CONFIDENTIAL
BARBADOS
Report by British High Commission, Bridgetown
Right No.
(i) There is no imprisonment without
trial.
(ii)
There is no use of torture.
(iii)
There is no slavery.
(iv) There is almost complete freedom of
speech. There are two independent papers and the only constraints on these have in the past been a slight reluctance, particularly on the part of the only daily, the Advocate News, to hit as hard as it might, probably because of a certain feeling that discretion is the better part of valour. Nevertheless, by world standards, and particularly by Caribbean standards, the press must be considered free. In the case of radio and television, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation is govern- ment-owned. Both sound and television do broadcast statements by the Opposition, but it remains a fact that the Prime Minister can call on the broadcast media more readily than the Opposition. This fact should not, however, be accorded too much weight and for all practical purposes the broadcast media must be considered as almost completely free.
(v) Some three years ago, the Constitution
was amended after a particularly acrimonious battle in Parliament to alter the basis for the appointment of Judges. Under the current law, the Prime Minister appoints all judges. In theory, this must make the judiciary somewhat less than totally independent, but in practice the present Government could be relied on not to interfere with judicial decisions.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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