Politics of the Cayman Islands
Encyclopedia
Politics of the Cayman Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary
representative democratic
overseas territory, whereby the Premier
is the head of government
, and of a two-party system
. Executive power
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
and the Legislative Assembly. The Judiciary
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The Cayman Islands
' physical isolation under early British colonial rule allowed the development of an indigenous set of administrative and legal traditions which were codified into a constitution in 1959. A new modern constitution, which devolved some authority from the United Kingdom to the Cayman Islands government, was passed by referendum on 20 May 2009. Subsequently, the islands are now largely self-governing.
The Cayman Islands' political system is very stable, bolstered by a tradition of restrained civil governance with the United Kingdom
. Public discussion revolves around public sector expenditure and social services, the pace of additional economic development, and the status of the large foreign national community on the islands.
(and used wire taps) throughout the banking industry using MI6, at the consent of the Governor. This caused the trial's collapse, and subsequent release of those charged with wrongdoing. Along with this, the only mole that was known at the time was allowed to leave the country, never to answer for what he (or the United Kingdom) was doing. This infuriated the elected members of the Legislative Assembly as they maintained that the Governor and the United Kingdom had put into question the Cayman Islands' reputation as a tightly regulated offshore jurisdiction. Some saw this as the United Kingdom meddling in the territory's affairs to benefit itself (and the EU), at the expense of the islands' economy.
Constitutional talks however went on hold following Hurricane Ivan
in 2004. Subsequently in May 2005 the ruling UDP was ousted by the PPM, which restarted the process of constitutional modernisation. The new constitution took effect on the 6th November 2009.
|Duncan Taylor
|
|15 January 2010
|-
|Hon. Premier
|McKeeva Bush
|UDP
|6 November 2009
|}
The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor on advice of the Premier.
The British Crown appoints a Governor, who is recruited from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and serves as the British representative, including his role as the direct representative of Queen Elizabeth II
. Daily administration of the islands is conducted by the Cabinet
.
The Deputy Governor, and Attorney General are appointed by the Governor. Responsibility for defence and foreign affairs resides with the United Kingdom; however, the Deputy Governor handles the portfolio for External Affairs, and the Cayman Islands Government may negotiate certain bilateral matters directly with foreign governments.
The Governor can exercise complete executive authority if he wishes through reserve powers reserved to him in the Constitution. However, he must consult with the Premier prior to using such powers and must do so in the interest of the Cayman Islands (so long as it doesn't prejudice British interests). He must give royal assent to all legislation, which allows him the power to strike down any law the legislature may see fit for the country. In modern times, the Governor usually allows the country to be run by the cabinet, and the civil service to be run by the Deputy Governor, who is the Acting Governor when the Governor is not able to discharge his usual duties for one reason or another. The current Governor of the Cayman Islands is Duncan Taylor
and the current Deputy Governor is Donovan Ebanks.
The unicameral Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands
is presided over by an independent speaker. The Legislative Assembly has 18 elected members. Elections are held at the discretion of the Governor at least every 4 years. Members of the Legislative Assembly may introduce bills which, if passed, are then approved, returned, or disallowed by the Governor. The UK Government also reserves the right to disallow bills approved by the Governor. The Premier is limited to two consecutive terms, after which the individual who was Premier for two terms must sit out a term before being constitutionally eligible to be Premier again.
sitting in London. The Chief Justice
has his seat in the Grand Court, below The Court of Appeal. The current Chief Justice is Hon. Anthony Smellie QC, JP.
George Town, Bodden Town, West Bay, North Side, East End, Sister Islands (Cayman Brac
and Little Cayman
)
, Interpol (subbureau), IOC
, a privately-operated World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools
facility in Jamaica
. The government funded the students as they were located in the centre.
Parliamentary system
A parliamentary system is a system of government in which the ministers of the executive branch get their democratic legitimacy from the legislature and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined....
representative democratic
Representative democracy
Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principle of elected individuals representing the people, as opposed to autocracy and direct democracy...
overseas territory, whereby the Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
is the head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
, and of a two-party system
Two-party system
A two-party system is a system where two major political parties dominate voting in nearly all elections at every level of government and, as a result, all or nearly all elected offices are members of one of the two major parties...
. Executive power
Executive Power
Executive Power is Vince Flynn's fifth novel, and the fourth to feature Mitch Rapp, an American agent that works for the CIA as an operative for a covert counter terrorism unit called the "Orion Team."-Plot summary:...
is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
and the Legislative Assembly. The Judiciary
Judiciary
The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...
is independent of the executive and the legislature.
The Cayman Islands
Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union located in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman, located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica...
' physical isolation under early British colonial rule allowed the development of an indigenous set of administrative and legal traditions which were codified into a constitution in 1959. A new modern constitution, which devolved some authority from the United Kingdom to the Cayman Islands government, was passed by referendum on 20 May 2009. Subsequently, the islands are now largely self-governing.
The Cayman Islands' political system is very stable, bolstered by a tradition of restrained civil governance with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Public discussion revolves around public sector expenditure and social services, the pace of additional economic development, and the status of the large foreign national community on the islands.
Constitutional Modernisation
Constitutional Modernisation has come to the forefront of politics recently with the collapse of the now defunct Euro Bank Corporation in 2003. The prosecution in the trial was forced to reveal that the British Government had planted molesMole (espionage)
A mole is a spy who works for an enemy nation, but whose loyalty ostensibly lies with his own nation's government. In some usage, a mole differs from a defector in that a mole is a spy before gaining access to classified information, while a defector becomes a spy only after gaining access...
