Senate of Barbados

The Senate of Barbados is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Barbados. The Senate is accorded legitimacy by Chapter V of the Constitution of Barbados. It is the smaller of the two chambers. The Senate was established in 1964 to replace a prior body known as the Legislative Council. Besides creating and reviewing Barbadian legislation, the Senate generally reviews approved legislation originating from the House of Assembly (Lower House). One main constraint on the Senate is that it cannot author monetary or budget-related bills. Most of the non-political appointees to the Senate have been selected by the (defunct as of 30 November 2021) Governor-General from civil society organisations, labour collectives and public associations in Barbados.

Senators are now appointed by the President of Barbados. According to the Constitution of Barbados, 7 are chosen at the President's sole discretion, 12 on the advice of the Prime Minister and 2 on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition. In the absence of an opposition leader, the president appoints 2 extra senators bringing the total amount of independents to 9. The Senate sits for 20 to 25 days a year. The term of the Senate, and the House of Assembly, is five years; both chambers are dissolved before each election.