Bar Association requirements still stand in Barbados

The Barbados Bar Association is reminding regional attorneys that while it supports the October 1 free movement arrangement among four CARICOM states, anyone seeking to practise law in Barbados must still be admitted to the local Bar.

In a statement issued this week, the association said it remained “deeply committed to regional freedom of movement,” but stressed that “any Attorney-at Law or law firm, whether nationals of CARICOM or otherwise, seeking to establish a practice in Barbados must fulfill all existing legislative requirements for admission to the Barbados Bar.”

The reminder comes just days after the free movement arrangement between Barbados, Dominica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Belize officially came into effect, allowing nationals of the four countries to live, work, and study across jurisdictions without a permit.

The Bar Association also pointed to a section of Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s September 30 address, in which she made it clear that freedom of movement does not override the laws regulating professional practice in Barbados.

The Bar Association reinforced that position, stating, “The normal requirements for admission to the Bar will remain for attorneys, and for all professions that are regulated by legislation. It’s not only attorneys.”

It further noted the Profession Trade and Business Registration Act applies to a wide range of professionals, including lawyers, doctors, architects, engineers, accountants, land surveyors, and others. That Act requires individuals to register and pay annual licence fees to the Registrar of the Supreme Court in order to operate legally in Barbados.