News

The goal of CPR Cayman is and has always been to ensure that any decisions made by our government in relation to the proposed port and cruise berthing facility are well-informed, transparent and serve the best interests of the Caymanian people. As such, the decision by Chief Justice Chambers of the Grand Court of Grand Cayman to recognize the application from Citizen Shirley Roulstone, is met with great relief.

A number of constitutional issues are up for consideration by the Court and we are pleased that this decision will allow those issues to be properly reviewed. This ruling from the court has guaranteed that voters will be delivered an opportunity to exercise their rights within a truly democratic process.

The application for judicial review was put forth by an individual citizen, not CPR Cayman. Although Shirley Roulstone is a member of the executive of CPR Cayman, the case has been taken on by Ms. Roulstone, and her legal counsel, Kate McClymont of Broadhurst LLC. The decision to move ahead with an application for a judicial review, was driven by the need to champion participatory democracy that is fair and just in process.

“We are encouraged to see concerned citizens exercising their right to stand up for what they believe in, and as a group will continue to support those that seek to hold our leaders accountable.” says CPR Cayman member, Johann Moxam.

CPR greatly respects that the National Trust of The Cayman Islands has indicated that their team will now be taking steps to support Roulstone’s case. From inception, CPR has advocated for updated environmental assessments to ensure that the public can make a fully-informed choice.

Aside from the outcome of the judicial review set to take place in January 2020, CPR Cayman will continue to advocate for the following from the Cayman Islands Government:

- A new comprehensive EIA to be completed and peer reviewed

- Social and cultural impact assessments

- A full short-term and long-term infrastructure plan that outlines: cargo management, traffic, sewage, trash management, George Town transformational plans

- An assessment related to the impact of pollution addressing concerns on sedimentation and water clarity

It is unfair to expect the public to support the project without the full information available. Therefore CPR cannot support the proposed project.

CPR clarifies that is not anti-development or anti-growth but the plans for Cayman must include sustainable development, managed growth and address quality of life concerns for all. CPR are committed to fighting for informed decision making from policy makers and government leaders that reflect concerns and best interests of the citizenry of the Cayman Islands. It is grassroots, and not funded by any particular political or corporate entity. CPR seeks to represent every type of Caymanian that exists.

CPR organizer Michelle Lockwood offers, “Each Caymanian is a stakeholder, a guardian of the Cayman Islands and need to be respected and heard – and so we will continue to educate, empower and engage”.