FCDO rejects insufficient consultation claim
(CNS): Baroness Sugg, the UK minister for overseas territories at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), has said she does not agree with the Cayman Islands’ opposition leader, Arden McLean, that there hadn’t been enough time to discuss the Domestic Partnership Bill before it was passed into law by Governor Martyn Roper on Friday. In a letter to McLean responding to his correspondence objecting to the law’s assent, she pointed out that it was circulated for 28 days before debate and another 21 days last month.
“Government published the bill for a 28-day period of public consultation, one week longer than is normal practice, and it was extensively debated in the Legislative Assembly. Indeed, the Governor published it for a further 21-day period of consultation, with substantive legal comments under consideration by the Attorney General’s Office,” the UK minister wrote in her letter to McLean.
Among the many objections cited by the majority of members of the Legislative Assembly to legislation supporting same-sex unions was the lack of consultation. However, CNS understands that the opposition did not submit any drafting suggestions during the periods of consultation and discussion.
It has been public knowledge for four years that government would need to introduce some type of legislation, which, despite the legal requirement for this, has been opposed by most legislators, though none have ever put forward any suggestions as to how the breach of the Bill of Rights and the European Convention of Human Rights could be addressed.
It has also been made clear that no piece of legislation, no matter how long the consultation period, would have satisfied those who oppose in principle the rights of the LGBT+community to a private and family.
Nevertheless, McLean had written to Sugg suggesting that a much longer discussion period was needed and challenging the decision by the UK to have the governor use his reserved powers to impose this legislation, claiming that this was a domestic, devolved issue.
But in her correspondence Baroness Sugg reiterated the point that has been spelt out by both the governor and the premier on numerous occasions that this was about the rule of law and not just same-sex marriage equality. She wrote that she believes the “strongest, safest and most prosperous societies are those in which all citizens can live freely without fear of discrimination”, including the LGBT community. “I also believe that the rule of law must be upheld in the UK and all of the Overseas Territories,” she added.
Sugg reminded the opposition leader of the Cayman Islands Appeal Court’s judgment and the justices’ direction that, if the Legislative Assembly failed to address the breach of the law, the UK should step in. Given that the majority of legislators failed “to recognise its legal responsibility”, the UK had to take action.
Commending the government for attempting to pass the bill and pointing out that the Legislative Assembly’s duty is to uphold the law, she said she was “disappointed” that the LA “felt they could not comply with the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal judgment”.
Sugg also corrected a false claim that the opposition and others have peddled on social media, in statements to the press and on talk shows that the UK will be withdrawing from the European Convention on Human Rights once Brexit is complete. This is not true, and Sugg noted that the UK’s obligation to the convention would remain. “This will not change as we leave the European Union,” she confirmed.
The opposition said it would be issuing a release Friday about the implementation of the Civil Partnership Law by the governor and Sugg’s letter, but CNS has not yet received any statement or comment about the issue. While suggestions have been circulating that the opposition may challenge the passage of the law in court, no action has been filed at this point. The opposition has also distanced itself from early calls circulated on social media for donations to mount a legal challenge. Nevertheless, money has been solicited for the action by some local churches.
According to a social media post, Kattina Anglin, a member of the Christian Association for Civics and a focal opponent to any kind of legal recognition of same-sex couples, has secured legal aid. (Related story will be posted shortly.)
See Baroness Sugg’s letter in CNS Library. Scroll down to ‘Official Opposition’.
Mr.Arden McLean, how often do you go to the beach? Walk barefooted? Swim? You have too much negative charge in your body. Sit on a wet sand, mother earth is positively charged and will absorb your negatively charged energy restoring balance in you body and mind.
This is not some sort of hocus-pocus, but nature’s designed mechanism to keep humans sane and healthy.
Caymanians are blessed to have beaches within walking distance. Should be the mellowest people on planet Earth, yet it seems that they are always ‘fighting’and unhappy with something.
“Should be the mellowest people on planet Earth”
Just you wait. The gays got their rights. Legal Cannabis coming next.
Yes. Finally, someone with some sense. I agree – we need to legalize cannabis asap. Hopefully the legal cannabis bill will be passed soon followed by legalized gambling in certain regulated areas and Cayman would finally shed the yoke of these local yokel church nazis and arrive in the 21st century with common sense. (fyi -Its called sarcasm…)
It is important for everyone to understand that not every relationship is based on mutual respect and understanding.
Arden McLean on 03 April 2019 presenting his Private Members Motion calling on the government to appeal the ruling of the Chief Justice: “The Chief Justice said that . . somewhere in his executive . . that our reluctance is what caused him to go this way, cuz we wouldn’t change it . . our reluctance to change it. Surprise, surprise; there was no reluctance on our part. That is what it was intended to be”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEsvH9D86qM @ 1:21:00.
Clearly Arden’s argument about time and consultation was purely a smoke screen. He had no intention of doing anything to afford rights to people of a different sexual orientation than himself. Shame on him
Somebody please tell Kattina Anglin to sit down and stop embarrassing herself and the Caymanian people. As far as I am aware she has to get permission to apply for judicial review. Which she will never get, and wiser heads know this. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing in this case.
The quotation is “a little learning is a dang’rous thing”: the accent is on the word “little”. Just saying.
I wonder how many people heard Mary Lawrence’s unhinged phone call to Sterling Dwayne today in which she castigated the Government for not paying any attention to the needs of Caymanians, “ an endangered species”, said Cayman owed it’s educational system to the Church which founded the High School, said Cayman was not a theocracy but was a democracy or striving to be one , England should be paying attention to the grey list and not getting involved with the domestic partnership issue, foreigners committing crimes were getting off more lightly than Caymanians committing the same ones. It was very sad because in among a whole heap of unpleasant, untrue, unlearned remarks there was a modicum of truth but it was buried in bitter anti expat biblical bile.
