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Attorney General Outlines Government’s Legislative Agenda in the Senate

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By: Betty Vedrine

Bahamas Information Services

 

 

#TheBahamas, June 23, 2022 –  As part of his contribution to the 2022/2023 national Budget Debate, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senator, the Hon. L. Ryan Pinder outlined legislative actions by the government to meet some of its objectives.

He started off by firstly thanking the Law Reform and Revision Commission for working ‘tirelessly’ to ensure the government can proceed with its aggressive legislative agenda from day one. He then went on to highlight parts of the legislative agenda under consideration during the first half of this upcoming fiscal year.

“The ‘Evidence Amendment (2022)’ – this is fulfillment of a promise in our Blueprint for Change – to address needs of disaster victims to return to normalcy. We hope to debate, before we break for the summer, this amendment which will shorten the number of years for those that have gone missing in events of peril. This is fundamentally important to bring finality to scores of families across The Bahamas as a result of missing family members from Hurricane Dorian and allow normalcy to return to day-to-day life,” he said.

He also discussed the ‘Rehabilitation of Offenders (Amendment) Bill 2022’, which he said is ‘consistent’ with the government’s mandate.

“We  will shortly table an amendment to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act to expunge records of minor offenses due to violations of emergency orders.”

As it relates to the ‘Healthcare Suite of Legislation,’ he said that in addition to the recently tabled Nurses and Midwives Bill 2022, an amendment will be tabled shortly to the National Health Insurance Bill, and introduction of a modern and comprehensive Mental Health Bill 2022.

This, he said, would be the most comprehensive health care compendium of legislation advanced in recent memory to provide a comprehensive framework for the health care, both physical and mental health care, for Bahamians.

There is also legislation foreshadowing the introduction of a Cannabis industry in the country.

“We will advance a comprehensive suite of legislation on the regulation of Cannabis, creating a new agri-business industry in The Bahamas. This legislation is internationally benchmarked against the countries around the world in the industry. The framework will be for the regulation of the medical Cannabis industry from the farm to the border, and will also provide a separate regulatory framework for industrial hemp, for wellness products and for pure industrial uses such as clothing, rope and building materials made from hemp. We will also provide a framework for the de-criminalization of possession of small amounts of Cannabis products,” he said.

The ‘Carbon Exchange Bill 2022’ will advance the monetization of carbon credits. “We will be bringing to Parliament specially drafted legislation to establish a carbon credit exchange in The Bahamas,” said Senator Pinder.

“The desire is to create a regulated framework that will establish The Bahamas as the regional, and hopefully the global center for the trade in carbon credits. We will participate in the vertically integrated carbon credit marketplace, The Bahamas — a leader in the world on this issue.”

Referring to the ‘Mining Authority Bill 2022’ as a “long overdue piece of regulatory reform”, he said it would address the mining of natural resources in The Bahamas. “The approach now is an industry-led approach without a modern regulatory envelope to ensure best international standards are being followed in natural resources mining.  We are a country where there is foreign direct investment in real estate development projects, many of these require mining. We also have commercial aggregate mining.”

The ‘Nationality Bill 2022’  is being put in place to advance appropriate legislation to bring equality to Bahamian men and women in the transmission of citizenship to their children. He said this would end the issue of inequality.  He said that an  initial draft has been prepared and commented on internally with a view to presenting it to cabinet  and ultimately tabling in Parliament.

In order to clear up any issues with the bill, the Senator said that the Constitution in Article 13 provides that Parliament may make provision for the acquisition of citizenship of The Bahamas by persons who do not become citizens of The Bahamas by virtue of the provisions of this Chapter.  Advancing equality, he expanded, when it comes to transmission of citizenship, is ‘explicitly’ permitted through the legislative mechanisms of Parliament.

There are also plans for The ‘Bahamas Strategic Investment Fund Legislation’, a pledge that the government made to support community projects and initiatives.

In Our Blueprint for Change we pledge:

1)For infrastructure projects, develop PPPs to support community development initiatives

2) Strengthen legislation for a Sovereign Wealth Fund

3)A new sovereign investment fund to hold private sector investment interests (such as APD, BTC Cable Bahamas, etc.).

