Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 23, 2025

Multiple recurring themes identified in submissions to CRC

Multiple recurring themes identified in submissions to CRC

A preliminary analysis of submissions made to the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) has identified several recurring themes on what residents want to see in the territory’s next constitution.
January 31 marked the deadline for persons to submit comments to the Commission. And according to the CRC’s Chairperson, Lisa Penn-Lettsome, a lot of the data from respondents had to do with political representation and what general elections should look like going forward.

“We are still going through the submissions but some recurring themes from our public meetings include … being able to vote for the Premier, [and] agreement for more devolution of the Governor’s powers to central government with appropriate checks and balances where necessary,” Penn-Lettsome told BVI News in a recent invited comment.

She said other recurring themes that were proposed included, “the need for greater public consultation of laws before they are passed, a review of the purpose of At-Large system, and various proposals to address representation at the district level.”

Based on the submissions, another recurring theme was the “need for ongoing education on the constitution — including in the schools,” Penn-Lettsome said.

Submissions and public engagements

Since November 1, the CRC has held 39 consultative and educational engagements to include 12 town hall meetings, 22 meetings requested by private audiences, four interviews, and one signature event that was live-streamed with on-demand viewing.

Penn-Lettsome said figures on public engagement will be finalised later in the month. However, she noted that, so far, the engagements have led to the CRC receiving more than 135 written submissions from 82 persons and 250 oral submissions (105 from community meetings and more than 145 from private audiences).

“Our signature event has been viewed 1,400 times. Our most successful interview was viewed 9,000 times across the BVI and the English-speaking Caribbean,” Penn-Lettsome said.

She noted the beginning of the process was marked by great verbal participation at meetings but extremely low written feedback. But at beginning of 2023, the CRC saw a marked improvement in written submissions both in terms of quantity and quality.

“We are obviously very busy organising the submissions now but are extremely excited by the preliminary analysis,” Penn-Lettsome noted.

What comes next

All recommendations will be reviewed over the coming months before the Commission submits its report later in the year. At that time, a negotiating team will be put together to explore the recommendations with the UK Government.

The CRC’s report should primarily be built around recommendations coming from the public. Penn-Lettsome said the improvement in the quality of the submissions as well as the number of submissions increases the chance of comments from the public making it into the final report.

“We remain indebted to all those who participated and I would like to acknowledge the tireless work of my colleagues on the Commission. It will take us several months to write our report,” she added.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×