The people of the Cayman Islands now have some rights that are now law. From Tuesday (6) any Caymanian who believes their rights are not being upheld can seek legal redress through Cayman’s courts. In some cases ex-pats are covered, too.

See our stories on the subject in Tuesday’s (6) iNews Cayman at:

http://www.ieyenews.com/2012/11/implementation-day-message-from-his-excellency-the-governor/

http://www.ieyenews.com/2012/11/cayman-islands-bill-of-rights-comes-into-effect-today-6/

http://www.ieyenews.com/2012/11/implementation-day-message-from-the-human-rights-commission-chairman/

It has taken the Cayman islands three years after the 2009 Constitution was implemented. The Bill protects, but is not limited to, people’s right to movement, thought, expression, assembly equality before the law, and protections for the environment.

Whilst most of government believe the Bill has gone too far and will involve detrimental costs to the Cayman Islands and has already done so in implementing it by training officers and fighting the expected claims in Court, there are others outside of government who do not think it has gone far enough.

Because of gay rights issues and ‘devil worshipping’ the Bill still allows discrimination.

What amazes me is that although it has taken THREE years to get this far government is not prepared as it should be. Their excuse will be lack of funds that they didn’t even include in their budgets.

Now they are going to find out the hard way when Attorney General Sam Bulgin has to fight all the claims he knows will be coming his way.

Even prisoners have rights and Police Commissioner David Baines has been almost shouting out about the state of the central (George Town) lock up and detention facilities ever since he arrived here in 2009. Even before he arrived their state was highlighted by an outside inspection. Nothing was done then and it will probably take a court case that government can’t win before anything will be done.

It’s only our money after all so if it costs twice as much as it should we (government) don’t have to worry. Not so. In some cases individuals can be sued and can go to jail if found failing in their duties.

As Cayman Islands Governor Duncan Taylor said ensuring that people’s rights are upheld is a job for public officials who have a duty under the Constitution to ensure that all acts they carry out and decisions they make are “lawful, rational, proportionate and procedurally fair manner“, as set out in the Bill, which is the first schedule of the constitution.

Be warned. The Bill of Rights is going to be very unpopular in some areas, especially with Cayman’s own ‘peculiar’ traditions.