News

The Constitutional Commission (“the Commission”) has released its Annual Update in advance of Constitution Day on 1 July 2024. The Update highlights the work of the Commission in the year since Constitution Day 2023 and comments on important constitutional events that have occurred during this time.

The Commission’s primary focus this year has been education, notably collaborating with youth organisations to promote greater awareness and understanding of the Constitution among secondary students. The Commission was delighted to partner with Collas Crill for the firm’s inter- school Moot final in November 2023, in addition to supporting the Cayman Islands Youth Parliament with a training session in February 2024. 

Also of note is the Commission’s recent creation of an unofficial consolidated version of the Constitution. In an effort to make the Constitution more accessible, the Commission has produced a single document that consolidates the 2009 Constitution with the 2016 and 2020 amendments to the Constitution. This document, which is for informational purposes only, can be viewed on the Commission’s website here.

Finally, the Update addresses some of the challenges faced by the Commission, most notably the fact that it has not been properly constituted during the period this Update covers. This has inevitably impacted the Commission’s capacity to engage with important constitutional issues.

The release of this Update coincides with the ending of the tenures of current Chair, Vaughan Carter, and Member Annikki Hill. Mr. Carter has been a Member of the Commission since January 2015 and was first appointed Chairman in July 2017. Mrs. Hill was appointed as a Member in March 2022. Her Excellency the Governor, Mrs. Jane Owen, expressed her gratitude for the work of the Constitutional Commission, and offered special thanks to Mr. Carter, stating: “Mr. Carter’s expertise has been invaluable both as a Member and as a long-standing Chairman of the Commission. I am particularly grateful for his dedication to educating our people on our constitution and governance, and explaining their relevance to our daily lives.” Recruitment of new Commission members is underway.

The Annual Update can be viewed in full on the Commission’s website here.