which originates in the House of Assembly has been rejected or has not been passed by the Senate before the expiration of a period of one hundred and eighty days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate;

the Bill may, subject to the provisions of this section, be presented to the State President for assent in the form in which it was passed by the House of Assembly with such amendments, if any, as the Senate and the House of Assembly may have agreed:

Provided that if, in the opinion of the Speaker, a Bill which —

(i) originates in the House of Assembly; and

(ii) is introduced into the House of Assembly after the expiration of a period of one hundred and eighty days beginning on the day of the introduction into the Senate of a previous Bill originating in the Senate;

contains provisions identical with those contained in that previous Bill, except for minor changes required by the passage of time, the provisions of this subsection shall be construed and have effect as though the references in paragraphs (a) and (c) to a period of one hundred and eighty days were references to a period of eight sitting days.

(2) A Bill referred to in subsection (1) shall not be presented to the State President for assent unless a resolution that the Bill be presented to the State President for assent has been passed by the House of Assembly —

(a) in the case of a Bill referred to in paragraph (a) or (c) of that subsection, after the expiration of a period of one hundred and eighty days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate;

(b) in the case of a Bill referred to in paragraph (b) of that subsection, after the expiration of a period of one hundred and eighty days beginning on the day of the return of the Bill to the Senate;

(c) in the case of a Bill referred to in the proviso to that subsection, after the expiration of a period of eight sitting days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate.

(3) The provisions of subsection (1) shall not apply to a constitutional Bill.

(4) A Bill referred to in subsection (1) shall not be presented to the State President for assent unless it is accompanied by a certificate from the Speaker stating that the Bill is a Bill to which the relevant provisions of subsections (1) and (2) apply and that the Bill may lawfully be presented for assent by virtue of those provisions.

(5) A Bill presented to the State President for assent in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Assembly referred to in subsection (2) shall be deemed to have been duly passed by Parliament in the form in which it is presented to the State President.

(6) In the calculation of any period of one hundred and eighty days referred to in this section, no account shall be taken of any period during which Parliament is prorogued.

(7) For the purposes of this section —

(a) a Bill originating in the House of Assembly shall be deemed to have been introduced into the Senate on the sitting day next following the day on which a copy of the Bill is transmitted to the Senate in terms of subsection (1) of section 78;

(b) a Bill originating in the Senate shall be deemed to have been returned to the Senate on the sitting day next following the day on which the Bill is returned for the first time to the Senate in terms of subsection (6) of section 78.

Functions of Senate Legal Committee in regard to Bills

80. (1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (6), every Bill shall, immediately before its introduction into the Senate, be referred to the Senate Legal Committee.

(2) It shall be the duty of the Senate Legal Committee to examine every Bill referred to it in terms of subsection (1) and, subject to the provisions of subsection (3), to report to the Senate, within the period of twenty-one sitting days beginning on the day the Bill referred to the Committee, whether or not, in the opinion of the Committee, any provision of the Bill, would, if enacted, be inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights.

(3) The President of the Senate may, on the application of the Chairman of the Senate Legal Committee, extend for a further period not exceeding twenty-one sitting days, as he thinks fit, the period specified in subsection (2) if he considers it proper to do so on account of the length or complexity of a Bill or the number of matters for the time being under consideration by the Committee or for any other sufficient reason and any extension of time so granted shall be recorded in the journal of the Senate.

(4) The Senate shall not proceed upon a Bill after the introduction of the Bill into the Senate unless a report of the Senate Legal Committee on the Bill has been presented to the Senate:

Provided that if no report on a Bill has been presented to the Senate within the period specified in subsection (2) or any extension of that period which may have been granted in terms of subsection (3), it shall be presumed that the Committee is of the opinion that no provision of the Bill would, if enacted, be inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights and, accordingly, the Senate may proceed upon the Bill.

(5) The provisions of this section shall, mutatis mutandis, apply to a provision of a Bill which is amended by the House of Assembly after the Bill has been given a final reading in the House of Assembly or in the Senate.

(6) The provisions of subsection (1) shall not apply to ―

(a) a Money Bill;

(b) a constitutional Bill;

(c) a Bill to which the proviso to section 79(1) applies.

