Barbados Independence Act 1966 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to make provision for, and in connection with, the attainment by Barbados of fully responsible status within the Commonwealth. |
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| Citation | 1966 c. 37 |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 17 November 1966 |
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Status: Current legislation
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| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
The Barbados Independence Act 1966 was a special law passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. This law made Barbados a fully independent country. It officially happened on November 30, 1966. The Act also set up a new constitution for Barbados. This new constitution started when Barbados became independent.
Because of this Act, Barbados became the fourth English-speaking country in the West Indies to gain full independence from the United Kingdom. Before Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, and Guyana had already become independent. When it gained independence, Barbados joined the Commonwealth of Nations. It was a Commonwealth realm, meaning the British monarch was still its head of state. Barbados had been a self-governing British colony since 1961.
How Barbados Gained Independence
The idea for this law started as a bill. A bill is a proposed law. It was called the Barbados Independence Bill. This bill was first shown in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom. This happened on October 28, 1966. Frederick Lee, who was in charge of the colonies, presented it.
The House of Commons is one part of the UK Parliament. They discussed the bill and voted on it. It passed there on November 2, 1966. No changes were made to the bill at that time.
Next, the bill went to the House of Lords. This is the other part of the UK Parliament. It arrived there on November 3, 1966. Malcolm Shepherd, 2nd Baron Shepherd read it on November 10, 1966. The House of Lords also passed the bill. They did this on November 15, 1966, without any changes.
Royal Approval
After passing both Houses of Parliament, the bill needed Royal assent. This means the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II at the time, had to approve it. Queen Elizabeth II gave her approval on November 17, 1966. The law then officially started on November 30, 1966. This was the day Barbados became independent.
After Independence
After gaining independence, Barbados remained a constitutional monarchy. This means it had its own government, but the British monarch was still its head of state. This continued until November 30, 2021. On that day, Barbados became a republic. This means it now has its own president as its head of state.
See also
- Barbados nationality law
- Saint Andrew's Day
