Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Repeat offender! ‘I have no excuse for ignorance of the law’ - Fraser

Repeat offender! ‘I have no excuse for ignorance of the law’ - Fraser

Found to be in breach of the territory’s Register of Interests Act, veteran legislator Julian Fraser said he has no cause to use ‘ignorance of the law’ as an excuse for his actions since he was present when the Act was passed.

A procession of lawmakers who appeared before the Commission of Inquiry (COI) this week expressed varying degrees of difficulty in interpreting the form they’re required to submit to the Register of Interests — a record kept of the financial interests of House of Assembly (HOA) members. This difficulty is was what legislators claim caused them to make their declarations to the Registrar outside of the legally required timeline.

But unlike those who complained that the submission form was unclear in several areas, Fraser, who was first elected in 1999, told the COI there was little if any ambiguity surrounding the provisions of the form.

“It says exactly what it says,” he stated.

I take my duties seriously


Fraser further told the COI that he took his position as a legislator seriously. So, to avoid any conflict of interest, he quit his practice as an architect immediately upon taking office.

According to the Third District Representative, he also took up no additional financial pursuits that might conflict with his role as a legislator.

“You may not get the same answers from others that you might get from me. But I can tell you that I walked into this with my eyes wide open … This bill was created during my tenure and I know what it’s all about. I know to stay away from these things,” Fraser said.

Despite this, it was revealed that Fraser — for several years counting — was late declaring his interests. This means he, too, was in breach of the legislation. However, he accepted responsibility during his appearance before the COI Wednesday.

“You have to bear with me in the fact that I was there when this law was made [so] I have no excuse for being ignorant of the law,” Fraser told the COI yesterday.

Fraser in breach on several occasions


Fraser did not submit his declarations despite repeated pleas from former Registrar, Victoreen Romney-Varlack who advised him on several occasions what his breaches were.

Once, in 2016, the Registrar had cause to write the legislator about his past due declarations of interest for 2014 and 2015 which she said he needed to have rectified.

In May of that year, she was again recorded to have advised him twice about his breaches in the previous years.

Another missive was sent in August and December of that year. The Registrar sent Fraser another letter in March of the following year; effectively stating she was confident that he did not mean to take a course of action that would see him being in breach Section 3 of the law that he helped to pass.

It was also pointed out by the COI that there was no obligation on the part of the Registrar to issue any letters reminding members of the House to submit their declarations.

Instead, she is only required to write a report once they have been in breach of the Act past three months after the due date for submission.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
×