Vexed Bermoothes

The Cayman Islands has a new draft Constitution and Bill of Rights that will go before a public referendum on May 20.

Accompanying the draft are three letters from Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Minister for Overseas Territories Gillian Merron, detailing the terms under which the Cayman Islands can negotiate foreign treaties on its own; constraining both the governor’s and Privy Council’s power to legislate unilaterally for the Cayman Islands; and outlining how constitutional change can be achieved in the future.

A few features:

First, a National Security Council chaired by the Governor and composed of the Premier, two other elected Ministers, the Leader of the Opposition and two representatives of civic society as well as the Deputy Governor, the Attorney General and the Commissioner of Police. The Governor will normally be expected to follow its advice on policy matters. But the wide membership and the exclusion from its remit of operational and staffing matters mean that the police will not be subject to undue political interference.

Second, a Judicial and Legal Services Commission chaired by a lay member and composed of local and overseas judges, local lawyers, and members of the public. This will ensure that people appointed to be judges and to a few other key positions such as the Attorney General, and the standards expected of them, are both of a high professional calibre and suit the circumstances of the Cayman Islands.

Third, a Commission for Standards in Public Life chaired by and composed of local people outside politics and the public service. This independent body will have a wide-ranging remit to ensure high standards in the Legislative Assembly, Cabinet, and across the public service.

A few things there that Bermudians might like to have.