Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, “archives” means records of continuing value regardless of form or medium which are selected for permanent preservation; “Belize Archives and Records Service” means the repository in which records and archives of any public office, private institution or individual in Belize are preserved and made available for consultation; “current records” means records regardless of form or medium which are regularly used for the conduct of current business of any public office, private institution or individual; “Director” means the Director of the Belize Archives and Records Service appointed under section 5 of this Act; “local authority” means a City Council established under the Belize City Council Act, Cap. 85, the Belmopan City Council Act, Cap. 86, or the Town Councils Act, Cap. 87. “manuscript” means any handwritten record made of any material except granite; 6 “Minister” means the Minister responsible for Archives; “printed matter” means any books, dissertations, magazines, pamphlets, newspapers, maps, plans, drawings, paintings, photographs, reports or any recorded information regardless of form or medium; “private records” means records other than public records as specified in the Schedule; “public office” means any institution, body or individual which creates, receives and maintains public records: ”public records” means the records specified in the Schedule; “recordings” means films, slides, phonographic records, audio and video tapes, diskettes, CD ROM or anything on which sounds or images or both are fixed, regardless of form or medium; “records” means any manuscript, printed matter, recordings or any information regardless of form or medium created, received and maintained by any public office, private institution or in the transaction of business; “records centre” means a building designed and constructed or converted for the storage, maintenance and use of semi-current records pending their ultimate disposal; ”the Repealed Act” means the Belize Archives Act, Cap. 333; “responsible officer” with reference to any public office, means the head of that office or the officer for the time being discharging the duties and functions of the head of that office; “retention and disposal schedule” means a document describing the records of an institution or records management unit authorizing specified retention periods for records of Belize Archives and Records Service [CAP. 333 7 continuing administrative value and/or those to be permanently preserved or disposed of; “semi-current records” means records regardless of form or medium of any public office, private institution or individual which are required only infrequently for the conduct of current business; or files and other assemblies of records on which no action has been recorded for five years; “vital records” means those records regardless of form or medium without which any public office could not continue to function in the event of a disaster. time.