COURTHOUSE BUILDING
Parliament
The Courthouse building is a symbol of Justice and Democratic Government located in the capital city Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. (Child. V. (1986, November). Kingstown Past and Present No.64. The Vincentian).
Architectural Design
The Courthouse building is built of stone. The walls are constructed with small and irregular sized stones, neatly shaped stone corner quoins and window “surrounds.” A few years ago they were picked out in pale cream or white paint, which made a striking contrast to the brownish grey, which gives the whole structure a more sober appearance. (Child. V. (2004). City of Arches: Memories of an Island Capital Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines).
It has two rooms on the upper storey for the sittings of the Council Assembly, with two Committee Rooms below where the Courts and Justice are held. Here also are the public officers of the Registrar and the Marshall. This building stands in front of the Market place, and is enclosed with an iron railing. (Shephard (1831). Historical Account of the Island of Saint Vincent.)
British Assembly 1798
Before the erection of the building, the Law Court and the Legislative Assembly buildings stood on the site of the present building – in the center of the town. Those buildings were left by the French. In 1798 the British Assembly on the island passed a resolution to demolish the French building and erect a single building to be used as Legislative Assembly and Law Courts. The upper storey of the building is the Parliament section; the lower storey is used for the Court of Law. The building was named after George III.
Present and Future
Today, upstairs of this building of nearly two hundred years old is the island’s Parliament, officially referred to in the Government Gazette as the “Assembly Chamber” for meetings of the “House of Assembly.” It is foreseen in the future that the Courthouse will be used only for Parliament. The lower storey will be redesigned to accommodate a Parliamentary library for records, archives and a dining room for Members of the House of Assembly; and the Law Court well be relocated elsewhere. (Extract: Heritage Saint Vincent and the Grenadines).
HISTORY OF THE FLAG
Colonial Flag to 1979
Flag of 1979 (independence)
image by Željko Heimer, 26 Nov 1999
27th October 1979. Saint Vincent became an independent state within the Commonwealth and adopted a new flag; a vertical tricolour with additional stripes; Blue / narrow White / Yellow / narrow White / Green. The 1912 Coat of Arms was displayed on a green breadfruit leaf on the yellow band. This flag won a flag contest in 1967.
The flag adopted on independence had the same colours arranged vertically with the coat of arms placed on a large breadfruit leaf. The flag was designed locally, but white fimbriations were added by the College of Arms. On 12 October a new design was introduced.
Its blue, yellow and green stripes were derived from the common colours of the flags assigned to the Associated States by the College of Arms. The breadfruit recalled the British introduction of the breadfruit tree into the Caribbean from the South Seas.
Flag change in 1985
image by Željko Heimer, 26 Nov 1999
After the opposition victory in the legislative election of 1985 the flag (associated with the the last Government) was a little changed (the white fimbriations were suppressed).
New flag change in October 1985
image by Željko Heimer, 02 Jan 2003
On October 21st, 1985, the old flag was rejected by the new government and new flag was hoisted. The same colors but without the white fimbriation the yellow was more great that the blue and green. In the center three green diamonds. This is the current one.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
LEGISLATURES
FORMER PRIME MINISTERS
LEADERS OF THE OPPOSITION
FORMER SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
FORMER CLERKS OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT FROM 1951 TO PRESENT
