The Constitutional Review Commission Report is completed and was recently submitted to His Excellency Governor John Rankin and Premier Dr. the Honourable Natalio Wheatley.
Premier Wheatley described the completion of the report by the Constitutional Review Commission as a positive indication of constitutional progress and the evolution of the Virgin Islands democratic system.
He said, “I am grateful to the Chairman and members of the Constitutional Review Commission, who worked diligently to complete and present a report that is representative of extensive public and private consultation, thoughtful and engaging deliberation, and meaningful research and consideration.”
Dr. Wheatley said the report is helpful not only in addressing several recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry but also the territory’s aspirations for advancement, including the checks and balances towards the development of a greater democracy that the people of the BVI deserve.
“This report will be received by Cabinet, then subsequently laid on the table of the House of Assembly (HoA) where it will be the subject of parliamentary debate. The document will then be available for public review which will inform the next steps, including the establishment of a negotiating team,” he added.
The commission conducted its work from July 2022, through various forums and media including town-hall style public meetings, private consultative meetings, radio and television interviews, infomercials, secondary schools outreach, a consultative meeting with Virgin Islanders residing in the United States Virgin Islands, and a signature educational and consultative event which was live-streamed and made available for review.
The report is intended to be comprehensive and in line with the general terms of reference that were approved.
These include; i. to re-evaluate the vision of the people of the Virgin Islands, as expressed in the preamble to the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007, and to amend accordingly, if necessary;
ii. to evaluate the current Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007, and determine whether it is in strategic fit to facilitate the people of the Virgin Islands in achieving the revised vision in (i) above;
iii. to identify any gaps in relation to (ii) above;
iv. to make recommendations for constitutional reform,
v. to review the next step towards self-determination for the Territory of the Virgin Islands; and
vi. to consider how best, the law enforcement and justice agencies can sit within the constitutional framework.
The handover of the CRC’s report signals the completion of another action in the COI Recommendations.