(7) A Minister may, if he sees fit, transmit to the Secretary to Parliament for examination by the Senate Legal Committee a draft of any Bill he proposes to introduce into the Senate or the House of Assembly and the Secretary to Parliament shall forthwith refer the Bill to the Senate Legal Committee and the Senate Legal Committee shall consider the Bill and cause the Minister to be informed whether or not, in the opinion of the Committee, any, and if so which, provision of the Bill would, if enacted, be inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights but nothing herein contained shall affect the provisions of subsections (1) to (6) in so far as they apply should that Bill be introduced in the Senate.

Reports of Senate Legal Committee

81. (1) It shall be the duty of the Senate to consider any report report presented to the Senate in terms of section 80 which states that, in the opinion of the Senate Legal Committee, a provision of a Bill would, if enacted, be inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights.

(2) After considering the report, if any, presented to the Senate in terms of section 80 in relation to a Bill the Senate may resolve that a provision of that Bill would, if enacted, be inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights.

(3) If the Senate resolves that a provision of a Bill would, if enacted, be inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights, the Senate shall not pass the Bill containing that provision.

Procedure in regard to Bills where certificate of urgency is issued

82. (1) The Prime Minister may, subject to the provisions of subsection (4), certify that a Bill originating in the House of Assembly which has been given a final reading and passed by the House of Assembly is so urgent that it is not in the national interest to delay the enactment of the Bill.

(2) If ―

(a) the Senate and the House of Assembly have not agreed upon the amendments to be made to a Bill in respect of which a certificate has been issued in terms of subsection (1) before the expiration of a period of eight sitting days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate; or

(b) a Bill in respect of which a certificate has been issued in terms of subsection (1) has not been passed by the Senate before the expiration of a period of eight sitting days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate;

the Bill may, subject to the provisions of this section, be presented to the State President for assent in the form in which it was passed by the House of Assembly with such amendments, if any, as the Senate and the House of Assembly may have agreed.

(3) A Bill referred to in subsection (2) shall not be presented to the State President for assent unless a resolution that the Bill be presented to the State President for assent has been passed by the House of Assembly after the expiration of a period of eight sitting days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate.

(4) The provisions of this section shall not apply to ―

(a) a constitutional Bill; or

(b) a Bill referred to in section ______.

(5) A Bill referred to in subsection (2) shall not be presented to the State President for assent unless it is accompanied by a certificate from the Speaker stating that the Bill is a Bill to which the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) apply and that the Bill may lawfully be presented for assent by virtue of those provisions.

(6) A Bill presented to the State President for assent in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Assembly referred to in subsection (3) shall be deemed to have been duly passed by Parliament in the form in which it is presented to the State President.

(7) For the purposes of this section a Bill in respect of which a certificate has been issued in terms of subsection (1) shall be deemed to have been introduced into the Senate on the sitting day next following the day on which a copy of the Bill is transmitted to the Senate in terms of section 78(1).

(8) If, in the case of a Bill presented to the State President for assent in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Assembly referred to in subsection (3), the Senate has not considered that Bill in the form in which it was presented to the State President for assent, a copy of that Bill certified by the Secretary to Parliament to be in the form in which it was presented to the State President for assent shall be transmitted to the Senate immediately after its enactment and the provisions of sections 80 and 81 shall, mutatis mutandis, apply in relation to that Bill.

(9) The provisions of subsections (10) and (11) shall apply to a Bill to which the State President has assented in the pursuance of the provisions of this section if the Senate ―

(a) resolved before the day on which that Bill was enacted that a provision of that Bill, as enacted, was a provision which would, if enacted, be inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights; or

(b) resolves within a period of thirty sitting days beginning on the day on which that Bill was enacted that a provision of that Bill is inconsistent with the Declaration of Rights.

(10) If, before the expiration of a period of eight sitting days beginning on ―

(a) the day of the resolution of the Senate referred to in subsection (9); or

(b) the day on which the Bill is enacted;

whichever is the later day, the House of Assembly has not passed a resolution such as is referred to in subsection (11), the State President shall forthwith cause to be published in the Gazette a notice annulling the provision to which the resolution of the Senate relates.

(11) If, before the expiration of the period referred to in subsection (10), the House of Assembly has, by the affirmative votes of more than one-half of the total membership of the House of Assembly, resolved that the provision of the Bill to which the resolution of the Senate relates shall remain in force, the provision shall, unless it is sooner repealed or has had its effect, continue in force for a period of two hundred and seventy days beginning on the day of the resolution or the day on which the Bill is enacted, whichever is the later day:

Provided that, if ―

(a) the resolution of the House of Assembly referred to in this subsection was passed by the affirmative votes of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House of Assembly; or

(b) before the expiration of the period of two hundred and seventy days referred to in this subsection the House of Assembly, has, by the affirmative votes of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House of Assembly, passed a further resolution that the provision shall remain in force;

the provision shall continue in force after the expiration of the period of two hundred and seventy days, unless it is sooner repealed or has had its effect.