He said that consistent with this pledge, the government would advance comprehensive, international best practices legislation that would incorporate the flexibility for the government to undertake promises in this area ensuring the highest standards of governance.

The initial draft of the bill,  he said, has been prepared and is being reviewed and refined.

Mr. Pinder also discussed Amendments to the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Act & Regulations.  He said the government is seeking to update The Bahamas’ legislation relative to underwater cultural heritage by amending the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Act, along with its amendments and regulations. “The proposed amendments specifically relate to licensing requirements, costs, timeframes, geographical areas, and the current government/licensee revenue-split with respect to salvage licensees.”

In a bid to improve the current law pertaining the registration of companies, insolvency and bankruptcy, he said that there will be ‘Company Legislative Reform.’ This, he believes,  would be conducive to the  rapidly evolving domestic and international economic and financial services environments.

“There  is a clear need to improve the current law pertaining to the registration of companies, insolvency, and bankruptcy in The Bahamas. In this vein, the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas led by the Office of the Attorney General has set a goal to revise the relevant law.

He said that Terms of Reference have been finalized and the government is now prepared to appoint a project team made up of public and private sector individuals formed to overhaul the Bahamas’ registered companies, insolvency, and bankruptcy legislative regimes.

“The goal now, is to ensure that these relevant new proposed laws remain current, modern, competitive and reflect international best practices generally. These reforms have the ability to materially change the Bahamas’ commercial offering internationally and provide another boost to our financial services and commercial structuring markets. We look to become the near shore Delaware for corporate structuring and reorganization.”

He said that the government is now armed with a distinct legislative agenda that is focused on deliverables to the Bahamian people.  (BIS Photo/Ulric Woodside)

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Bahamas News

Don Jr. Bahamas Wedding to Proceed Without President Trump

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USA, May 22, 2026 – Donald Trump Jr. is expected to marry Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson this weekend in The Bahamas, but despite speculation surrounding the high-profile ceremony, the exact location remains tightly guarded.

Multiple U.S. media outlets report the couple selected a private island in The Bahamas for what is being described as a small, intimate Memorial Day weekend wedding with roughly 50 close friends and family members in attendance. So far, no publication has publicly confirmed which Bahamian island or cay will host the ceremony, though reports consistently describe it as a secluded and heavily private setting.

The secrecy has only fueled curiosity in a country made up of more than 700 islands and cays, many of which are favored by wealthy international visitors for destination weddings and luxury retreats.

On Friday, President Donald Trump confirmed he will not attend the ceremony, citing international tensions and responsibilities at the White House.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so.”

Earlier in the week, Trump had indicated he would “try and make it,” but acknowledged the timing was “not good” because of ongoing tensions involving Iran.

Donald Trump Jr., 48, became engaged to Anderson, 39, in December 2025 at Camp David after about a year of dating. This will be his second marriage.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Bahamas News

Over a Week Later, Bahamians Still Waiting on Full Election Numbers

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The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – More than a week after Bahamians voted in the country’s 2026 General Election, complete official constituency voting figures still have not been publicly released by the Parliamentary Registration Department.

While winners have been declared across the country’s expanded 41-seat Parliament, no centralized official breakdown showing constituency vote totals, turnout percentages, rejected ballots or margins of victory appears to have been published publicly.

The Progressive Liberal Party is widely reported to have secured 33 seats, while the Free National Movement won eight seats, according to tallies carried by several media houses, including the Nassau Guardian’s election tracker and other regional reports.

Still missing, however, are the underlying numbers which would allow the public to independently assess voter participation levels across the country’s 41 constituencies.

That absence is drawing increasing attention following an election already marked by concerns over long lines, advanced polling confusion, voter register complaints and questions about election administration.

Unofficial turnout estimates circulating in local media place national voter participation near 58 percent. If confirmed, that would represent the lowest voter turnout in modern Bahamian general election history.

Historically, The Bahamas has recorded strong election participation rates, with turnout often exceeding 80 percent in previous decades. But participation declined sharply in 2021, when official turnout fell to roughly 65 percent — at the time considered historically low.

Now, the Coalition of Independents says it plans to challenge aspects of the election process in Election Court and is escalating its criticism of the handling of the vote.

