The Bahamas

The Bahamas

Right	Section	Contents
Freedom of Association	History	According to Article 24(1) of the 1973 Bahamas Constitution "Except with his consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of peaceful 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 association for the protection of his interests." Article 24(2) describes potential grounds or conditions for exception to this right: "Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this Article to the extent that the law in question makes provision- (a) which is reasonably required- (i) in the interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or (ii) for the purpose of protecting the rights and freedoms of other persons; or (b) which imposes restriction upon person s holding office under the Crown or upon members of a discipline force, and except so far as that provision or, as the case may be, the thing done under the authority thereof is shown not to be reasonably justifiable in a democratic society." References: 1973 Bahamas Constitution: https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/04fb4632-1bd7-414f-b66e-9c499b382480/Chap+3+Protection+rights+and+freedoms.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
Freedom of Expression	History	In The Bahamas Freedom of expression in the 23rd article of the third chapter of the constitution. The constitution signed into law in July of 1973 has remained the ruling doctrine ever since. “The Bahamas Constitution.” The Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas - Government - Details. Last modified 1973. Accessed September 14, 2022. https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/public/About%20The%20Bahamas/Constitution/!ut/p/b1/vVPLdqJAEP2WfMCEbugHLDvyEJXmjcCGoxjBR4MKavDrx8zMIplzJtlM0r3q07fqVt1bJeVSKuXN4rKpFv2mbRb713dOCgVYDmNIdSwMCLBjb8Y8OpZdiO-A7AMAAr_jLRc5xv3bNUcM2NBAY8XXFRACaS6lUSa_6J1dWXawPvjdlgUHmyQ1X-n2eXaGm8pDvWAjXngpfomxq0HlXHal4CdhWEorGw2hKaZN88RCoybHS83j56ZuT5d9lEZDuH7BnXIaYx5TS8jVFKXzOnPYygfE6IrjVQSJmFomrxVe50cnSkvNxEPVHkjdreJzTzLjDLq9eTTzJVi6bao6qfYMnnD18PCnf_CPw8Bn-k2kfLMUj9dSPIJHqEAKZUgRpVTDGJK7PPmHGabyJ4BXB34BPigxuwPomwxRAu4mARaE0Acqh1IkpQAV4XY42LfdLdiCq8xnJXD0wIM7AKNomfDIGhw-4eEpcGAMbmGUT5ybD7tdNfQ88lZJED8xnS1gfPmb0JUj7U44gmQa4_tQoK8mtLCr3jWikcewDCwXfjeh8q2SWp4LvrzDd0OD_P_v4btNUTUCMVWRphKAkEqlZJshqqv2VbejYtT240WndU_-bm6wXifZrOSbTSDaMtRUq5jgcG9Ul6gpf8wvqjOlsN1Re8QOYneMLHcG9-dKXmdnlqWtS0Zu_RwnpqmfmrBq5iNNmMeBzfr1FhU6r-LbnJiBzAmQJ7dCDCFZ9qG69NStKKnZ3PLsNk01OxO-j16AX-xXXbwD03mXljOvahWrXImegCr0lvU4qUBy2TY1OY2HfL4YljKie5Upsk0X6EHi41Y8SwcRX2Z4Yqz524sefgIOCsrJ/dl4/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/.
Freedom of Religion	History	The Constitution of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas was ratified on July 10th 1973. Article 22 protects freedom of religion. The preamble does specifically mention Christian values and the supremacy of God. Constitution Project. “Bahamas (the) 1973 Constitution.” Constitute, POGO, 27 Apr. 2022, https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Bahamas_1973?lang=en. The Bahamas’ 1973 Constitution contains the first assertion of freedom of religion in the country’s independent history. Article 22 of the document outlines this right. “Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.” The Government of the Bahamas. Accessed July 20, 2023. https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/wcm/connect/04fb4632-1bd7-414f-b66e-9c499b382480/Chap+3+Protection+rights+and+freedoms.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
Freedom of the Press	History	Article 23 of the 1973 Bahamian Constitution states that: “Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this Article to the extent that the law in question makes provision which is reasonably required for the purposes of protecting the rights, reputations and freedoms of other persons, preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, maintaining the authority and independence of the courts, or regulating telephony, telegraphy, posts, wireless broadcasting, television, public exhibitions or public entertainment” (Constitute Project, “Bahamas (The)'s Constitution of 1973” ).
Privacy Rights	History	Article 15(c) protects the right to privacy in one’s home. Article 21 extends this right to exist during searches (Constitute Project, “Bahamas (The) 1973” ). https://constituteproject.org/constitution/Bahamas_ 1973? lang=en
Voting Rights and Suffrage	History	The Bahamas Parliamentary Elections Act of 1992 specifies the registration of voters, how the electoral broadcasting council shall conduct its work, how elections are performed and how nominations are seeked (Political Database of the Americas, “Bahamas: Parliamentary Elections Act, 1992” ).