Tag: Human Rights Commission
HRC chair stands ground despite Mac’s rebuke
(CNS): James Austin-Smith has stood by a press release issued by the Human Rights Commission criticising government’s decision to appeal Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s ruling legalising same-sex marriage. The HRC chairman did not apologise to the Legislative Assembly, despite demands from Speaker McKeeva Bush. In a letter to the speaker, he said that he did […]
Mac calls for HRC chair to be sacked
(CNS): The fallout from the chief justice’s ruling legalising same-sex marriage continued in the Legislative Assembly Friday, when Speaker McKeeva Bush accused the chair of the Human Rights Commission of contempt regarding a press release from the HRC released Thursday. Bush said James Austin-Smith should be fired because he is an atheist. Following on from […]
HRC: Appeal in same-sex marriage case ‘unarguable’
(CNS): The Human Rights Commission has said that government’s decision to appeal Chief Justice Antony Smellie’s judgment in the same-sex marriage petition will fail because the grounds are “weak to the point of being unarguable”. The HRC said government’s decision to commit hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money to appeal, based only on […]
FCO welcomes CJ ruling, irritated by appeal
(CNS): The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has said it welcomes the ruling by Chief Justice Anthony Smellie regarding his decision to modify the Marriage Law in the same-sex marriage case filed by Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden, but the FCO is disappointed government is choosing to appeal. The governor’s office has confirmed it will not […]
Prison investment plans too slow, says HRC
(CNS): It is no secret that for many years conditions in Cayman Islands prisons have been dire and in desperate need of investment. But in a newly published document the Human Rights Commission detailed the human rights challenges, describing Cayman’s prison system as “overcrowded, chronically underfunded and in need of urgent investment”. The HRC warned […]
CIG wasted public cash on LGBT case, says HRC
(CNS): The Human Rights Commission has accused government of an “inexcusable waste of public funds” that are “purely for political reasons” in its fight against Chantelle Day and Vickie Bodden, a same-sex couple who were refused a marriage licence last summer. In a paper submitted to the UK House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee’s inquiry into […]
Cubans released as HRC challenges detention
(CNS): The government has confirmed that it is overturning the policy of detaining all Cuban migrants who chose to land in local waters, regardless of their status, and the Department of Immigration (DOI) has determined that some detainees will be released from the detention facility pending the results of their legal matters. Given the length […]
Cayman has just 20 asylum seekers ahead of Refugee Day
(CNS): As many developing countries around the world are dealing with unimaginable numbers of refugees and asylum seekers landing on their shores on a daily basis, Cayman has just 20 people waiting for a decision on their asylum application. But as the US government faces intense criticism for separating children from their parents in an […]
Governor hopes to oversee civil union law
(CNS): The new governor has made it clear that the UK will not be pushing the Cayman Islands government to change the definition of marriage but he is hoping to see the government adopt legislation that will pave the way for same-sex civil partnerships and provide equal legal rights for gay couples. Speaking to the […]
HRC warns bullies could breach constitution
(CNS): Under the Cayman Islands’ Constitution a number of rights may be breached in situations involving bullying, the Human Rights Commission warned Thursday in a statement to mark Anti-Bullying Day. The commission identified bullying as one of the key issues it wants to address this year, saying, “There is a misconception that bullying is ‘just a part […]
HRC backs climate education in local schools
(CNS): The Human Rights Commission has stressed the importance of environmental awareness and climate change education in schools in order to foster a community that protects the environment and promotes sustainability. Marking Earth Day, which takes place on Saturday, HRC Chair James Austin-Smith said, “Every one of us has a duty to protect the Earth and […]