In a sharply worded statement issued to media, Coalition Leader Lincoln Bain announced the party will boycott the opening of Parliament, insisting the election was “flawed from start to finish.”

The Coalition claims the country cannot “celebrate ceremony while justice is ignored,” arguing that unresolved election concerns continue to hang over the legitimacy of the process.

Among the concerns raised by the COI are:

  • allegations of voter register irregularities;
  • claims that the voters register remained open after Parliament was dissolved;
  • accusations of vote buying;
  • concerns tied to the Pinewood constituency race;
  • alleged constitutional breaches involving undeclared government contracts;
  • and alleged conflicts of interest involving gaming operators serving in Cabinet.

The Coalition also referenced allegations surrounding criminal influence and drug-related claims connected to political operations, while calling for what it describes as a “serious local investigation.”

In its statement, the COI said there has been “no proper public accounting, no local investigation announced, and no Commission of Inquiry launched into these matters.”

The group is now demanding a formal Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the election and related allegations.

Bain said the boycott of Parliament is “not a boycott of democracy” but instead “a stand in defence of democracy.”

The statement further argues that Parliament itself must be protected from “corruption, conflicts of interest, criminal influence, and electoral fraud.”

So far, election authorities have not publicly indicated when complete certified constituency voting figures will be formally released.

And that delay is becoming increasingly significant because the missing data includes the very numbers needed to understand whether Bahamians truly disengaged from the electoral process in record numbers.

If unofficial turnout estimates are accurate, it would mean voter participation in 2026 either matched or fell below the historically low 2021 election turnout — despite The Bahamas recording one of its largest voter registration totals ever, with more than 209,000 people listed to vote.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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Health

Grand Turk Residents Fear Norovirus-Linked Cruise as Health Ministry Approves Docking

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Turks and Caicos, May 22, 2026 – Residents in Grand Turk raised concerns last week after a cruise ship previously linked to a major norovirus outbreak was cleared to dock in the Turks and Caicos Islands days after passengers were reportedly denied disembarkation in The Bahamas over health fears.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the outbreak sickened 115 people — including 102 passengers and 13 crew members — during a voyage which ran from April 28 to May 11. The illnesses involved symptoms commonly associated with norovirus, including vomiting and diarrhea.

The outbreak became public on May 7 and quickly triggered concern across the region.

Authorities in Nassau reportedly refused to allow passengers off the vessel because of public health concerns connected to the outbreak.

That decision later fueled anxiety among some Turks and Caicos residents when the ship proceeded to Grand Turk on May 15.

Residents’ concerns were not without cause.

Norovirus is a highly contagious viral illness often associated with cruise ships, hotels, schools and other environments where large groups of people share close quarters. The virus primarily causes sudden vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps and nausea, and spreads rapidly through contaminated food, water, surfaces and person-to-person contact.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most healthy people recover within one to three days, but norovirus can become serious — and occasionally fatal — for elderly individuals, young children and people with weakened immune systems because of severe dehydration. While the overall fatality rate is considered very low, the CDC estimates norovirus contributes to hundreds of deaths annually in the United States, mainly among vulnerable populations.

The Turks and Caicos Ministry of Health and Human Services had said in a press statement on May 15, it believed the risks had been effectively neutralized before the vessel arrived in Grand Turk.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Ministry said the ship had already returned to Florida, where passengers disembarked and “comprehensive sanitization and deep-cleaning procedures were completed” before operations resumed.

The Ministry also stressed that its Public Health Team maintained “close and continuous communication” with the ship’s medical personnel, Carnival Cruise Line officials and stakeholders at the Grand Turk Cruise Centre before approving the docking.

Routine inspections and standard port health procedures were also carried out, according to officials.

The Ministry further reassured the public that there were “currently no public health concerns” associated with the vessel’s arrival.

Still, the situation once again highlighted the delicate balancing act Caribbean nations face between protecting public health and sustaining tourism economies heavily dependent on cruise arrivals.

Officials are now encouraging vendors, taxi operators, tour companies and businesses to continue practicing strong sanitation and hygiene measures as an added precaution.

Residents were also reminded that frequent handwashing remains one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of norovirus and other infectious illnesses.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

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