The Government of Grenada announces the introduction of several important pieces of legislation in the upcoming parliamentary sessions on July 24 and 25, 2025. These bills represent significant steps toward enhancing children’s rights, addressing gender-based violence, and advancing Grenada’s constitutional development.
Spotlight Initiative Bills – First Reading
Three bills under the Spotlight Initiative will receive their first reading. The first reading simply means that the bills will be merely introduced for reading but will not be debated or passed.
- Status of Children Bill 2025: This legislation aims to improve the existing Status of Children Act and to provide greater certainty and remove discrimination based on birth status. The bill seeks to ensure that all children are treated equally under the law regardless of the marital status of their parents.
- Marriage Amendment Bill 2025: This amendment increases the minimum age for valid marriages to eighteen years, thus protecting minors from early marriages. The existing marriage act only voids marriages where a child to the marriage is under sixteen years. The amendment will also permit individuals who are eighteen and older to now marry without requiring parental consent.
- Age of Civil Legal Responsibility Amendment Bill 2025: This bill seeks to allow minors aged 16 years or older to access sexual or reproductive healthcare without parental consent, especially in circumstances which may pose a danger to the health or wellbeing of minors, but where their parents may nonetheless not consent to them having access to such healthcare.
These bills are aimed at fostering gender equality, protecting our children, and eliminating violence against women and girls, in particular. Grenada is one of six Caribbean states participating in this initiative, which also includes countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific.
Oath of Allegiance Bill – This Bill Will be Taken Through All Stages
The Oath of Allegiance Bills No. 1 and No. 2 will be taken through all stages in the House of Representatives.
This constitutional amendment changes the oath of allegiance prescribed in the Constitution, removing references to “His Majesty King Charles, the Third, His heirs and Successors” and replacing them with “Grenada.” This amendment represents an important step in Grenada’s constitutional development and national identity and aims to ensure that public officials and high functionaries swear allegiance to Grenada and the people of Grenada on their assumption to high public office, consistent with the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.
The public is encouraged to stay engaged on these important legislative developments. The Government will continue public education sessions on these legislative changes.
Please see the link to access the bills.
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:6ff4ccab-0218-4952-9bef-d22bcc0f3ddb https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:1099f5af-2642-4706-a3a6-2412a23a9f28 https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:8738be1d-d088-44e1-9b2f-0d8d457a0fb9 https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:769ea889-ad91-4078-90ce-d9bd8131d309 https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:77e13f9a-3c86-4a99-90ad-cc0b9d889c46
For more information, please contact the Leader of Government Business in the Lower and Upper Houses.