(and used wire taps) throughout the banking industry using MI6, at the consent of the Governor. This caused the trial's collapse, and subsequent release of those charged with wrongdoing. Along with this, the only mole that was known at the time was allowed to leave the country, never to answer for what he (or the United Kingdom) was doing. This infuriated the elected members of the Legislative Assembly as they maintained that the Governor and the United Kingdom had put into question the Cayman Islands' reputation as a tightly regulated offshore jurisdiction. Some saw this as the United Kingdom meddling in the territory's affairs to benefit itself (and the EU), at the expense of the islands' economy.
Constitutional talks however went on hold following Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan
Hurricane Ivan was a large, long-lived, Cape Verde-type hurricane that caused widespread damage in the Caribbean and United States. The cyclone was the ninth named storm, the sixth hurricane and the fourth major hurricane of the active 2004 Atlantic hurricane season...
in 2004. Subsequently in May 2005 the ruling UDP was ousted by the PPM, which restarted the process of constitutional modernisation. The new constitution took effect on the 6th November 2009.
Executive branch
|HE The Governor and President of the Cabinet|Duncan Taylor
Duncan Taylor (FCO)
Duncan Taylor, CBE is a British diplomat and the current Governor of the Cayman Islands. He joined the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1982 as a Desk Officer in its West Africa department...
|
|15 January 2010
|-
|Hon. Premier
Premier
Premier is a title for the head of government in some countries and states.-Examples by country:In many nations, "premier" is used interchangeably with "prime minister"...
|McKeeva Bush
McKeeva Bush
William McKeeva Bush, OBE , is a Caymanian politician and the current Premier of the Cayman Islands. He also serves as leader of the United Democratic Party and the first elected member for West Bay...
|UDP
United Democratic Party (Cayman Islands)
The United Democratic Party is a political party in the Cayman Islands.In the elections, 8 November 2000, with a turnout of 80% only non-partisans were elected...
|6 November 2009
|}
The Cabinet is appointed by the Governor on advice of the Premier.
The British Crown appoints a Governor, who is recruited from the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and serves as the British representative, including his role as the direct representative of Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. Daily administration of the islands is conducted by the Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
.
The Deputy Governor, and Attorney General are appointed by the Governor. Responsibility for defence and foreign affairs resides with the United Kingdom; however, the Deputy Governor handles the portfolio for External Affairs, and the Cayman Islands Government may negotiate certain bilateral matters directly with foreign governments.
The Governor can exercise complete executive authority if he wishes through reserve powers reserved to him in the Constitution. However, he must consult with the Premier prior to using such powers and must do so in the interest of the Cayman Islands (so long as it doesn't prejudice British interests). He must give royal assent to all legislation, which allows him the power to strike down any law the legislature may see fit for the country. In modern times, the Governor usually allows the country to be run by the cabinet, and the civil service to be run by the Deputy Governor, who is the Acting Governor when the Governor is not able to discharge his usual duties for one reason or another. The current Governor of the Cayman Islands is Duncan Taylor
Duncan Taylor (FCO)
Duncan Taylor, CBE is a British diplomat and the current Governor of the Cayman Islands. He joined the United Kingdom Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1982 as a Desk Officer in its West Africa department...
and the current Deputy Governor is Donovan Ebanks.
Legislative branch
Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands
The Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands has 18 members, 15 elected members for a four year term in two-seat constituencies and 3 members ex-officio.In the elections of 8 November 2000, with a turnout of 80% only non-partisans were elected...
is presided over by an independent speaker. The Legislative Assembly has 18 elected members. Elections are held at the discretion of the Governor at least every 4 years. Members of the Legislative Assembly may introduce bills which, if passed, are then approved, returned, or disallowed by the Governor. The UK Government also reserves the right to disallow bills approved by the Governor. The Premier is limited to two consecutive terms, after which the individual who was Premier for two terms must sit out a term before being constitutionally eligible to be Premier again.
Judicial branch
The four-tiered judicial system is based on English common law, colonial and local statutes. The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal is the highest court on the Islands, but a final appeal may be heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy CouncilJudicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
sitting in London. The Chief Justice
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
has his seat in the Grand Court, below The Court of Appeal. The current Chief Justice is Hon. Anthony Smellie QC, JP.
Administrative divisions
Districts:George Town, Bodden Town, West Bay, North Side, East End, Sister Islands (Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It lies in the Caribbean Sea about 90 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and 5 miles east of Little Cayman. It is about 12 miles long, with an average width of 1 mile...
and Little Cayman
Little Cayman
Little Cayman is an island that is part of the Cayman Islands. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, about 75 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and five miles west of Cayman Brac. Little Cayman has a permanent population of less than 170 and is about 10 miles long with an average width of 1 mile...
)
International organisation participation
Caricom (associate), CDBCaribbean Development Bank
The Caribbean Development Bank is a financial institution which assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programs in its member countries...
, Interpol (subbureau), IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
Corrections
From 2002 to 2005 the Government of the Cayman Islands sent some delinquent youth to Tranquility BayTranquility Bay
Tranquility Bay was a residential treatment facility affiliated with World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools , that operated from 1997 to early 2009. It was located in Calabash Bay, Saint Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica....
, a privately-operated World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools
World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools
The World Wide Association Of Specialty Programs and Schools is an organization based in Utah, in the United States. WWASPS was founded by Robert Lichfield and was incorporated in 1998...
facility in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. The government funded the students as they were located in the centre.