Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Speaker WILLOCK believe the rights of sitting HOA members are being violated by the COI commissioner

Speaker WILLOCK believe the rights of sitting HOA members are being violated by the COI commissioner

Speaker of the House of Assembly Julian Willock has said that he believes the rights of the members of the House continue to be violated by the Commissioner of Inquiry, Sir Gary Hickinbottom.

In a media release statement issued from the Office of the Speaker on Monday June 14, Willock expressed his discontent with several actions and requests from Sir Hickinbottom for the ongoing Commission of Inquiry (COI).

His latest discontent comes from the request of the Commissioner to have sitting members of the House present for the live COI hearings during the week of June 14th, which conflicts with a scheduled sitting of the House of Assembly.

He said, “The Commissioner continues to violate the rights of members and further has no regards for the schedule of the House of Assembly, where in the British Westminster System, it has long been established, almost 500 years now, that the parliament is sovereign and no other activity including a commission of inquiry shall not interrupt the work of parliament.”

“The House of Assembly will be sitting this week on the 15th, 16th and 17th of June, 2021. However, Mr. Gary Hickinbottom still violated parliamentary sovereignty, norms, traditions, convention and the rule of law, by asking Honourable members to appear before him on those dates, despite being told about the schedule of sittings,” Willock further stated.

Members missed workshop due to the COI


Willock was speaking at the BVI Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Members Training, and pointed to evidence of the impact of the COI which resulted in members having to miss the event.

“Even today, many of our members are not attending this workshop, because again they are asked to appear before him, on the day of a Parliamentary activity, after we told him in advance of this event. Notwithstanding, some House of Assembly members in the spirit of co-operation have decided to appear before him,” he added.

COI engaged in public relation spin machine


Speaker Willock also said that he believes the COI is “engaged in a public relation spin machine” which is aimed at destroying the reputation of the HOA members.

He said, “So members of the House of Assembly who dares to stand up for their human and civil rights, will be labelled as someone who has something to hide, resulting in them being tried and found guilty in the court of public opinion.”

The continuation of the 9th Sitting of the House of Assembly was initially scheduled for June 10, however due to reasons unknown to our news station, it was rescheduled for today Tuesday June 15.

The Sitting continued in the Committee stage, where the Contractor General Act was on the agenda to be deliberated.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
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
×