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CHAPTER 4
DECLARATORY

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

SECTION

Short title.
Common law of England with certain exceptions, declared in force.
Acts of Parliament in force.
Acts of Parliament relative to prerogatives of the Crown declared in force.
Rule of construction of extended Statutes.
Penalties on persons offending against extended Statutes.

SCHEDULE.

CHAPTER 4

DECLARATORY

An Act to declare how much of the Laws of England are practicable within The Bahamas and ought to be in force within the same.

2 of 1799
26 of 1925
1 of 1957

[Commencement 2nd December, 1799]

1. This Act may be cited as the Declaratory Act.

Short title.

2. The common law of England, in all cases where the same hath not been altered by any of the Acts or Statutes enumerated in the Schedule to this Act or by any Act (except so much thereof as hath relation to the ancient feudal tenures, to outlawries in civil suits, to the wager of law or of batail, appeals of felony, writs of attaint and ecclesiastical matters), is, and of right ought to be, in full force within The Bahamas, as the same now is in that part of Great Britain called England.

Common law of England, with certain exceptions, declared in force.

3. (1) The Acts and Statutes enumerated in the first part of the Schedule to this Act are, and of right ought to be, in full force and virtue within and throughout The Bahamas, as the same would be if The Bahamas were therein expressly named, or as if the aforesaid Acts and Statutes had been made and enacted by Parliament.

Acts of Parliament in force.

(2) It is hereby declared that the Acts and Statutes enumerated in the first and second columns of the second part of the Schedule to this Act are, in accordance with the provisions of the enactments set out in the third column of the said second part, similarly in full force and effect throughout The Bahamas.

(3) The Acts and Statutes enumerated in the said Schedule shall be construed subject to any amendments made to them or to the said enactments by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1925, or by any other enactment of Parliament.

4. All and every the Acts and Statutes, and parts of Acts and Statutes, of the Parliament of England, or of the Parliament of Great Britain, which relate to the prerogatives of the Crown, or to the allegiance of the people; also, such as declare the rights, liberties, and privileges of the subject, are, and of right ought to be, of full force and virtue within The Bahamas, as the same would be if The Bahamas were therein expressly named, or as if the aforesaid Acts and Statutes had been made and enacted by Parliament.

Acts of Parliament relative to prerogatives of the Crown declared in force.

5. The several Acts and Statutes hereby declared to be in force shall be taken, construed and executed liberally, and according to the substantial effect and meaning of the same: And nothing herein contained shall extend, or be construed to extend, to abridge, alter or repeal, any Act, or any article, clause, matter or thing therein contained.

Rule of construction of extended Statutes.

6. All persons offending against any of the Acts or Statutes which have hereby been declared to be in force within The Bahamas, shall suffer the same pains, penalties and forfeitures as such persons would be liable to for such offence if committed in England; and all fines, penalties and forfeitures imposed by any of the aforesaid Acts or Statutes shall and lawfully may be prosecuted, sued for, imposed, recovered and levied in the Supreme Court, or other court of corresponding jurisdiction, mutatis mutandis, as the case may be.

Penalties on persons offending against extended Statutes.

SCHEDULE (Section 3)

PART I
ACTS AND STATUTES OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND AND OF THE PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN EXTENDED TO THE BAHAMAS BY 2 OF 1799

Acts and Statutes.

Subject

Chapter in
this Edition

13 Elizabeth I. c. 5

Fraudulent Gifts

149

27 Elizabeth I. c. 4

Fraudulent Conveyances

150

43 Elizabeth I. c. 8

Fraudulent Administration

111

29 Charles II. c. 3

Statute of Frauds

154

31 Charles II. c. 2

Habeas Corpus

63

3 William & Mary c. 14

Fraudulent Devises

118

4 William & Mary c. 16

Clandestine Mortgages

151

10 & 11 William III. c. 16

Posthumous Children

112

8 Anne c. 14

Landlord and Tenant

161

9 Anne c. 14

Gaming

388

4 George II. c. 28

Landlord and Tenant (No. 2)

162

7 George II. c. 20

Mortgages

156

11 George II. c. 19

Distress for Rent (No. 2)

165

NOTE.-This Act declared 207 Acts and Statutes in force in The Bahamas. Subsequent legislation has reduced this number to 13. Each of these Acts and Statutes is inserted in its appropriate title and numbered as a chapter of this Edition as indicated above.

PART II
ACTS AND STATUTES OF THE PARLIAMENT OF ENGLAND AND OF THE PARLIAMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN AND OF THE PARLIAMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND EXTENDED TO THE BAHAMAS SINCE THE ENACTMENT OF THE DECLARATORY ACT 2 OF 1799 AND STILL IN FORCE

Acts and Statutes.
Extended.

Subject

Extending Act.

Chapter in this Edition.

2 William & Mary Sess. 1. c. 5

Distress for Rent

10 of 1872

164

57 George III. c. 52

Deserted Tenements

10 of 1872

166

1 William IV. c. 40

Executors

23 of 1860

119

2 & 3 William IV. c. 71

Prescription

9 of 1846

158

3 & 4 William IV. c. 27

Real Properly Limitation

9 of 1846

(Repealed)

3 & 4 William IV. c. 42

Civil Procedure

33 of 1840

76

3 & 4 William IV. c. 106

Inheritance

15 of 1844

(Repealed)

4 & 5 William IV. c. 22

Rent Apportionment

10 of 1872

167

1 Victoria c. 26

Wills

23 of 1841

115

1 Victoria c. 28

Real Properly Limitation

9 of 1846

(Repealed)

6 & 7 Victoria c. 96

Libel

8 of 1847

72

8 & 9 Victoria c. 106

Real Property

9 of 1846

169

13 &14 Victoria c. 28

Trustees Appointment

14 of 1903

174

15 & 16 Victoria c. 24

Wills

21 of 1854

116

18 & 19 Victoria c. 43

Infants' Settlements

23 of 1860

136

18 & 19 Victoria c. 111

Bills of Lading

23 of 1860

332

19 & 20 Victoria c. 97

Mercantile Law Amendment

23 of 1860

334

22 & 23 Victoria c. 35

Property and Trustees

23 of 1860

170

25 & 26 Victoria c. 89 (Part iv)

Companies

4 of 1868

(Repealed)

33 & 34 Victoria c. 35

Apportionment

10 of 1872

168

34 & 35 Victoria c. 79

Lodgers' Goods

10 of 1872

292

37 & 38 Victoria c. 57

Real Property Limitation

2 of 1877

(Repealed)

45 & 46 Victoria c. 61

Bills of Exchange

5 of 1892

335

52 & 53 Victoria c. 49

Arbitration

20 of 1899

180

53 & 54 Victoria c. 19

Trustees Appointment

14 of 1903

175

56 & 57 Victoria c. 53

Trustees

20 of 1899

(Repealed)

NOTE: Each of these Acts and Statutes is inserted in its appropriate title and numbered as a chapter of this Edition as indicated above.

There are in addition certain Acts of the United Kingdom Parliament that apply in or may be applied to The Bahamas by virtue of their own provisions. These are not printed in this Edition, but a reference is made to them at the end of the Table of Statutes in the Supplementary Volume.


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