Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

50.   Restrictions on powers of Senate as to bills other than money bills

  1.  

    (1)   This section applies to any bill other than a money bill that is passed by the House in 2 successive sessions (whether or not Parliament is dissolved between those sessions) and, having been sent to the Senate in each of those sessions at least one month before the end of the session, is rejected by the Senate in each of those sessions.

  1.  

    (2)   A bill to which this section applies shall, on its rejection for the second time by the Senate, unless the House otherwise resolves, be submitted to the Governor General for assent notwithstanding that the Senate has not consented to the bill:

  1.  

    Provided that—

    1.  

      (a)     the foregoing provisions of this subsection shall not have effect unless at least 6 months have elapsed between the date on which the bill is passed by the House in the first session and the date on which it is passed by the House in the second session;

    1.  

      (b)     a bill such as is referred to in section 41(2) or 41(3) shall not be submitted to the Governor General for his or her assent unless the provisions of that subsection have been complied with and the power conferred on the House by this subsection to resolve that a bill shall not be presented to the Governor General for assent shall not be exercised in respect of such a bill.

  1.  

    (3)   For the purposes of this section a bill that is sent to the Senate from the House in any session shall be deemed to be the same bill as a former bill sent to the Senate in the preceding session if, when it is sent to the Senate, it is identical with the former bill or contains only such alterations as are certified by the Speaker to be necessary owing to the time that has elapsed since the date of the former bill or to represent any amendments which have been made by the Senate in the former bill in the preceding session.

  1.  

    (4)   The House may, if it thinks fit, on the passage through the House of a bill that is deemed to be the same bill as a former bill sent to the Senate in the preceding session, suggest any amendments without inserting the amendments in the bill, and any such amendments shall be considered by the Senate, and if agreed to by the Senate, shall be treated as amendments made by the Senate and agreed to by the House; but the exercise of this power by the House shall not affect the operation of this section in the event of the rejection of the bill in the Senate.

  1.  

    (5)   There shall be inserted in any bill that is submitted to the Governor General for assent in pursuance of this section any amendments that are certified by the Speaker to have been made in the bill by the Senate in the second session and agreed to by the House.

  1.  

    (6)   There shall be endorsed on any bill that is presented to the Governor General for assent in pursuance of this section the certificate of the Speaker signed by him or her that the provisions of this section have been complied with.