PHILIPSBURG–For the month of February 2018 the five-volume The Laws of St. Maarten can be purchased at the reduced price of US $50 per set at Van Dorp Bookstores on Illidge Road and in Simpson Bay.
Infomedia Foundation encourages every citizen on St. Maarten to buy and read The Laws of St. Maarten.
The Laws of St. Maarten is a five-volume English translation of the original Dutch publication of the Constitution and other laws established for governing the territory of St. Maarten within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Book 1 of the five-volume tome contains only the Constitution of Sint Maarten which consists of the Preamble, nine chapters, with some chapters having subchapters (sections), 137 articles and the Explanatory Memorandum (Note).
Chapter 1 describes the Territory and Unity.
Chapter 2 describes the Fundamental Rights, namely (1) Freedoms, (2) Equality, (3) Solidarity, (4) Citizenship, (5) Administration of Justice and (6) Restrictions of fundamental rights.
Chapter 3 describes The Government and the Minister Plenipotentiary.
Chapter 4 describes Parliament, its (1) Composition and (2) Working method.
Chapter 5 describes Council of Advice, General Audit Chamber, Ombudsman and Permanent Bodies to Advise, all further described in detail in subchapters.
Chapter 6 describes legislation and administration, namely (1) General Provisions on legal regulations, (2) National ordinances, uniform national ordinances, national decrees, containing general measures and ministerial regulations, (3) Consultative referendum, (4) Other provisions.
Chapter 7 describes Administrative of Justice, Department of Public Prosecutions and Police, all further described in detail in subchapters.
Chapter 8 describes Constitutional Court.
Chapter 9 describes Final Provisions and Additional Articles.
The Constitution is a National Ordinance and every National Ordinance has an Explanatory Memorandum (also called Note).
The Explanatory Memorandum explains in as much detail as possible each article that is written in the National Ordinance, in this case the Constitution.
When reading a law (National Ordinance) it is recommended to first read the Explanatory Memorandum and thereafter the articles.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/73887-cover-of-the-laws-of-st-maarten-the-laws-of-st-maarten-book-1
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