You are being too generous. She came across as xenophobic, spiteful, ignorant about the Cayman of today rather than the one she longs for from 50 years ago and intolerant.
Oh My, “Mommy” (Governess) just told use we cannot add… Maybe we have a Caymanian education as per our current Education (Religious Zealot) Minister.
Hopefully the next Education Minister will include basic math in our schools.
After the first major case regarding gay marriage with the spouse who sought to be a dependent for immigration, would all the MLAs especially Mr Arden McLean list the following:
1. How many meetings were held with their Constituencies?
2. How many national meetings did they hold to discuss the importance of these views to others?
3.How many hours were spent reviewing current international legislation?
4. How many meetings, hours were spent with their own local LGBT community and individuals?
Please stop pandering to self-righteous people, and let’s respect and practice what the Bible does advocate… kindness, sharing your views without judgment, acceptance of others, teaching others importance of FAMILY, period!
The time and money spent on this issue is a distraction to the fact that all these MLAs have an election and need to address their record and 2020 has greater issues than the Domestic Partnership Law. It’s done, let’s move on and for the love of God stop trying to blame this on the Governor.
Yes, please ask him how many meetings he had to ask his constituents their thoughts. Ask him why he only met with a select few in secret?
Ask him why he constantly keep call people guys and queers and homos?
Arden is a real disappointment to our community. We are tired Arden, very tired of your inability to bring East End out of the dark ages. We have so many issues that we need solutions for to make our lives better in the district.
Can we legalize adult toys next?
Unless someone can tell me anywhere else on earth that makes sex toys illegal?
CIG should have no right/say what you do inside your private home.
All because the ‘their’ god says what is bad.
Pretty sure greed is and lust for power is on that bad list.
You can always whittle one for yourself.
That will never happen without people bringing it to a head. Who wants to lead the campaign for sex toys and have everyone in their office think ‘I know what she’s going home to do’? Besides, it would end the time-honoured tradition of making criminal smugglers out of teenage girls, and who would want to do that? Asking your girlfriend what types of vibrators they sell at the store in Miami she found online that’s near the hotel she’ll be staying at, in a tone similar to buying drugs, is what it’s all about.
All you ever say is Blah!! Blah!!! Blah!!!!!!!
The only one with any sense in that group called the “Opposition” is Chris Saunders
Sorry, but he’s in the same stinky basket with the rest of them, so he stinks, too.
If he only knew we all looked on him as a village idiot. Remove the money and we all know from who and if he got more votes than his family, it would snow in Cayman.
Hey we had a better option last election. Shame that people couldn’t see that and have to deal with his nonsense.
Could someone tell him that when he wants to refer to the LA, the word is House not Ouse. It’s very embarrassing.
It’s a bit of a stretch asking Arden to cope with correspondence from the Foreign Office, unless they provided a pictures & crayons version for him to read.
We will remove him next November with any consultation too… Idiot.
Why not do it in May when the rest of us will be voting…
Hmm you know something we don’t ? New election date set and some idiot just let the car out of the bag !
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha…….suck it up buttercups! Your sky fairy friend can’t help you!
Laugh now cry later
Here’s an idea why don’t they stop wasting taxpayers money on a settled issue and hold the government to account like a proper opposition party should:
Here’s some issues that need addressing:
1) specifics on re-opening plan for tourism
2) updated 2020 budget and long-term forecast
3) high cost of Internet and mobile (creates digital divide)
4) lackluster educational system
5) recent spate of knife crime
6) mount trashmore
7) revitalizing SMB beach and depleted coral
8) traffic planning and public transport (buses, UBER?)
9) honesty regarding tradeoffs between economy and COVID measures and whether this will result in direct taxation becoming necessary
I’m sure there are others. The point is that there are real issues to solve and this isn’t one of them….
I’m sure there are others
How about the 800lb gorilla: we are on the OECD Black List, under FATF probationary review after failing last year, and have done nothing to address the recurring entrenched systemic corruption and transshipment laundering remarked in all of the previous reports. No white collar criminals detected or charged, even the Speaker, facing formal disqualifying criminal charges is allowed to show up for work as normal. This time, we actually have to deal with the gorilla, and I’m hoping it will somehow involve Section 81.
Don’t worry Baroness, we going reject him come the next election too
Him and the other wasters…
“4) lackluster educational system”
“lackluster?” That’s generous. We spend more per pupil on education than almost every country on earth and roughly double the UK, yet only around a 1/3 of our pupils get 5 C grades or better at GCSE compared to around 2/3 across the whole of the UK.
Credit that to our wonderful Education Minister (Failure to our youth and future voters).
Arden for the sake of everyone – SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP. 70 years ago a favourite comment of my teacher was “ Empty vessels make the most sound” – we know you like the sound of your own voice, but few others do.
Arden is entirely certain that he’s going to be the next premier.
He considers it to be his turn. McKeeva and Alden have both had a go, so he should too.
Quite what this lapsed village idiot thinks he might bring to the role, or what his objective qualifications for it may be, is a mystery.
The gay marriage issue is just a convenient vehicle for him to ride on towards this ambition.
Right you are.
After some many years (and yes, I admit that I did vote for him twice) and we have nothing to show for it except him using the Legislative Assembly as his audition for Hollywood.
Time for him to go.
“Entirely certain” ? Ambition is good but you certainly wont be representing our islands as no PREMIER.
“Known for four years”? Anyone with more than 5 grains of common sense has know for 20+ years that we should have legislation that provided equality for any couple wishing to join in a legal union.
If everyone lived by what is right and told the truth, we would have no problems in this world.