National Assembly of Belize
Encyclopedia
The National Assembly of is the bicameral
legislature
of Belize
. It is divided into the House of Representatives
, with 29 (soon to be 31) members, and the Senate
, with 13 members.
The National Assembly has the power to debate and create laws based on the Constitution. It typically meets, both House and Senate, once a month, with other meetings called as necessary.
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
legislature
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
. It is divided into the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Belize
The House of Representatives of Belize is one of two chambers of the National Assembly, the other being the Senate. It was created under the 1981 constitution....
, with 29 (soon to be 31) members, and the Senate
Senate of Belize
The Senate is one of the chambers of the National Assembly. It has 12 members appointed for a five year term by the Governor General.- Establishment and appointment :Senators are appointed by the Governor General in the following manner:...
, with 13 members.
History
The National Assembly of Belize in its current form was first introduced following the 1954 general elections. At this time it had nine House members (there was no Senate until 1981 due to Belize's status as a colony of Great Britain). As the years went by, additions were made to the structure until it assumed its present numbers.The National Assembly has the power to debate and create laws based on the Constitution. It typically meets, both House and Senate, once a month, with other meetings called as necessary.