Belize Advisory Council

BELIZE ADVISORY COUNCIL

54. (1) There shall be a Belize Advisory Council which shall consist of not less than six members who shall be persons of integrity and high national standing, of whom at leas two shall be persons who hold or have held any office referred to in section 107 of this Constitution, at least one shall be a person who holds or has held office as adjudge of a superior court of record and at least one shall be a member of a recognized profession in Belize.

(2) Two members of the Belize Advisory Council shall be appointed by the Governor-General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister given with the concurrence of the Leader of the Opposition, and the other members of the Belize Advisory Council shall be appointed by the Governor-General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister given after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.

(3) No person shall be appointed as a member of the Belize Advisory Council unless he is a citizen of Belize, except that a member of the Council who holds or has held office as a judge of a superior court of record need not be a citizen of Belize provided that he is a Commonwealth citizen.

(4) Members of the Belize Advisory Council shall be appointed for a period of then years or such shorter period as may be specified in their respective instruments of appointment.

(5) A member of the Belize Advisory Council shall not enter upon the duties of his office unless he has taken and subscribed the oath of allegiance and office.

(6) The office of a member of the Belize Advisory Council shall become vacant-

a. at the expiration of ten years from the date of his appointment or at the expiration of the period specified in the instrument by which he was appointed, whichever is the soon;

b. when he appliance the age of seventy-five years;

c. if he resigns such office by writing under his own hand addressed to the Governor-General; or

d. if by a resolution of the House of Representatives supported by two-thirds of the members of that House he is declared unable to discharge the functions of his office by reason of persistent absence or infirmity or body or mind, or to be in breach of the provisions of section 121 of this Constitution.

(7) The functions of the Belize Advisory Council shall be-

a. to advise the Governor-General in the exercise of his powers under section 52 of this Constitution;

b. to perform such other tasks and duties as are conferred or imposed on it by this Constitution or any other law.

(8) In the exercise of its functions the Belize Advisory Council shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

(9) The Governor-General shall convene meetings of the Belize Advisory Council as appropriate for consideration of matters which in accordance with this Constitution or any other law the Council in called upon to consider, and otherwise when the Governor-General, acting in his own deliberate judgment, so decides.

(10) The Governor-General shall, whenever practicable, attend meetings of the Belize advisory Council.

(11) The Governor-General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister given after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, shall appoint one of the members of the Belize Advisory Council to be the Senior Member.

(12) At the meeting of the Belize Advisory Council the Chairman shall be-

a. the Governor-General; or

b. in the absence of the Governor-general, the Senior Member; or

c. in the absence of the Governor-General, the Senior Member, the member of the Council elected by a majory of the members attending the meeting to exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Senior Member at that meeting:

Provided that in any case where the Council is convened to discharge its duties under section 98, 102,105,108 or 109 of this Constitution the Chairman shall be a member of the Council who holds or has held office as a judge of a superior court of record and who has been deputed to act in that capacity by the Governor-General acting in his own deliberate judgment.

(13) At meetings of the Belize Advisory Council-

a. the quorum shall be five members;

b. decisions shall be taken by a majority of the votes of those members of the Council present and voting, and

c. in the event that votes are equally divided on any matter, the Chairman, except when he is the Governor-General,shall have a casting vote in addition to his original vote.

(14) The Belize Advisory Council shall regulate its own procedure.

(15) The Belize Advisory Council may, subject to the provisions of this section and to its rules of procedure,act notwithstanding any vacancy in its membership or the absence of any member.

(16) The question whether or not the Belize Advisory Council has validly performed any functions entrusted to it by this Constitution or any other law shall not be enquired into by any court of law.

Constitution of Belize

Preamble

Belize Advisory Council