Existing laws

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, the existing laws shall notwithstanding the revocation of the Letters Patent and the Constitution Ordinance continue in force on and after Independence Day and shall then have effect as if they had been made in pursuance of this Constitution but they shall be construed with such modifications, adaptations, qualifications and exceptions as may be necessary to bring them into conformity with this Constitution. (2) Where any matter that falls to be prescribed or otherwise provided for under this Constitution by the National Assembly or by any other authority or person is prescribed or provided for by or under an existing law (including any amendment to any such law made under this section) that prescription or provision shall as from Independence Day have effect (with such modifications, adaptations, qualifications and exceptions as may be necessary to bring it into conformity with this Constitution) as if it had been made under this Constitution 158 by the National Assembly or as the case may require by the other authority or person. (3) The Governor-General may by Order published in the Gazette within twelve months after Independence Day make such amendments to any existing law (other than this Constitution) as may be necessary or expedient for bringing that law into conformity with the provisions of this Constitution or otherwise for giving effect or enabling effect to be given to those provisions. (4) An Order made under this section may be amended or revoked by the National Assembly or in relation to any existing law affected thereby, by any other authority having power to amend, repeal or revoke that existing law. (5) The provisions of this section shall be without prejudice to any powers conferred by this Constitution or by any other law upon any person or authority to make provision for any matter, including the amendment or repeal of any existing law. (6) In this section, the expression “existing law” means any Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, Order of Her Majesty in Council, Ordinance, rule, regulation, order or other instrument having effect as part of the law of Belize immediately before Independence Day (including any such law made before that day and coming into operation on or after that day). First Governor-