Citation, commencement and construction
1.—(1) This Order may be cited as The Bahamas Independence Order 1973.
(2) Subject to the provisions of the next following subsection this Order shall come into operation on 10th July 1973 (in this Order referred to as “the appointed day”
(3) The Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Bahama Islands may at any time after 20th June 1973 exercise any of the powers conferred on the Governor-General by section 4(3) of this Order or Article 39(4) of the Constitution set out in the Schedule to this Order (in this Order referred to as “the Constitution”) to such an extent as may be necessary or expedient to enable the Constitution to function as from the appointed day.
(4) (a) For the purposes of the exercise by the Governor under subsection (3) of this section of the powers conferred by section 4(3) of this Order the Governor shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister.
(b)For the purposes of the exercise by the Governor under the said subsection of the powers conferred by Article 39(4) of the Constitution the Governor shall act in accordance with the advice of the Prime Minister after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition.
(c)For the purposes of this subsection references to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition shall be construed as references to the persons performing the functions of those offices under the Bahamas Islands (Constitution) Order 1969() (in this Order referred to as “the existing Order”, and in relation to the exercise by virtue of this subsection of the powers conferred by Article 39(4) of the Constitution the provisions of Article 40 of the Constitution shall apply as they would apply in relation to the exercise of those powers by virtue of Article 39(4) of the Constitution.
(5) Save where the context otherwise requires, expressions used in sections 1 to 17 of this Order shall have the same meaning as in the Constitution and the provisions of Articles 127 and 137 of the Constitution shall apply for the purposes of interpreting those sections as they apply for the purposes of interpreting the Constitution.
