LA to deal with over two dozen laws
Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly
(CNS): The government has confirmed that the Legislative Assembly will meet on Tuesday 4 October and it will be dealing with a massive lists of bills, as well as reports and motions. In addition to the misuse of drugs law amendments to pave the way for the legal medicinal use of cannabis oil, among other bills recently gazetted, and legislation carried over from the Budget Meeting, government has gazetted another 25 new bills over the last week.
In what will be an extremely busy sitting, government will be debating brand new bills such as the utilities commission law, replacement legislation such as the criminal records bill and amendments to key laws such as the election bill.
But the huge agenda has raised concern on the opposition benches and North Side MLA Ezzard Miller, who has long been a lone voice criticising the poor management of the LA sittings, is concerned that the amount of laws government is placing before members in such a short period makes it impossible for representatives to examine the bills and then consult with their constituents before the meeting.
“I am expected to study these bills, hold public meetings with my constituents to get their views, all in 16 working days,” Miller told CNS this week after notice of the parliament date was set. “To do 26 bills properly with my constituents would require at least four meetings, and even that would not allow any kind of detail discussion to get their input,” he added.
The issue of the 21-day consultation period on all legislation, as required by the constitution, before debate has been a contentious one for some time. While in opposition, the current premier, Alden McLaughlin, consistently criticised the premier at the time McKeeva Bush, who is now leader of the opposition, for his disregard of that time period required between bills being gazetted and their debate in the LA.
On taking office, McLaughlin committed to setting a parliamentary timetable. In December 2013 he stated, “We have been working with the Legislative Assembly and Madam Speaker Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly to develop a calendar so that all members of the Legislative Assembly can know when their presence will be required in the Honourable House.”
However, no timetable or schedule was ever set and government continued to set arbitrary dates for their meetings.
Notice of 4 October 2016 meeting of the LA and list of bills
is this good governence helen????
Why can’t they meet on a weekly or monthly schedule. Why the constant delay. Seems to me that they are dodging their responsibilities for their own agenda. We want our agenda not theirs!
We have to remember that we have few high ranking criminals in Northward prison now. So let’s make this big pile of bills , but look at which ones are mentioned in this article. Says which ones have priority and would get done. It’s called sneaking that Ace under the table .
Why?
A study by civil liberty lawyer Harvey Silverglate found that the average American inadvertently commits three felonies a day.
Today, there are thousands of federal crimes, and the number is constantly increasing. It brings to mind the words of the great Roman historian Tacitus: “The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws.”
Pass a law like this http://www.dawn.com/news/379148/new-law-allows-deportation-of-naturalized-us-citizens
This is incredible last sitting there was a record number of bills. Now this sitting even more bills some of which have been talked about for 15 years.
Could this mean that all those comments about incompetent Civil Servants was hogwash. Answer yesssssssss.
Thank you 9:06. Finally people are waking up and seeing how brilliant our Civil Service is.
This is a great example of Ministers working together with Civil Servants and making historic accomplishments.
Procurement bill
Standards in public life
Elections reform
Legal Practioners bill
Whisleblowing law
Raising the retirement age
Conservation law
Planning reform
Facts can’t lie folks. And I understand that even more historic bills are coming . But yet all I see is people complaining. Stand up and smell the roses.
My electricity bill is down I pay less for my trade license and I renewed by drivers license online.
Off to the beach now to bask in the sunshine.
We are truly blessed to live in Cayman.
stand up and smell the dump. end of story.
Noooooooooo.
Government haters, please note, these laws – which will do things like bring down your utility bills, allow your family members who made mistakes years ago and want jobs to get them, give your son or daughter a better chance at true professional success in the legal industry should they choose to enter it or already be in it, ensure Cayman does even better than it already does on measures of financial transparency and cooperation, etc. – were all instigated, discussed, defined, negotiated, drafted, consulted, redrafted, reconsulted, redrafted again, gazetted, and announced for debate and passage in the next sitting of the LA by your ‘do-nothing’ government.
Anon. 1:53 clearly you have not read any of the bills.
you all had 3 years, but unna going squeeze it into 21 days? C’mon man.
The cannabis oil law is a scam. No country currently producing it, is willing to export it. The only way to get it, is to allow local production. Smoke and mirrors as well as a waste of time.
For those of you that are giving me a downfister, please call your pharmacist and ask them if they can fill your prescription for cannabis oil – you will be severely disappointed. (I am not a pharmacist but know the reality).
Why am I not surprised that they are trying to sneak the Legal Practitioners Law in quickly without being noticed???! Be very careful Cayman- that is a DANGEROUS law and they are being very sneaky trying to market it as a “positive advancement for the Cayman legal profession”. Hidden within this law is the ability of the Big Firms to monopolize and outsource the practice of Cayman law. Nobody will be allowed to practice Cayman law unless they are employed by a big firm and the big firms can have a few token Caymanians and outsource the rest of the work (particularly dangerous for corporate and funds related work) to countries like Mauritius, China and India where they can pay half the salary they would have to pay here.
There are so many outdated laws in Cayman and normally the big firms care very very little about being of any assistance in re-drafting and offering assistance to the government. This they were ALL OVER- so far as even funding it! Why? Because this is their golden egg. If this passes none of our Caymanian children have a future in law and all the expat lawyers can pack up as well. Cayman, SAVE YOURSELVES DON’T LET THIS PASS!!!!
