changed to reflect the provision in the constitution for cabinet and ministerial government. The rules of the House needed
to be changed and this revision was carried out in 1977. In the same year, the Statutory Instrument Act was passed by Parliament that allowed for the government to enact and pass subsidiary or delegated legislation
subject to the affirmative and negative resolution procedure. Prior to this new enactment, all delegated legislation was referred to a Regulations Committee for vetting and consideration. In 1990, the voting age was again reduced to allow 18-year- olds the right to vote. Another amendment to the constitution in 2003 reduced the number of
8 | The Parliamentarian | 2009: Issue One - Bermuda
districts from 40 to 36 single seat constituencies. From the inception of political parties, the UBP formed the government for some 30 years, and from the general election of 1968 to the 1998 general election, when the then Opposition PLP Party came to power, the Parliament was made up of 40 members. PLP’s win signaled the
Left: The tower of the Parliament building in Hamilton; Above: The Mace of Bermuda.