Anti-crime amendments now law in the Cayman Islands

Friday,  November 25, 2005

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: Nine amendments to legislation in the Cayman Islands, aimed at further curbing crime through a number of new measures ranging from longer jail time to the right of police to request information from phone companies, are now enforceable by law.

These amendments which were passed in the Legislative Assembly on 13 October were signed into the relevant laws by Acting Governor George McCarthy on 8 November and published in the 15 November issue of the Official Gazette.

At the time of piloting these bills through their stages in the House Attorney General Sam Bulgin referred to a rash of crime that hit the Cayman Islands and said, “There is widespread recognition throughout our society that in order to overcome this turbulence we require the collective efforts of all law abiding residents of these Islands.”

He added, “The raft of legislation, consisting of numerous crime fighting bills is further confirmation of the government’s continuing efforts to provide the necessary legislative mechanism to buttress the other ongoing initiatives aimed at rooting out this cancer.”

The amendments that are now part of the various laws are on money laundering, firearms, bail, the Court of Appeal, criminal procedure, evidence, the Information and Communication Authority, the Penal Code, police and prisons.

The changes in these laws mean that there are now radical differences in the entire crime-fighting sphere, starting from the way evidence is obtained and how it is presented in court, and ending with the manner sentences of convicted persons are carried out, including imposition of lengthy mandatory prison terms.

Following are the added provisions of these laws based on the amendments. 

• Under the Firearms Law persons convicted of illegal arms possession must serve at least 10 years behind bars. The maximum sentence is 20 years for this offence that includes illegal possession of bullet proof vests; 

• Under the Bail Law the number of times persons accused of serious offences are granted bail is reduced; 

• Under the Court of Appeal Law scope for appeals by the Attorney General or a complainant is widened;

• Under the Criminal Procedure Code and the Evidence Law accused persons can give evidence through a live television link-up or can be represented by a lawyer instead of appearing in person;

• Under the ICTA Law it is an offence for a telephone company to refuse to produce certain information required by a policemen at the rank of Chief Inspector or above in fighting crime.

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