Caymanian Government

 

(All images sourced from http://www.gov.ky/)

 

The Cayman Islands is a parliamentary representative democratic overseas territory. Mainly self-governing since the most recent constitution was passed in 2009, the Cayman government is led by a Premier. Dominated by 2 major political parties, it comprises several distinct branches. Read on for a comprehensive guide to the ruling of these beautiful islands.

 

Form

 

A parliamentary democracy, the government in the Cayman Islands has judicial, legislative and executive branches. With a history of more than 160 years of representative government, the first written constitution was issued by the British Crown in 1959; the present constitution, the fourth version, came into effect in late 2009. A British Overseas Territory, islanders elect legislative members, and the legislature elects most of the Cabinet, within an independent judiciary.

 

The Cabinet

The Cabinet, which is in charge of daily island administration, is made up of 2 official and 9 elected members. Of the elected members, called ministers, one is the Premier. The 2 official members, the Attorney General and Deputy Governor, both have seats in the Legislative Assembly and are not permitted to vote. The Premier appoints the leader of the majority political party as a member and the Legislative Assembly votes the remaining 4 into office. Each Cabinet member handles a portfolio of responsibilities and is required to support Cabinet-approved measures in the Assembly.

 

Executive Branch

 

The Cabinet is appointed by Cayman's governor, who is guided by the Premier. The Governor, who is appointed by the British Crown, represents the British and Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor appoints both the Attorney General and Deputy Governor, the latter of whom is in charge of both External Affairs and civil service. Though the Governor is permitted to exercise complete executive authority, and must give his or her assent to all legislation before it is passed, he or she typically permits the Cayman Islands to be run by the Cabinet.

 

Judicial Branch

 

The 4-tiered judicial branch is home to a chief justice, a number of full and part-time judges, several magistrates and more than 140 justices of the peace. The Judicial and Legal Services Commission, which was formed in accordance with the most recent constitution, advises the governor, who appoints the judges, chief justice and magistrates. The judicial branch's Summary Court, which includes Drug, Youth and Juvenile Rehabilitation Courts, has both a criminal and civil jurisdiction. The Grand Court, a court of record, administers common, locally-enacted and applied laws, as well as England's Law of Equity. The Court of Appeal, which handles appeals from the Grand Court, is run by a president and a minimum of two judges of appeal.

 

Legislative Branch

 

Cayman's Legislative Assembly is made up of 18 elected members, who represent the six island districts. There are 6 members from George Town, 4 from Bodden Town, 4 from West Bay, 1 from the North Side, 1 from the East Side, 1 from Little Cayman and 1 from Cayman Brac. Ruled by an independent speaker, elections are held a minimum of every 4 years at the discretion of the Governor. Members are permitted to introduce bills to the Assembly; if passed, they are then approved, returned or disallowed by the Governor. The Premier is permitted to rule for 2 consecutive terms only.

 

The Gazette

 

The Cayman Islands Gazette is the official newspaper of the government. Issues are published on a bi-monthly basis on Mondays and each contains a variety of supplements, commercial notices and government notices. For example, these can range from new laws and bills to bankruptcy notices, election notices, appointments and changes of name. Islanders can submit notices to be published in the Gazette for a fee, and Extraordinary Gazettes are published in instances of urgency. Island residents can also request to publish an Extraordinary Gazette at any time during weekdays at a fee of CI $150 per page. Subscriptions are available and require submission of a form and payment.

 

Role of the Governor

Cayman's Governor is appointed by Her Majesty's Government. This official rules over the Cabinet and provides advice on many topics, excluding defence, the civil service, external affairs, internal security and the police. It is the job of the Governor to act in the best interest of both the islands and the United Kingdom. He or she oversees the civil service and appoints members of the judiciary, and is permitted to go against the advice of the Cabinet in matters of public interest. In these cases, urgency overrides the need for approval from London, England but such actions must be immediately reported to the Secretary of State.

 

Freedom of Information

 

The Freedom of Information Law was passed in Cayman in 2007. This law dictates that residents are permitted the right to complete and timely access to government information. In addition, they are not required to provide a reason for their inquiry. The implementation of this law is governed by the Freedom of Information Unit. The FOI Unit formulates and disseminates the policies, guidelines and procedures relating to the law, promotes best practices, raises public awareness and trains employees. The Information Commissioner's Office is an independent body that monitors the government's compliance with the Freedom of Information Law. The ICO makes reform recommendations and investigates claims made by individuals denied access to information. It also promotes awareness, government obligations and public rights.

 

Order of Precedence

 

The current Order of Precedence in the Cayman Government reflects what was set out in the 2009 constitution. The Governor is followed by the Premier, the president of the Court of Appeals and the Chief Justice. The Legislative Assembly's Speaker is next in line, followed by the Deputy Governor and Deputy Premier. These figures come just before the Cabinet Ministers, Attorney General and Ministerial Council Chairs. The remaining order of precedence goes as follows: Opposition Leader, Deputy Speaker, elected Legislative Assembly members, Justices of the Court of Appeal, National Hero, Puisne Judges, Cabinet and Financial Secretaries, Chief Officers, Heads of Department and Honorary Consuls.