The Constitutions of the Dutch Caribbean:A Study of the Countries of Aruba, Curacao and Sint Maarten and the Public Entities of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba

This chapter analyses the constitutional framework of Aruba, Curacao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. The Dutch Caribbean currently consists of three countries and three public entities: Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten are countries with an autonomous constitutional status; while Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba (‘BES islands’) are public entities which integrate the country of the Netherlands. The three Caribbean countries function as pluralist democracies with a high degree of autonomy in most matters. This chapter analyses the organisation of the constitutional orders of the Dutch Caribbean following the 2010 constitutional amendment. It delves in particular into the political, administrative, and judicial organization of the islands. This chapter aims to provide an introduction to the Dutch Caribbean constitutional orders and explain some of their past and future challenges. This chapter also explains the constitutional relationship between these islands and the Kingdom of the Netherlands