🌀 Hurricane Beryl postpones Bush trial and parliament meeting
Impending hurricane forces closure of courthouse and government services in Cayman Islands
As Hurricane Beryl approaches the Cayman Islands, the trial of MP McKeeva Bush has been postponed and the jury sent home until Friday. The impending storm has also led to the postponement of a planned meeting of lawmakers, including Bush, set for Friday. The courthouse closed on Tuesday at 2:00pm and all cases have been adjourned until after the hurricane has passed. 🌪️
Most of the government’s non-essential services were also closed on Tuesday afternoon as civil servants were advised to complete hurricane preparations. The House of Parliament has confirmed that Friday’s meeting, which would have been only the fourth meeting of this session, was cancelled. A new date has yet to be confirmed. Speaker Alden McLaughlin reassured that parliament can convene in an emergency if required. 🏛️
McLaughlin also urged everyone to follow the guidelines published on the Hazard Management Cayman Islands website. He highlighted the existence of several acts of parliament in the Cayman Islands that address disaster management, including the Disaster Preparedness and Hazard Management Act (2019). He emphasized the rigorous processes and effective emergency legislation in place to manage disasters in the Cayman Islands. 🚨