(12) Where the Senate or the House of Assembly passes a resolution in pursuance of the provisions of subsection (9), (10) or (11), the Secretary to Parliament shall cause to be published in the Gazette a notice of such resolution and of the effect thereof.

(13) The annulment of any provision of an Act in terms of this section shall not affect the operation thereof as respects things previously done or omitted to be done in terms of that provision and no action, indictment or other legal proceedings whatsoever shall be brought or instituted in any court of law for or on account of any act or thing whatsoever in good faith done or omitted to be done under that provision.

Money Bills

83. (1) The Senate shall not have power to amend a Bill which is certified by the Speaker to be a Money Bill but may recommend amendments to the House of Assembly.

(2) An amendment to a Bill referred to in subsection (1) which is recommended by the Senate shall be duly certified by the Secretary to Parliament and transmitted to the House of Assembly for its consideration.

(3) After the House of Assembly has considered amendments to a Bill referred to in subsection (1) which have been recommended by the Senate the Bill shall be presented to the State President for assent in the form in which it was passed by the House of Assembly with such amendments, if any, as may have been made by the House of Assembly on the recommendation of the Senate.

(4) If a Bill referred to in subsection (1) has not been passed by the Senate before the expiration of a period of eight sitting days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate, the Bill may, subject to the provisions of this section, be presented to the State President for assent in the form in which it was passed by the House of Assembly.

(5) A Bill referred to in subsection (4) shall not be presented to the State President for assent unless a resolution that the Bill be presented to the State President for assent has been passed by the House of Assembly after the expiration of a period of eight sitting days beginning on the day of the introduction of the Bill into the Senate.

(6) A Bill referred to in subsection (4) shall not be presented to the State President for assent unless it is accompanied by a certificate from the Speaker stating that the Bill is a Bill to which the provisions of subsections (4) and (5) apply and that the Bill may lawfully be presented for assent by virtue of those provisions.

(7) A Bill presented to the State President for assent in pursuance of a resolution of the House of Assembly referred to in subsection (5) shall be deemed to have been duly passed by Parliament in the form in which it is presented to the State President.

(8) For the purposes of this section, a Bill referred to in subsection (1) shall be deemed to have been introduced into the Senate on the sitting day next following the day on which a copy of the Bill is transmitted to the Senate in terms of section 78(1).

Provisions relating to amendment of Bills

84. Subject to the provisions of this Constitution and the Standing Orders, after a Bill has been returned to the House in which it originated, the Senate or the House of Assembly may, by message to the other House pursuant to a resolution, agree to any amendment or withdraw any amendment which has been made to the Bill.

Assent to Bills

85. (1) No Bill shall become law unless the State President assents thereto and has signed it in token of such assent.

(2) A Bill shall be presented to the State President for assent when it has been duly passed by Parliament, subject always to compliance with any other requirements of this Constitution that apply to such Bill.

(3) Subject to the provisions of section 79(5), 82(6), section 83(7) and Chapter _____, a Bill shall be duly passed by Parliament if the Bill has been agreed by the Senate and the House of Assembly in the form in which it is presented to the State President for assent.

(4) When a Bill is presented to the State President for assent, he shall, within ten days ―

(a) assent to the Bill; or

(b) in the case of a Bill other than a Money Bill, return the Bill to Parliament with a message requesting that the Bill, or any specified provision thereof, be reconsidered and that any amendment specified in the message be considered.

(5) When the State President has returned a Bill to Parliament, it shall be reconsidered by Parliament in joint sitting and, if it is again passed, with or without amendment, by Parliament, by the votes of the majority of the members of both Houses present and voting, it shall be deemed for the purposes of the Constitution to have been passed by both Houses and shall be presented to the State President, and the State President shall give his assent within ten days, failing which such assent shall be deemed to have been given.

(6) In every Bill presented to the State President for assent the words of enactment shall be ―

“Be it enacted by the State President and the Parliament of _____.”

