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Government of Grenada

The government of Grenada works under a parliamentary representative democratic structure, which means the general population elects politicians to represent the interests of the public. This country belongs to the Commonwealth Realm and as a Commonwealth Nation, the monarch of England serves as its Head of State. The Constitution of Grenada has established a separation of governmental powers through the creation of 3 branches of government: executive, legislative, and judicial. This article takes a closer look at each one.

Executive Branch

The executive branch is headed by the Head of State, currently Queen Elizabeth II. As Head of State, the monarch appoints a Governor General to act as a representative of the crown. The person in this position works closely with the Prime Minister and the Cabinet of Ministers to ensure proper functioning of the executive branch. Additionally, the Governor General is responsible for appointing the Chief Justice to the High Court and does so based on the recommendation of the Leader of the Opposition and the Prime Minister. Other judges serving on the Supreme Court are appointed by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission.

The Prime Minister is selected based on the person serving as leader of the political party with majority power. This position works with the Ministers of the various government departments. The executive branch must carry out the regulations and legislation enacted by the legislative branch.

Legislative Branch

The duties of the legislative branch of government are carried out by the bicameral Parliament of Grenada. This parliamentary body is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Senate is composed of 13 members, 10 are appointed by the Governor General upon recommendation of the Prime Minister and 3 are appointed upon recommendation of the Leader of the Opposition party. The Senate reviews any legislation proposed by the House of Representatives and provides a second opinion. Additionally, this branch of the Parliament is charged with ensuring that laws and regulations are followed by the executive branch.

The House of Representatives is made up of 16 members, 15 are elected by the general public based on single-seat constituencies and 1 serves as the Speaker of the House. The House of Representatives serves as the center for national and international issues of debate. Members of the House work to introduce legislation concerning any issue, with the exception of bills concerning taxes and spending.

Judicial Branch

The judicial branch works independently from the legislative and executive branches of government. Magistrates courts serve as courts of first instance and cases decided here may be appealed to the Court of Magisterial Appeals. Additionally, cases heard by the High Court may be appealed to the Itinerant Court of Appeals. Because Grenada is a member of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), its highest court is the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, which is located in Saint Lucia. This court acts as the final court of appeals and sees cases concerning civil and criminal issues. It also interprets any laws or regulations passed by the various legislative bodies of the member states of the OECS.