🏛️ Cayman Islands Parliament under review by Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

The Cayman Islands Parliament is currently undergoing a benchmark assessment by representatives from the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). The voluntary review is designed to compare the local legislature with others around the world, identifying areas of strength and potential improvement. The assessment is being conducted by Clive Barker from the CPA’s UK Headquarters and Shannon Dean from the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada. The pair will evaluate the legislative and operational aspects of the parliament against 132 indicators of good governance that the CPA developed in consultation with other Commonwealth legislatures between 2006 and 2018. 🌍

House Speaker Katherine Ebanks-Wilks has welcomed the opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of the parliament's achievements and areas for improvement. The assessment will cover a broad range of topics relating to legislative governance, including election processes, the organisation of the legislature, gender representation, practices of committees, parliamentary staffing, public input, separation from the executive, financial oversight and openness and transparency. After the week-long assessment, the CPA will prepare a report amalgamating the responses given by the various participants. This report will guide Cayman’s parliament in improving its administration and legislative functions. 📝

As a member of the CPA, the Cayman Islands can benefit from resources and support to advance its parliamentary practices. The speaker expressed hope that the assessment will result in a clear development plan for the parliament. The review will also assist with the modernisation of the Standing Orders, which will include a schedule of regular meetings and the rollout of the Code of Conduct that all Members of Parliament will be bound by. 📚