Tag: ombudsman
Roulstone appointed as new Ombudsman
(CNS): Sharon Roulstone is to be the new Ombudsman overseeing public complaints against the government and the police, whistle-blower protection, freedom of information requests and data protection. Governor Martyn Roper announced Roulstone’s appointment on social media Thursday, saying her “professional achievements, integrity and passion impressed the recruitment panel who unanimously agreed that she was well […]
Ministry rejects need to apologise over FOI
(CNS): The Ministry of Finance and Economic Development has made it clear that no one from there will be apologising over the alleged mishandling of a freedom of information request and has taken aim at the Ombudsman, suggesting her press release was “unwarranted”. A release from the office of Financial Secretary Kenneth Jefferson said the […]
Local lawyer and cop join ombudsman
(CNS): Local attorney and two-time political hopeful Sharon Roulstone has been appointed as the deputy ombudsman in the complaints division of the newly amalgamated office, which covers freedom of information as well as complaints about the public service. Peter McLoughlin, a former UK cop who has been with the RCIPS for nine years and previously […]
Ombudsman says FOI is ‘inalienable right’
(CNS): The new supra-ombudsman has said that the freedom of information is a vital part of government openness and transparency. Sandy Hermiston arrived in Cayman last month to take over the helm of the newly combined and challenging office of public service complains, police complaints, whistle-blowing and data protection. On Cayman’s Right to Know Day, she […]
Info bosses take longer to respond as requests increase
(CNS): The latest statistics from the Information Commissioner’s Office on the use of the Freedom of Information Law shows the number of requests made in 2016/17 increased by 21% on the previous year, which had seen a dramatic decline. But as the number of requests grew, the average time it took for information managers to […]
Canadian secures job as supra-ombudsman
(CNS): Sandy Hermiston, the General Counsel for the Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner in Alberta, Canada, will be the Cayman Islands’ first-ever supra-ombudsman created under the Ombudsman Law, 2017. The Canadian lawyer beat out four other people who were shortlisted for the job, one of which, officials have confirmed, was a Caymanian.
JOCC leads ethics, Miller stays at PAC, Rivers takes on OCC/ICO
(CNS): Following the pomp and ceremony of Wednesday morning’s proceedings in the Legislative Assembly, in the afternoon members got down to their first task to elect the chairs and members of the various parliamentary committees. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly will lead the Register of Interests Committee, which deals with the financial ethics, interests and potential conflicts of […]
CIG begins search for ombudsman
(CNS): The government has begun its search for a multi-talented ombudsman that has experience in police and other public sector complaints, dealing with whistleblowing protection, as well as freedom of information and data protection. Whoever gets the top civil service job could earn more than $130,000 per year plus benefits. The deadline for applications is […]
Ombudsman laws steered through LA
(CNS): The controversial decision by the government to merge the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Office of the Complaints Commissioner, with the additional responsibility of police complaints, was solidified in the final sitting of the Legislative Assembly with the passage of two key bills and several supporting amendment bills. The Police Complaints by the Public […]
Ombudsman to focus on cop complaints
(CNS): Two pieces of legislation published on the government gazette this month will pave the way for the creation of an Ombudsman’s office that will take over the functions of the existing Office of the Complaints Commissioner and Information Commissioner’s Office. But the primary role of the new turbo-civil servant, which will be held for […]
Committee falls apart over merger of OCC and ICO
(CNS): MLA Ezzard Miller has resigned as chair of the parliamentary oversight committee that deals with the Office of the Complaints Commissioner as a result of government’s plan to merge the OCC with the Information Commissioner’s Office and a new police complaints commission. He also revealed that most of the other committee members had followed […]
