Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Oct 26, 2025

Throne Speech: Long overdue Constitutional Review ‘moving forward this year’

Throne Speech: Long overdue Constitutional Review ‘moving forward this year’

Buried beneath a mountain of legislative plans for 2022, as revealed in the Speech from the Throne, the Virgin Islands' status on its long-overdue Constitution Review process was mentioned just once.

Governor John J. Rankin, CMG, in his inaugural January 18, 2022, Speech from the Throne prepared by the Andrew A. Fahie (R1) Government, touched lightly on the subject matter.

“It should be borne in mind that while the above-mentioned legislative programme is being executed, work will also be taking place in other very important areas to support the continued development of the Virgin Islands,” he said.

“For instance, the Government has already indicated that the Constitutional Review, which has been overdue for some time, will be moving forward this year,” the Governor said.

Governor John J. Rankin, CMG, in his inaugural January 18, 2022, Speech from the Throne prepared by the Andrew A. Fahie (R1) Government, touched lightly on the subject matter of Constitutional Review.


Constitutional Review Commission first


Back in February 2021, Cabinet had approved some $300,000 max budget for the Virgin Islands' Constitutional Review Commission, in a meeting chaired by Mr Rankin where all Members of Cabinet were present.

To advance the process, the review will be conducted by a Constitutional Review Commission, which will consist of nine members including a Chairperson, a Deputy Chairperson and five other members appointed by the Premier.

Already, sources indicated to Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) that Mrs Lisa Penn-Lettsome, a local attorney with over 26 years of experience and the current Executive Director of International Business, will chair the committee; however, it remains unclear when the process will start.

Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie (R1) has reportedly already approved the Members for the Constitutional Review Committee.


Push for more self-autonomy in VI


One of the burning issues could be reducing the powers of the Governor as a remnant of British colonialism and white supremacy from a constitution level. Already, the Fahie Government had taken the legislative route to partly address the subject through amendments to the Disaster Management Act, however, it ultimately failed as the Act needed the Governor’s assent to reduce his own powers.

The Government’s bid was to put the powers to manage disasters into the hands of VI's democratically elected leaders, rather than the UK-appointed Governor as outlined in the constitution.

It remains unclear what other key issues the Government may want addressed in the constitution; however, Premier Fahie has also raised that the constitution has no mechanisms to complain about the conduct of Governors in office, on behalf of the Government or People of the VI.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×