Laws
CoP admits failure to enforce gambling law
(CNS): Police Commissioner Derek Byrne has admitted that law enforcement has not been doing enough to address the escalating problem of gambling, which he said is both fuelling and directly linked to other crimes. Byrne said the RCIPS needs to do more, but that community-wide tolerance of illegal gambling and inadequate consequences for anyone who […]
Panton agrees to public discussion on building heights
(CNS): Premier Wayne Panton has accepted an amended private member’s motion brought by McKeeva Bush (WBW) asking the government to consider lifting height restrictions in some areas to allow buildings of 15-20 storeys, catering to the demands of wealthy developers. But Panton said the discussion couldn’t be confined to parliament but would be opened up […]
Changes coming to make asylum claims more difficult
(CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has steered legislation through parliament, without opposition, to make asylum claims more difficult for irregular migrants and speed up the process. As Border Control Minister Chris Saunders brought an amendment bill to parliament Monday, he said the number of Cubans now arriving was creating a crisis, and changes to the […]
Gambling bill sent to select committee, ID bills pass
(CNS): As Premier Wayne Panton wrapped up the debate on the Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2022 on Monday, he told MPs that it would go to a select committee of the House, where changes to address some of the concerns raised could be made. During the same sitting, both bills paving the way for a national […]
Local gambling connected to foreign crime syndicates
(CNS): Premier Wayne Panton, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and Attorney General Sam Bulgin have all stressed that law enforcement agencies in the Cayman Islands are increasingly concerned that illegal gambling here is directly connected to international and organised crime syndicates and is generating as much as $50 million each year in illicit earnings.
MPs debate planned vote on ganja and lottery
(CNS): A government motion to hold a referendum on introducing a national lottery and decriminalising cannabis was debated in parliament on Wednesday, stirring up different views across both sides of the House. However, the motion succeeded and the government now intends to draft a referendum bill in the New Year. But the motion only proposes […]
Parliament to debate car imports, tall buildings
(CNS): Two private members’ motions set to be presented in parliament next week will see MPs debate the issue of increasing the current building height limits to 20 or even 30 storeys, and restricting car imports to alleviate traffic congestion. Opposition Leader Roy McTaggart has filed a motion calling on the government to “consider as […]
ID register will be optional in face of backlash
(CNS): The minister responsible for innovation, André Ebanks, has said that following feedback and concerns in the community about the new legislation supporting the long-awaited national identification programme, changes are now being made to the bills due to go before parliament next week. The most significant is a decision to make the population register optional. […]
Critically endangered plant protection approved
(CNS): Cabinet has approved a species protection plan for the critically endangered Aegiphila caymanensis, an endemic plant that is unique to Grand Cayman, now only found in three known locations across the island with just fourteen confirmed surviving specimens. Also known as the spirit vine, it is a woody, clambering shrub with soft, downy leaves […]
Privy Council’s stranglehold Caribbean LGBTQIA+ people
(Colours Caribbean): The UK Privy Council, comprising judges of the UK Supreme Court, continues to enable the oppression of LGBTQIA+ people in the Caribbean by reversing progressive lower court decisions and upholding the enforceability and constitutionality of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in those states (most of which were themselves introduced by the UK).
Fines and jail time soar for illegal gambling
(CNS): Anyone convicted of illegal gambling could face a fine of up to $10,000 or four years behind bars as a result of an amendment bill that overhauls the current law, which dates back to the 1960s. The Gambling (Amendment) Bill 2022, which will be added to a long list of legislation the PACT Government […]
