Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Dec 31, 2025

Rev Turnbull praises debates on motion for constitutional review

Senior Pastor of the Cane Garden Bay (CGB) Baptist Church in Tortola, Dr Melvin A. Turnbull has praised the debates on Virgin Island's upcoming constitutional review, adding that is a step forward for the Territory.

Dr Turnbull was speaking at the Sunday, August 2, 2020, Virtual Emancipation Service, broadcasted on social media as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Youths get the wrong message - Rev Turnbull


While he scolded legislators for certain behaviours in the House of Assembly, he said it is the youths who would ultimately suffer.

"Sometimes I wonder what is happening in the House, because of the attitudes and actions that are displayed sometimes... they talk from both sides of their mouths and send the wrong message to young people."

"They seem to care more about the next election, than the next generation... but in this debate, I heard the statesmen and the politicians, they found a cause that was greater than themselves," Dr Turnbull said.

Stubborn faith


He urged the people of the VI and especially legislators to continue with stubborn faith towards causes, indicating a strong belief towards it.

"We know where we came from, we know who we are and whose we are, and we know where we are going and no one and nothing will stop us"

"That's a stubborn faith, sounds like a stubborn faith," he said, while urging the Territory to move forward no matter what it costs.

Motion for Constitutional Review


Through the motion the government sought for the House to approve the establishment of and the composition of the Constitutional Review Commission for the purpose of conducting a full review of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007 (U.K.S.I. No. 1678 of 2007).

According to the motion, it was agreed between the United Kingdom Government and the Government of the Virgin Islands that the said Constitution may be reviewed after 10 years after the date of which it came into force.

The motion also stated that Cabinet has agreed, subject to the approval of the House of Assembly of the Virgin Islands for the establishment of a Constitutional Review Commission comprising nine (11) members: a Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and six (6) other members to be nominated by the Premier and two (3) members to be nominated by Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition and appointed by the Cabinet, for the purpose of conducting a full review of the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, 2007 (U.K.S.I 2007 1678).

The motion also contained information on the composition of the Commission which states: ‘the overall composition of the Commission should cover the main Islands of the Virgin Islands collectively and include persons drawn from the legal fraternity, academia, business, communications/public relations, and other areas of civil society’.

The motion was passed during the Thirteenth Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth House of Assembly (HoA) of the Virgin Islands held at Save the Seed Energy Centre in Duff's Bottom, Tortola, on July 28, 2020.

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