Summoning, Proprogation and Dissolution

Session of Parliament

60.1
Each session of Parliament shall be held at such place and commence at such time as the Governor General may appoint.

60.2
The time appointed for the commencement of any session of Parliament shall be such that a period of six months does not intervene between the end of one session and the first sitting of Parliament in the next session.

Prorogation and Dissolution of Parliament

61.1
The Governor General acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, may at any time by proclamation prorogue Parliament.

61.2
The Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, may at any time by proclamation dissolve Parliament:

Provided that if the office of Prime Minister is vacant and the Governor General 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 confidence of a majority of the members of the House of Assembly, he shall dissolve Parliament.

61.3
Subject to the provisions of subsection (4), Parliament, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date of its first sitting after any dissolution and shall then stand dissolved.

61.4
At any time when Barbados is at war, Parliament may extend the period of five years specified in subsection 83) 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 two years.

61.5
If, between a dissolution of Parliament and the next ensuing general election of members to the House of Assembly, an emergency arises of such a nature that, in the opinion of the Prime Minister, it is necessary for the two Houses or either of them to be summoned before that general election can be held, the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, may summon the two Houses of the preceding Parliament, and that Parliament shall thereupon be deemed (except for the purposes of section 62) not to have been dissolved but shall be deemed (except as aforesaid) to be dissolved on the date on which the polls are held in the next ensuing general election.

General Election and Appointment of Senators

62.1
After every dissolution of Parliament the Governor General shall issue writs for a general election of members of the House of Assembly returnable within ninety days from that dissolution.

62.2
As soon as may be after every general election the Governor General shall proceed under section 36 to the appointment of Senators.