They will try to fool you- but let’s be honest, why would greedy law firms be so crazy about passing this unless there were something very big in it for them??? Don’t forget the history and ties to the big firms some of the ministers pushing this on us have!!! Conflict of interests and perhaps some even bigger vested interests (as rumor has it!)
The ‘big firms’ already have a monopoly on the unregulated overseas practice of Cayman Islands law. Regulating it means practising certificates, disciplinary procedures and all the rest will now be required and abided by those overseas practitioners. This is good for Cayman. Everything those overseas offices do, if it involves filing any document with any government department, or proceedings before the Cayman Islands Courts, ends up here in one form or another anyway, often accompanied by a handsome fee for the Government to spend on all the shiny things Caymanians want. Furthermore, most people don’t appreciate calling tech support from one country and finding out they’re talking to someone halfway across the world – somehow I don’t think it’s going to be possible to take the Cayman Islands out of the practice of Cayman Islands law.
That is simply not true. They won’t be speaking to someone overseas but that’s where the work is going to be done. A few token employees here but the grunt of the workforce can be overseas- the clients won’t know any difference but our economy will when the offices here cut down their staff and the demand for housing disappears and they no longer shop at the supermarkets. I agree we need to regulate it but THIS BILL is not intended to regulate it, it’s intended to maximize the ability of the bg firms to outsource, give them a monopoly to practice cayman law overseas and to do so in a way that it’s well hidden. The regulations this bill provides for have no true enforcement mechanism and the requirement to provide information about foreign practitioners of Cayman law is run past staffing plan board- why? Because they KNOW THE BSB WONT REGULATE IT as it is already a miserable failure.
Yes regulate, BUT DO NOT PASS THIS BILL> I have seen much more sensible legal Profession draft bills. This was literally paid for by the big firms FOR THE BIG FIRMS.
So your point is that regulating it is so important we should ignore that the bill also happens to disenfranchise Caymanians from practicing overseas unless they sell their soul to the devil and work for the big “qualified” firms on whatever terms the firms choose? And that we should trust the legal profession to self-regulate the practice and quota of foreign practitioners themselves through a fictitious body with no material funds to actually enforce the rules? And the only “documentation” of the foreign practicing lawyers will be noted in a Business Staffing Plan which IS NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR INSPECTION and we all know the Business Staffing Plans are already a complete failure with nobody properly reviewing and enforcing them (how convenient that this was chosen as the review mechanism…).
And you are a lawyer? A Caymanian lawyer??
Regulate it yes, but properly and take out all the nice little “extra bonuses” the big firms have added to this Bill for themselves!
If you are a lawyer then I hope you know how to represent your own best interests otherwise what good are you at protecting anybody else’s?
Regulate? Yes! But NOT WITH THIS BILL!!
The overseas practice of Cayman Islands Law is already regulated. It is unlawful for anyone to practice Cayman Law overseas (or here) without a current practising certificate. The law is clear and it is easy to meet the requirements of the law by simply allowing Caymanians to practice in overseas offices. Some firms however intentionally prevent Caymanians from filling these roles. It seems their conduct is illegal. Why has there been no action to stop it? Are lawyers not supposed to abide by the Law?
Finally! Somebody with sense! You hit the nail on the head- WHAT THEY ARE DOING NOW IS ILLEGAL and they want to get away with that, legalize it and take the entire overseas practice for themselves. This law is the wolves guarding the sheep!
oh boy…more laws to ignore if they negatively effect work permit revenues….
Are the going to clear up the loop hole that let Dart build the Kimpton 12 stories? if I remember Kurt said he was going to fix that. Is he backing down to the big dollars? Or will he be a man of his word?
What has Kurt ever fixed? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
My money is on ‘back down’
11:50, they are all trying to GET those big dollars!
What can the Hon Tibbetts do about the hotel now for real? it is there, fact is he must work and change what made it possible in the first instance so that it does not happen again. Cayman need to stop sweating what we can’t change and focus on what we can.
How difficult is it really to come up with a schedule and calendar? It should be on a public web-site and should show the agenda with online links to the bills. Doesn’t sound that overly complicated to me.
The definition of irony is the PPM majority are running the LA just like the same jokers they complained about the UDP
The situation is worse. They also have gone record periods without meeting. When they get there they make so many amendments to the bills in the House that you wonder if they read the bills before they were published. How can they call this proper management of the legislative program? Let us see the quality of the debate.
Didn’t the bills gazetted last Friday and Monday beat the 21 day constitutional deadline? This is unclear in your article.
Ezzard can personally interview every one of his voters in 16 days if he tries. Its not that many people.
Anon 10:42 maybe you could post your name or call me and we can see how long it takes to interview you on the 26 bills and we can record the interview and post it on CNS to show the level of your intellect and genuine concern.
Call me 327 5757 I am currently available all day Monday and Tuesday so I will fit you in to my schedule.
Ezzard
Right. All the North Side lawyers will want individual interviews. BTW the only time I have ever encountered you in person, you fussed at me for no reason. So I will stay anonymous.
Amazing that our legislators always amend laws in every sitting of the LA and can never seem to address archaic laws with massive loopholes which still exist.
One such example was the law protecting green iguanas. How long did that take to rectify?
Perhaps they should comb through the Laws and address this issue.
I’ll add to your list the residential tenancies law
shambolic….
how many days in the year is the la in session?