Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

CI Governor assents to defeated Domestic Partnership Bill!

CI Governor assents to defeated Domestic Partnership Bill!

Governor Martyn Roper will use his powers under section 81 of the constitution to assent to the recently defeated Domestic Partnership Bill and expects the law to be enacted by the beginning of next month, according to a statement released by the Governor’s Office.
“As Governor, this is not a position I would ever have wanted to be in,” Roper is quoted as saying in the release. “Since arriving in October 2018, I have fully respected Cayman’s extensive responsibility for dealing with domestic matters. But I cannot simply stand aside when it comes to upholding the rule of law and complying with international obligations, which fall squarely within my responsibilities as Governor.”

The Cayman Islands Court of Appeal last year overturned Chief Justice Anthony Smellie’s ruling granting Vickie Bodden Bush and Chantelle Day the right to marry but also mandated Cayman’s government “act expeditiously” to create a legal equivalent of marriage for same-sex couples.

The resulting Domestic Partnership Bill was defeated last week in the Legislative Assembly, 9-8.

“The failure of the Legislative Assembly to pass the Domestic Partnership Bill leaves me, as Governor and the UK Government, with no option but to act to uphold the law,” Roper said.

“It was clear to me that the bill would satisfy the legal requirement and at the same time maintain the current definition of marriage. I fully recognise how sensitive and controversial this issue is. But it was my expectation, and that of the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office), that all lawmakers would recognise their legal responsibility and pass the Bill after debate in the Legislative Assembly.”

Roper plans to publish a version of the current bill on 10 Aug. and allow 21 days for consultation by the public and members of the LA, Roper said, as required in the Cayman Islands Constitution. The Governor’s Office and Attorney General Samuel Bulgin will be available to consider additional comments on the provisions of the bill, according to the statement.

The governor expects the bill to be gazetted and come into law at the beginning of September. A number of consequential pieces of legislation will be amended at the same time to bring them into line with the new law. These will also be published for consultation on 10 Aug.

“In seeking to find a way forward, I believe I have been consistent and true to my pledge when I arrived to serve all the people of these wonderful islands to the best of my ability,” Roper said. “I hope we can soon put this divisive debate behind us and come together as a people as we continue to navigate our way through a challenging global pandemic”.

Deputy Opposition Leader and Newlands legislator Alva Suckoo, when contacted by the Compass, declined comment as the opposition had not yet discussed the announcement.

Attorney Leonardo Raznovich, who provides legal counsel for local LGBTQ advocacy group Colours Cayman, celebrated the Governor’s decision.

“Let’s not lose sight that we are here because the legislators last week decided to take us into a path of anarchy,” Raznovich told the Compass. “To reject the DPB, as they did, they placed themselves above the law of the land. The governor had no option but to put them back what they ought to be according to the constitution: under the law.”

Raznovich added that he wished the Governor had gone a step further and introduced legislation that would have provided marriage to same-sex couples. The current bill provides a framework for same-sex couples to enjoy benefits legally equivalent to a married couples but allows for the legal definition of a marriage to only be between a man and a woman. Bodden Bush and Day have taken their legal battle to the UK Privy Council and Raznovich hopes the case will result same-sex marriage in the Cayman Islands.

“Their case remains strong as a matter of equality under the constitution and the PC will almost certainly say that,” Raznovich said.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
×