Further provisions relating to enactment of Bills

86. (1) Where in this Constitution there is a provision that a Bill of a specified description shall not be presented to the State President for assent unless it is accompanied by a prescribed certificate, the State President shall not assent to the Bill unless it is accompanied by the prescribed certificate.

(2) A law assented to by the State President shall come into operation on the day of its publication in the Gazette or on such other day as may be specified in and under that or some other law.

Enrollment of Acts

87. (1) As soon as may be after a Bill has been assented to by the State President, the Secretary to Parliament shall cause a fair copy of the Act, duly authenticated by the signature of the State President and the Public Seal of _____, to be enrolled on record in the Office of the Registrar of the High Court and such copy shall be conclusive evidence of the provisions of such Act.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), a law of the Legislature may provide that a revised edition of the laws in force on any specified day shall be compiled and published and that, upon publication, the laws therein printed shall in all courts of justice and for all purposes whatever be the sole and authentic version of such laws and be conclusive evidence thereof, and the State President shall cause a duly authenticated copy of such revised edition of the laws to be deposited in the Office of the Registrar of the High Court.

(3) The validity of an Act of the Legislature or of a revised edition of the laws shall not depend upon the enrollment or deposit thereof in pursuance of the provisions of this section.

PART VII
LEGISLATIVE POWERS OF THE STATE PRESIDENT

Power of State President to promulgate Ordinances during recess of Parliament

88. (1) If at any time, except when both Houses of Parliament are in session, the State President is satisfied that circumstances exist which render it necessary for him to take immediate action, he may promulgate such Ordinances as the circumstances appear to him to require.

(2) An Ordinance promulgated under this section shall have the same force and effect as an Act of the Legislature, but every such Ordinance ―

(a) shall be laid before both Houses of Parliament and shall cease to operate at the expiration of six weeks from the reassembly of Parliament, or, if before the expiration of that period resolutions disapproving it are passed by both Houses, upon the passing of the second of those resolutions; and

(b) may be withdrawn at any time by the State President.

Explanation. ― Where the Houses of Parliament are summoned to reassemble on different dates, the period of six weeks shall be reckoned from the later of those dates for the purposes of this subsection.

(3) If and so far as an Ordinance under this section makes any provision which Parliament would not under this Constitution be competent to enact, it shall be void.

PART VIII
SUMMONING, PROROGATION, AND DISSOLUTION

Sessions of Parliament

89. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the sessions of Parliament shall be held in such place and shall begin at such time and on such day as the State President may direct by proclamation published in the Gazette.

(2) There shall be a session of Parliament beginning in every calender year so that a period of not more than twelve months shall not intervene between the last sitting of either House in any one session and the first sitting of Parliament in the next session.

Prorogation and dissolution

90. (1) The State President may from time to time prorogue Parliament or either House.

(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, Parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of its first sitting after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved.

(3) At any time when _____ is at war, Parliament may from time to time extend the period of five years specified in subsection (2) of this section for not more than twelve months at a time:

Provided that the life of Parliament shall not be extended under this subsection for more than five years.

(4) Notwithstanding any dissolution of the Senate or the House of Assembly under this Act, whether by effluxion of time or otherwise ―

(a) every person who at the date of the dissolution is a member of the body concerned shall remain a member thereof;

(b) the said body shall remain competent to perform its functions; and

(c) the State President shall have power to summon Parliament for the dispatch of business during the period following such dissolution up to and including the day immediately preceding the polling day for the election held in pursuance of such dissolution, in the same manner in all respects as if the dissolution had not occurred.

(5) In the exercise of his powers under this article the State President shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister:

Provided that ―

(a) if the House of Assembly passes a resolution, supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the House of Assembly, that it has no confidence in the Government, and the Prime Minister does not within three days either resign from his office or advise a dissolution, the State President may dissolve Parliament;

(b) if the office of Prime Minister is vacant and the State President considers that there is no prospect of his being able within a reasonable time to appoint to that office a person who can command the support of a majority of the members of the House of Assembly, the State President may dissolve the Parliament; and

(c) if the Prime Minister recommends a dissolution and the State President considers that the Government of ______ can be carried on without a dissolution and that a dissolution would not be in the interests of ______, the State President may refuse to dissolve Parliament.

(6) On the dissolution of Parliament all proceedings pending at the time shall be terminated and accordingly every Bill, motion, petition or other business shall lapse.

CHAPTER VI
HEAD OF STATE

The State President

91.