MINORS [CH.6 – 1

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– [Original Service 2001] STATUTE LAW OF THE BAHAMAS

MINORS CHAPTER 6

MINORS

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS SECTION 1. Short title. 2. Reduction of age of majority from 21 to 18. 3. Time at which a person attains a particular age.

SCHEDULE — Statutory Provisions Unaffected by Section 2

MINORS [CH.6 – 3

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– [Original Service 2001] STATUTE LAW OF THE BAHAMAS

CHAPTER 6

MINORS An Act to amend the law relating to the Age of

Majority, to persons who have not attained that age and to the time when a particular age is attained, and for connected purposes.

[Commencement 29 December, 1976] 1. This Act may be cited as the Minors Act. 2. (1) As from the date of the commencement of

this Act a person shall attain full age on attaining the age of eighteen instead of on attaining the age of twenty-one; and a person shall attain full age on that date if he has then already attained the age of eighteen but not the age of twenty-one.

(2) Subsection (1) applies for the purposes of any rule of law, and, in the absence of a definition or of any indication of a contrary intention, for the construction of “full age”, “infant”, “infancy”, “minor”, “minority” and similar expressions in-

(a) any statutory provision, whether passed or made before, on or after the date on which this Act comes into force; and

(b) any deed, will or other instrument of whatever nature (not being a statutory provision) made on or after that date.

(3) In any statutory provision where infancy or minority is defined, whether expressly or by necessary implication, by reference to the age of twenty-one years there shall be substituted a reference to the age of eighteen years.

(4) Notwithstanding any rule of law, a will or codicil executed before the date on which this Act comes into force shall not be treated for the purposes of this Act as made on or after that date by reason only that the will or codicil is confirmed by a codicil executed on or after that date.

27 of 1976

Short title.

Reduction of age of majority from 21 to 18.

CH.6 – 4] MINORS

STATUTE LAW OF THE BAHAMAS [Original Service 2001]

(5) This section does not affect the construction or definition of any such expression as is referred to in subsection (2) or (3) in any of the statutory provisions described in the Schedule.

(6) In this section “statutory provision” means any enactment (including, except where the context otherwise requires, this Act) any order, rule, regulation, bye-law, or other instrument made in the exercise of a power conferred by any enactment.

3. (1) The time at which a person attains a particular age expressed in years shall be the commencement of the relevant anniversary of the date of his birth.

(2) This section applies only where the relevant anniversary falls on a date after that on which this Act comes into force, and, in relation to any enactment, deed, will or other instrument, has effect subject to any provision therein.

SCHEDULE (Section 2(5))

STATUTORY PROVISIONS UNAFFECTED BY SECTION 2

Chapter Short Title Section Subject Matter

Ch. 205 Police Act s. 85 proviso paragraph (a)

Appointment of district constables

Ch. 251 Land Surveyors Act

s. 11(1)(a) s. 11(2)(a)

Qualification for registration as a land surveyor

Ch. 9 Public Disclosure Act

s. 2 Definition of child

Schedule.

Time at which a person attains a particular age.