Governor issues proclamation to prorogue Parliament
Her Excellency, Governor Jane Owen, issued her first proclamation as Governor on Monday, 31st July, to prorogue the 2022-2023 Session of Parliament.
Published in the Extraordinary Gazette No. 56, the proclamation marks a suspension of the business of the House. However, Members of Parliament (MPs) continue to hold their electoral seats, and Cabinet continues to function regardless of the end of the Parliamentary Session.
The 2022-2023 Session held a number of key moments, including the election of Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks to the Speaker of the House, the swearing-in ceremony of Mrs. Owen, a Special Meeting for the passing of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, and two changes to the membership of the Standing Public Accounts Committee.
“I have been able to oversee a number of debates as well as the establishment of a select committee during this past Session,” said the Speaker. “As I look forward to the new Session, I am excited to roll out our new website and various media platforms. I’m also looking forward to enhancing the procedures of Parliament and offering more opportunities that will promote more public participation.”
House Committees also continue to function during any proroguing period. Currently, the only select committee formed by the 2021-2025 Term of elected MPs is the Select Committee on Gambling (Amendment) Bill, 2022. The Standing Public Accounts Committee and the Standing Select Committee to Oversee the Performance of the Office of the Ombudsman are both scheduled to meet on 6th September 2023.
Typically, Parliament prorogues during the summer months as the general elections are held in the spring every four years, with the first proper Meeting of the House being held a few months after the swearing-in ceremony for the new and returning MPs.
Proroguing and dissolving the Parliament is a task uniquely assigned to the Governor through the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009. The United Kingdom’s Parliament also prorogues its two Houses each year upon the proclamation of His Majesty King Charles III, who delivers the announcement in the House of Lords.
Once the Governor, Premier, and the Speaker consult on a date for the new session, the Governor will issue another proclamation to formally begin the 2023-2024 Session.
