| Law in The Bahamas | |
 The Legal
System of the Bahamas
The Bahamas is a former Colony of The United Kingdom and inherited its Common
Law system which was one of the greatest exports of the British Empire.
The Law of The Bahamas is based on English Common Law supplemented by
legislation promulgated by the Parliament of The Bahamas. Recent legislation
has modernized Company and Trust Laws.
The Court System is also modeled after that of The United Kingdom. Magistrates’
Courts hear minor criminal and civil cases, and the Supreme Court hears the
more serious criminal and major civil cases. Appeals are heard by the Court of
Appeal and the Privy Council in England, the highest Court of Appeal for The
Bahamas.
The Government
of the Bahamas
One of the oldest
democracies in the Western Hemisphere, The Bahamas boasts of continuous
traditional parliamentary democracy since 1729.
The Government is modeled on the British Constitutional pattern with a
Prime Minister, a Cabinet of Ministers, an appointed Senate and a House of
Assembly elected by the people to control and administer the day to day affairs
of the country.
The Bahamas was formerly a British colony, achieving its Independence on the 10th
July 1973, and it still maintains sovereign democracy. The Bahamas became an
Independent Nation and a Member of The Commonwealth of Nations with Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth 11 as Head of State. The
Queen is represented locally by a Governor-General who is appointed by the
Government of The Bahamas. The
Government is elected by the populace every 5 years and has a written
Constitution which guarantees fundamental rights.
There are no income, inheritance, capital gains or profits taxes levied on
individuals or companies in The Bahamas. The Government earns revenue primarily
from import duties, stamp duty on real estate transactions and mortgages, incorporation and annual registration fees
payable by companies and annual licence fees payable by Banks and Trust
companies, property tax, casino tax, hotel tax, port tax, and departure tax
The Banks and Trust Companies Regulation Act prohibits the disclosure of any
financial information without proper authorization and imposes penalties of
fines and or imprisonment for unauthorized disclosure.
In 1979, The Bahamas celebrated its 250th Anniversary of
uninterrupted parliamentary democracy. It is a Member of the United Nations and
its specialized Agencies. |
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