Clear rules coming for national honours

The government is taking steps to introduce greater transparency and structure to the process of renaming public roads and buildings across the island.

This was revealed by Attorney General Dale Marshall during debate on the Barbados National Honours and Decorations (Amendment) Bill in the House of Assembly on Tuesday.

Marshall said that for too long, the process of naming public spaces lacked clear rules and public involvement, often leaving citizens feeling excluded or detached from decisions of national importance.

As a result, “We would have all awakened one day and discovered that the highway was Adams, Barrow, Cummins, or the airport is Grantley Adams Airport,” he said.

Consequently, Marshall said, there was the need for a legislative framework to guide the naming of national landmarks and ensure consistency across political administrations.

“I believe we have not had a contentious situation in Barbados—but there is also the risk of a public space or building being named and then a subsequent Cabinet coming in and saying ‘we changing that’. Where you don’t have a structure, where you don’t have a legislative accord, you expose yourself to that inglorious prospect,” he said.

He said bestowing honours on public-spirited citizens was an important duty of the State “ . . . not just by giving them a personal honour, something that they put before their name, but there is also the importance of national recognition of a contribution of an individual. That’s where naming public spaces and public roads come in. So we are moving away from the formal, but not rules based system, and implementing a legislative foundation for the making of such awards.”

Under the new amendment, the chief of staff of the Barbados Defence Force and the commissioner of police of The Barbados Police Service will automatically be awarded the Order of the Republic. Additionally, the chief justice will receive the Order of Freedom of Barbados.

(SB)