The Leader of the Opposition the Hon. Ezzard Miller departs today for the UK where he and Mr. Alva Suckoo, the deputy leader of the Opposition, will be joining the Cayman Islands team for the Constitutional talks that begin on Friday (December 7, 2018). Mr. Suckoo has already departed for the UK.

“I am honoured to be a member of the delegation,” Mr. Miller said, adding that his objective would be to “improve the good governance of the Cayman Islands, by Caymanians, for Caymanians.”

Mr. Miller said that he supported Premier Alden McLaughlin’s position with regard to the Cayman Islands constitutional provisions that will be the focus of discussions.  These provisions are the power of disallowance of locally enacted laws by the UK Secretary of State (section 80), the Governor’s reserved powers with regard to the introduction of legislation with the prior approval of the UK Secretary of State (section 81), and the power reserved to Her Majesty to make laws for the Cayman Islands (section 125).

In addition to Messrs. Miller and Suckoo and Premier Alden McLaughlin, the delegation will comprise the Hon. Tara Rivers, Minister for Financial Services and Home Affairs; the Hon. Joseph Hew, Minister for Commerce, Planning & Infrastructure; and the Hon. Samuel Bulgin, QC, Attorney General. The team will be accompanied by Government’s constitutional advisor in London, Sir Jeffrey Jowell, QC.

Mr. Miller said that the high-level talks beginning on Friday at the FCO offices in London are expected to conclude on Monday (December 10).

The team will be meeting with Sir Jeffrey in advance of the meetings.

The talks follow the passage of legislation in the UK Parliament requiring the Cayman Islands and other British Overseas Territories (BOTs) to establish public beneficial ownership registers by no later than December 31, 2020. Significantly, the British Crown Dependencies were excluded.

In the event of noncompliance by the BOTs, the amendment requires the UK government to implement the required public register of beneficial ownership by means of a UK Order in Council changing local legislation.

In his November 22, 2018, statement to the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly explaining the background and focus of the constitutional talks, the Premier said that he “does not accept that the United Kingdom Parliament has the right to legislate for (the Cayman Islands) when it comes to domestic matters that are devolved to local government.”