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20. Protection of freedom of expression
21. Protection of freedom of assembly and association
22. Protection of freedom of movement
23. Protection from discrimination on ground of race, etc.
24. Enforcement of protective provisions
27. Interpretation
20.1
Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of expression, and for the purposes of this section the said freedom includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference, freedom to receive ideas and information without interference, freedom to communicate ideas and information without interferences and freedom from interference with his correspondence or other means of communication.
20.2
Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision -
21.1
Except with his own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his freedom of 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 associations for the protection of his interests.
21.2
Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision -
22.1
No person shall be deprived of his freedom of movement, that is to say, the right to move freely throughout Barbados, the right to reside in any part of Barbados, the right to enter Barbados, the right to leave Barbados and immunity from expulsion from Barbados.
22.2
Any restriction on a person's freedom of movement that is involved in his lawful detention shall not be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section.
22.3
Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistence with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision -
22.4
Where a person's freedom of movement is restricted by virtue of such a provision as is referred to in subsection (3)(a), the following provisions shall apply -
22.5
On any review by a tribunal in pursuance of subsection (4) of the case of any person whose freedom of movement has been restricted the tribunal may make recommendations concerning the necessity of expediency of continuing that restriction to the authority by whom it was ordered, but, unless it is otherwise provided by law, that authority by whom it was ordered, but, unless, it is otherwise provided by law, that authority shall not be obliged to act in accordance with any such recommendations.
23.1
Subject to the provisions of this section
23.2
In this section the expression "discriminatory" means affording different treatment to different persons attributable wholly or mainly to their respective descriptions by race, place of origin, political opinions, colour or creed whereby persons of one such description are subjected to disabilities or restrictions to which person of another such description are not made subject or are accorded privileges or advantages which are not afforded to persons of another such description.
23.2
Subsection (1)(a) shall not apply to any law so far as that law makes provision -
23.4
Nothing contained in any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of subsection (1)(a) to the extent that it makes provision with respect to standards or qualifications (not being standards or qualifications specifically relating to race, place of origin, political opinion, colour or creed) to be required of any person who is appointed to any office in the public service, any office in a disciplined force, or any office in the service of a local government authority or of a body corporate established by any law for public purposes.
23.5
Subsection (1)(b) shall not apply to anything which is expressly or by necessary implication authorized to be done by any such provision of law as is referred to in subsection (3) or (4).
23.6
Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of this section to the extent that the law in question makes provision whereby persons of any such description as is mentioned in subsection (2) may be subjected to any restriction on the rights and freedoms guaranteed by sections 17, 19, 20, 21 and 22, being such a restriction as is authorized by subsection (2) of section 17, subsection (6) of section 19, subsection (2) of section 20, subsection (2) of section 21, or subsection (3) of section 22, as the case may be.
23.7
Subsection (1)(b) shall not affect any discretion relating to the institution, conduct or discontinuance of civil or criminal proceedings in any court that is vested in any person by this Constitution or any other law.
24.1
Subject to the provisions of subsection (6), if any person alleges that any of the provisions of sections 12 to 23, is being or is likely to be contravened in relation to him (or, in the case of a person who is detained, if any other person alleges such a contravention in relation to the detained person), then, without prejudice to any other action with respect to the same matter which is lawfully available, that person (or that other person) may apply to the High Court for redress.
24.2
The High Court shall have original jurisdiction -
and may make such orders, issue such writs and give such directions as it may consider appropriate for the purpose of enforcing or securing the enforcement of any of the provisions of sections 12 to 23:
Provided that the High Court shall not exercise its powers under this subsection if it is satisfied that adequate means of redress are or have been available to the person concerned under any other law.
24.3
If in any proceedings in any court subordinate to the High Court any question arises as to the contravention of any of the provisions of sections 12 to 23, the person presiding in that court shall refer the question to the High Court unless, in his opinion, the raising of the question is merely frivolous or vexatious.
24.4
Where any question is referred to the High Court pursuance of subsection (3), the High Court shall give its decision upon the question and the court in which the question arose shall dispose of the case in accordance with that decision or, if that decision is the subject of an appeal under this Constitution to the Court of Appeal or to Her Majesty in Council, in accordance with the decision of the Court of Appeal or, as the case may be, of Her Majesty in Council.
24.5
Parliament may confer upon the High Court such powers in addition to those conferred by this section as may appear to Parliament to be necessary or desirable for the purpose of enabling the High Court more effectively to exercise the jurisdiction conferred upon it by this section.
24.6
Parliament may make provision with respect to the practice and procedure -
including provision with respect to the time within which any application, reference or appeal shall or may be made or brought; and, subject to any provision so made, provision may be made with respect to the matters aforesaid by rules of court.
24.7
In this section "the Court of Appeal" has the same meaning as it has in section 87.
25.1
In this Chapter "period of public emergency" means any period during which -
25.2
A proclamation made by the Governor General shall not be effective for the purposes of subsection (1) unless it is declared therein that the Governor General is satisfied -
25.3
A proclamation made by the Governor General for the purposes of this section shall, unless previously revoked, remain in force for one month or for such longer period, not exceeding six months, as the House of Assembly may determine by a resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of that House;
Provided that any such proclamation may be extended from time to time for a further period not exceeding six months by resolution passed in like manner and may be revoked at any time by resolution supported by the votes of a majority of all the members of the House of Assembly.
25.4
A resolution passed by a House for the purposes of subsection (1)(c) may be revoked at any time by a resolution of that House supported by the votes of a majority of all the members thereof.
26.1
Nothing contained in or done under the authority of any written law shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of any provision of sections 12 to 23 to the extent that the law in question -
26.2
In subsection (1)(c) the reference to altering and existing law includes references to repealing it and re-enacting it with modifications or making different provisions in lieu thereof, and to modifying it; and in subsection (1) "written law" includes any instrument having the force of law and in this subsection and subsection (1) references to the repeal and re-enactment of an existing law shall be construed accordingly.
27.1
In this chapter -
"contravention", in relation to any requirement, includes a failure to comply with that requirement;
"court" means any court of law having jurisdiction in Barbados other that a court established by a disciplinary law, and includes Her Majesty in Council and -
"disciplinary law" means a law regulating the discipline of any disciplined force;
"disciplined force" means -
"legal representative", in relation to any court or other tribunal, means a person entitled to practice as a barrister or solicitor before such court or tribunal; and
"member", in relation to a disciplined force, includes any person who, under the law regulating the discipline of that force, is subject to that discipline.
27.2
References in sections 12, 13, 17 and 22 to a criminal offense shall be construed as including references to an offense against a disciplinary law, and such references in subsections (2) to (7) and (11)(a) of section 18 shall, in relation to proceedings before a court established by a disciplinary law, be similarly construed.
27.3
In relation to any person who is a member of a disciplined force raised under the law of any country other than Barbados and lawfully present in Barbados, nothing contained in or done under the authority of the disciplinary law of that force shall be held to be inconsistent with or in contravention of any provision of sections 12 to 23.

Chapter 3 continues 2
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3 Protection of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms of the Individual |