Court To Review Status
Thursday, April 15, 2004
Click here for full article
Reader comments:
- Excellent article. It would have been of interest to know the time table
for this important issue to be resolved. Those of us that are affected, both
economically and emotionally, would like/need to see a swift resolution.
This is essential to the ability to make business plans etc. I feel it is
also a determination as the Cayman Islands Government's credibility or if
the lawyers are now running as haphazard here as in the US. It seems very
odd to those of us affected that the CBA has determined that it's necessary
to do this without so much as one client. Perhaps they needed a publicity
stunt? – Benji
- Editor’s note: So far as we have been able to ascertain, no date has
been fixed for the substantive hearing and it is now up to the court to set
a hearing date. As a matter of public policy, the court is supposed to deal
with judicial review applications expeditiously but, in practice, there is
no certainty that this particular application will be heard any time soon.
Whenever further details are available, Cayman Net News will, of course,
inform its readers.
- We wish to congratulate the Cayman Bar Association for having the
courage to take legal action against the government regarding the Cabinet
status grants.
Time will tell if this cabinet acted illegally; however, in the view of
great number of Caymanians, many of the Cabinet grants were morally wrong
and unjustified. Having done a number of good things since coming to office,
shame on this government for such an ill-advised and shortsighted policy of
granting indiscriminate, un-scrutinized status grants.
These 2850 status grants will affect not only the adult Caymanian population
but also seriously impact the job opportunities of the younger Caymanian
population. Considering these difficult economic times we see no
justification why our lives and the lives of our children should be made so
much harder by the actions of the present Cabinet.
We read with growing concern letters in the local papers stating “it’s a
done deal – let’s move on”. Shame on the opposition party, the PPM, for
taking the same line when appearing on Talk Back Live. The PPM stated that
in their view the cabinet status grants were “illegal” – but let’s move on.
Shame on the PPM. You have been approached by young Caymanians to support
the Cayman Bar Association and put this wrong to right and you have failed
this younger generation. At a time when this country is in real need of
strong opposition to this government the PPM have let down the Caymanians
they hope will vote for them in November.
If an act is “illegal” society reacts to deal with the illegal problem be it
a petty thief, a corrupt corporation, the Nazi holocaust or the illegal
actions of governments.
If the PPM believes the Cabinet grants were “illegal” – as stated on Talk
Back Live – then it is their duty to support the Cayman Bar Association’s
action against the Government. The PPM may pay a heavy price at the next
election for this lack of backbone and credibility.
We sincerely hope that the Cayman Bar Association’s action against the
cabinet grants will be successful. We hope that they move ahead with this
action with full speed and congratulate them on a having a strong desire to
right a wrong which none of the present elected MLA’s have had the integrity
to do. Well done to the Cayman Bar Association- keep up the good work and do
not be intimidated.
To those who say “let sleeping dogs lie, let’s move on” we ask the following
questions:
1. Why is the Cabinet bestowing Caymanian Status on convicted criminals?
2. Why is the Cabinet inviting expatriates who have not been here the
required ten years to be Caymanian?
3. Why is the Cabinet giving Caymanian Status to expatriates who do not live
in the Cayman Islands and have no property or investments here but who visit
the island for a few weeks each year?
4. Why is the Cabinet allowing the children of these expatriates (some of
whom have never even visited these islands) the opportunity to start
businesses or undertake employment in the Cayman Islands and compete with
locals and local businesses who are struggling to make a living?
5. Most importantly- why should any of the above expatriate groups who have
been granted status by the present cabinet be given preference for status
over and above the hundreds of long term, law abiding expatriates who have
lived here lawfully for ten, fifteen or twenty years? Many of these people
have purchased property and paid duties to the government and this country
but not have been granted status by this Cabinet.
We were extremely pleased to hear of the call - outlined on Talk Back Live
on Tuesday, 13th April - for honorable, reputable Caymanian citizens to
stand as independent candidates for parliament in the next election. What an
important plea. We desperately need respected Caymanian citizens to stand as
independent candidate, to be elected and genuinely provide the checks and
balances, transparency and accountability of government for the people of
Cayman Islands that the present two party system is not providing.
Please let us have independent private candidates standing in the next
election so that we have individuals to vote for who we can trust to look
after the long term interests of the people of the Cayman Islands.
We, the Caymanian people, pay our MLAs very, very large salaries. In return
we have a right to expect the highest moral and ethical standards from our
representatives. They work for us. Are we getting value for money from the
present elected members?
Becoming an elected member is an exceedingly responsible job so we implore
concerned Caymanians to stand as Private Members in the November elections
which are critical to the future of the Cayman Islands and all Caymanian
citizens. We need new faces and new ideas. Please come forward and stand for
election, your country needs you.
Praise to the Cayman Bar Association - for their integrity and the belief in
principle, transparency and accountability - Concerned Caymanians
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