Rule of Law, Personal Autonomy & Individual Rights in Barbados – World Countries for Kids

The judiciary is independent in general. CCJ (The Caribbean Court of Justice) is the uppermost appellate court for Barbados. The Supreme Court includes a high court and a court of appeals. The PM enjoys a wide degree of discretion in judicial appointments, something Ms. Mia Amor Mottley promised to address in an ongoing constitutional reform process.

Constitutional due process guarantees are upheld in general. Although the Mottley administration has appointed new judges, a case backlog still persists. Legal reforms made in the year 2023 will allow the chief justice to formulate sentencing guidelines, aimed at standardizing the severity of sentencing in cases involving drugs, firearms, and theft.

Barbados is free from war. Though, complaints that the Barbados Police Force physically abuses suspects have been reported in recent years. Homicides seemed to decrease in 2023, with about 20 murders reported at the end of December, down from 43 in the year 2022. Officials credited the drop to increased policing and efforts to impound guns.

The government has taken few steps to address prison abuse and overcrowding. In April 2023, many officers were found unacceptably negligent over the illness and death of an inmate at Dobbs Prison in the year 2022.

While capital punishment is still legal, the most recent execution took place way back in 1984 and the most recent sentence was issued years ago in 2016. In 2019, the government revoked the mandatory death penalty in cases of murder. However, many prisoners facing the death sentence were still waiting for resentencing in 2023.

Women make up half of the nation’s workforce, but they earn less than men for comparable work. LGBT+ people face discrimination in employment, housing, and health care. Barbados is not a signatory of the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and is yet to pass domestic legislation on asylum or refugee status.

Individuals in Barbados are free to move, live, and work in general. The legal framework supports property rights and private business activity in general. The government has taken steps to ensure a healthy environment for business and to attract domestic and foreign investment, especially in the tourism industry.

Violence against women and children is still widespread, and laws addressing domestic violence are not optimally enforced. In 2022, the High Court struck down parts of the 1992 Sexual Offences Act to decriminalize same-sex relations. The court issued a written explanation of its judgment in May 2023.

Residents have access to economic opportunity in general, and the law provides some protections against exploitative labour practices. Nevertheless, unions have criticized opaque employment practices in the hospitality industry.