Parliament of the Cayman Islands

Parliament of the Cayman Islands
Coat of arms of the Cayman Islands
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	5 December 1831
Leadership
Speaker	Sir Alden McLaughlin, People's Progressive Movement since 23 November 2023
Premier	Julianna O'Connor-Connolly, United People's Movement since 15 November 2023
Leader of the Opposition	Joey Hew, People's Progressive Movement since 7 October 2024
Structure
Seats	21
Political groups	Speaker (1)   People's Progressive Movement (1) Government (7)   United People's Movement (7) Official Opposition (11)   People's Progressive Movement (5)   Independent (6)
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
Last election	14 April 2021
Next election	30 April 2025
Website
parliament.ky

Politics of the Cayman Islands
Constitution Law
Monarchy Sovereign Charles III Governor Jane Owen
Executive Premier Julianna O'Connor-Connolly
Legislative Parliament Speaker: Alden McLaughlin
Elections Recent elections General: 2017 2021 2025 Political parties Cayman Democratic Party (CDP) People's Progressive Movement (PDM)
Administrative divisions
Citizenship Belonger status British Overseas Territories citizen Passport Visa requirements
Foreign relations
Other countries
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The Parliament of the Cayman Islands is the unicameral legislature of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. It is composed of 21 members; 19 elected members for a four-year term and two members ex officio.^[1]

The Governor may at any time, by Proclamation, prorogue or dissolve the Parliament. The Governor shall dissolve the Parliament at the expiration of four years from the date when the Parliament first meets after any general election unless it has been sooner dissolved. There shall be a general election at such time within two months after every dissolution of the Parliament as the Governor shall, by Proclamation, appoint. The first meeting of every session of the House shall, by Proclamation, be held on such day as the Governor shall appoint. A session usually consists of four meetings. A Meeting comprises several sittings.

In the elections of 8 November 2000, with a turnout of 80% only non-partisans were elected. After the election, conservative members of parliament formed the United Democratic Party. The conservative social democratic People's Progressive Movement formed in response and won the subsequent election. The United Democratic Party has since collapsed, with former members either exiting politics or becoming independents.^{[2][circular reference]}

On 31 October 2024 Deputy Premier André Ebanks, Ministers Ebanks-Wilks and Turner, and Parliamentary Secretary Heather Bodden resigned from the Government effective immediately.^[3][4] This move raises the prospect of an early general election and questions the ability for the current Government to pass legislation. Such legislation would require support from Elected Members from different parties. Furthermore, the governor would need to sign off on that arrangement.

The first meeting to discuss the possible legislative future of the Cayman Islands took place on 5 December 1831 at Pedro St. James Castle, a great house in the fertile area of Savannah on Grand Cayman. This building is the seat of parliamentary beginnings in the Cayman Islands.

By 1909 what got established as the Legislative Assembly of Justices and Vestry was meeting in the Court House on the waterfront in what is now the headquarters of the Cayman Islands National Museum, in front of Hog Sty Bay and the cruise passenger arrival terminal. The building served as the seat of government, the court house and the legislature. Now it is the home of the Cayman Islands National Museum.

The present Parliament building was built on the site of the former Princess Royal Park. The building design was the subject of some controversy when selected as the winner of an international architectural competition. Being the first poured concrete public building in Cayman, modern techniques were not yet in use, so the concrete was mixed on the street and poured pail by pail by a bucket brigade. The cornerstone was laid by Captain Rayal Brazly Bodden, MBE, JP, on 29 September 1971. The building was completed in July 1972.^[5]

By 2003, the legislature had outgrown the space and the building was in need of renovating. Repair and refurbishment work on the building began in February 2003, which added more space through reconfiguration, and renovated and refurbished portions of the interior, including the main chamber.

The newly refurbished and expanded building was inaugurated with the opening of the Legislature session on 2 July 2004, two months before Hurricane Ivan, which almost completely devastated Grand Cayman over a two-day period (11–12 September 2004). The LA building withstood the storm with minor damage to its roof.

Nineteen members (Members of the Parliament, MPs) are currently elected on a "one person, one vote" basis, following a Constitution Order in 2015.^[1] This replaced the electoral system from the 2009 constitutional amendment (where 18 members were elected from five multi- and two single-member constituencies).^[6] The two ex officio (appointed) members, the Deputy Governor and the Attorney-General, are appointed by the Governor of the Cayman Islands.

On 3 December 2020, the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands was renamed the Parliament of the Cayman Islands by the Cayman Islands Constitution (Amendment) Order 2020.^[7]

• Hon. Franz Manderson, MBE: Deputy Governor; First Official Member, Responsible for External Affairs
• Hon. Samuel Bulgin, JP, KC: Attorney General; Second Official Member, Responsible for Legal Affairs

• 2021 Cayman Islands general election

• List of speakers of the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands

• Official website