Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2021)

60.   Ministers of the Government

  1.  

    (1)   There shall be a Prime Minister of Saint Lucia who shall be appointed by the Governor General.

  1.  

    (2)   Whenever the Governor General has occasion to appoint a Prime Minister he or she shall appoint a member of the House who appears to him or her likely to command the support of the majority of the members of the House.

  1.  

    (3)   There shall be, in addition to the office of Prime Minister, such other offices of Minister of the Government as may be established by Parliament or, subject to the provisions of any law enacted by Parliament, by the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.

  1.  

    (4)   Appointments to the office of Minister, other than the office of Prime Minister, shall be made by the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, from among the Senators and the members of the House.

  1.  

    (5)   If occasion arises for making an appointment to the office of Prime Minister or any other Minister while Parliament is dissolved, then, notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (2) and (4), a person who was a member of the House immediately before the dissolution may be appointed as Prime Minister or any other Minister and a person who was a Senator immediately before the dissolution may be appointed as any Minister other than Prime Minister.

  1.  

    (6)   The Governor General shall remove the Prime Minister from office if a resolution of no confidence in the Government is passed by the House and the Prime Minister does not within 3 days either resign from his or her office or advise the Governor General to dissolve Parliament.

  1.  

    (7)   If, at any time between the holding of a general election of members of the House and the first meeting of the House thereafter, the Governor General considers that in consequence of changes in the membership of the House resulting from that election the Prime Minister will not be able to command the support of the majority of the members of the House the Governor General may remove the Prime Minister from office.

  1.  

    (8)   The office of any Minister shall become vacant—

    1.  

      (a)     if the holder of the office ceases to be a Senator or a member of the House otherwise than by reason of the dissolution of Parliament;

    1.  

      (b)     in the case of the Prime Minister, if, when the House first meets after the dissolution of Parliament, he or she is not then a member of the House;

    1.  

      (c)     in the case of any other Minister, if, when the House first meets after the dissolution of Parliament, he or she is not then a Senator or a member of the House; or

    1.  

      (d)     if, by virtue of section 27(3) or 34(3), he or she is required to cease to perform his or her functions as a Senator or a member of the House.

  1.  

    (9)   The office of a Minister other than the Prime Minister shall become vacant—

    1.  

      (a)     if the Governor General, acting in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister, so directs;

    1.  

      (b)     if the Prime Minister resigns from office within 3 days after a resolution of no confidence in the Government has been passed by the House or is removed from office under subsection (6); or

    1.  

      (c)     on the appointment of any person to the office of Prime Minister.

  1.  

    (10)   In the exercise of the powers conferred upon him or her by subsections (2), (5) and (7) the Governor General shall act in his or her own deliberate judgment.