Caymanian constitutional referendum, 2009

Last updated

Coat of arms of the Cayman Islands.svg
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
the Cayman Islands

A referendum on a draft constitution was held in the Cayman Islands on 20 May 2009 alongside general elections. The new constitution was approved by 63% of voters, and by the Privy Council on 10 June. [1]

Cayman Islands British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean

The Cayman Islands is an autonomous British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean Sea. The 264-square-kilometre (102-square-mile) territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the south of Cuba and northeast of Honduras, between Jamaica and the Yucatán Peninsula. As of July 2018, the total population of the Cayman Islands is estimated to be 59,613, making it the second-most populated British overseas territory after Bermuda. The capital city is George Town, situated on Grand Cayman, by far the most populous of the three islands.

Contents

Background

Since around 2000 the Cayman Islands had sought a new constitution, in order to cement the United Kingdom's possession of the islands. [1] On 22 May 2008 the Caymanian government had announced the question and that it was aiming to hold the referendum in July. [1] However, following an announcement on 27 June, the referendum was postponed until the 2009 general elections in order to give time to negotiate and agree the constitution with the UK. [1] The negotiations took place in January and February 2009 and a consultation started in the islands on 11 February 2009.

On 24 February the Legislative Assembly passed the Referendum (Constitutional Modernisation) Bill, 2009. The referendum was to be held in accordance with Article 29, paragraph 2 of the constitution, and required a majority to pass.

Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands

The Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands is the unicameral legislature of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. It is composed of 21 members; 19 elected members for a four-year term and two members ex officio.

Results

Do you approve the draft constitution which was agreed by the Cayman Islands constitution delegation and the government of the United Kingdom on 5th February, 2009 and tabled in the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands on 11th February, 2009? [1]
ChoiceVotes%
For7,04563.06
Against4,12736.94
Invalid/blank votes72
Total11,244100
Registered voters/turnout15,36173.42
Source: Direct Democracy

Related Research Articles

Government of the Cayman Islands

Government of the Cayman Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic overseas territory, whereby the Premier is the head of government, and of a two-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Legislative Assembly. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Constitution of the Republic of China constitution

The Constitution of the Republic of China is the supreme law in the Republic of China. It was ratified by the Kuomintang led National Constituent Assembly session on December 25, 1946 in Nanking and adopted on December 25, 1947. Though the Constitution was intended for the whole China, it has never extensively nor effectively been implemented in any territory. In response to the outbreak of Chinese Civil War by the time of the constitution's promulgation, the newly elected National Assembly soon ratified the Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion on May 10, 1948. The Temporary Provisions symbols the country's entering into the state of emergency and granted the Kuomintang led government of the Republic of China extra-constitutional powers.

A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, they can be appended to the constitution as supplemental additions (codicils), thus changing the frame of government without altering the existing text of the document.

A constituent assembly or constitutional assembly is a body or assembly of popularly elected representatives composed for the purpose of drafting or adopting a constitutional-type document. The constituent assembly is a subset of a constitutional convention elected entirely by popular vote; that is, all constituent assemblies are constitutional conventions, but a constitutional convention is not necessarily a constituent assembly. As the fundamental document constituting a state, a constitution cannot normally be modified or amended by the state's normal legislative procedures; instead a constitutional convention or a constituent assembly, the rules for which are normally laid down in the constitution, must be set up. A constituent assembly is usually set up for its specific purpose, which it carries out in a relatively short time, after which the assembly is dissolved. A constituent assembly is a form of representative democracy.

Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico Territorial legislature of Puerto Rico

The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the territorial legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, responsible for the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. The Assembly is a bicameral legislature consisting of an upper house, the Senate normally composed by 27 senators, and the lower house, the House of Representatives normally composed by 51 representatives. Eleven members of each house are elected at-large rather than from a specific legislative district with all members being elected for a four-year term without term limits.

Council of Representatives of Iraq

The Council of Representatives is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of Iraq. It is currently composed of 329 seats and meets in Baghdad inside the Green Zone.

The People's Progressive Movement is a political party in the Cayman Islands headed by Alden McLaughlin.

Constitution of Thailand

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand provides the basis for the rule of law in Thailand.

2009 Bolivian constitutional referendum

A constitutional referendum was held in Bolivia on 25 January 2009, postponed from the initially planned dates of 4 May 2008 and then 7 December 2008. Drafted by the Constituent Assembly in 2007, the new constitution was approved in the referendum according to an exit poll by Ipsos Apoyo for La Razón and ATB, a Bolivian television network. Furthermore, it required early elections to be held on 6 December 2009.

Welsh law Primary and secondary legislation generated by the National Assembly for Wales

Welsh law is the primary and secondary legislation generated by the National Assembly for Wales, using devolved authority granted in the Government of Wales Act 2006 and in effect since May 2007. Each piece of Welsh legislation is known as an Act of the Assembly. The first Assembly legislation to be proposed was the NHS Redress (Wales) Measure 2008. This was the first time in almost 500 years that Wales has had its own laws, since Cyfraith Hywel, a version of Celtic law, was abolished and replaced by English law through the Laws in Wales Acts, enacted between 1535 and 1542 during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006

The Gibraltar Constitution Order 2006 was taken to a referendum in Gibraltar on 30 November 2006. A coalition of groups opposing the proposal held that a majority of 60% should be required to give effect to a new Constitution, quoting other instances, but the political parties held that the result should be decided by a simple majority in favour of the new constitution. The constitution was approved by 60% of the votes anyway.

National Assembly of Thailand

The National Assembly of Thailand is the bicameral legislative branch of the government of Thailand. It convenes in the Parliament House, Dusit District, Bangkok.

Constitution of Myanmar

The Constitution of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar is the supreme law of Myanmar. Myanmar's first constitution adopted by constituent assembly was enacted for the Union of Burma in 1947. After the 1962 Burmese coup d'état, a second constitution was enacted in 1974. The country has been ruled by military juntas for most of its history.

LGBT rights in the Cayman Islands

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the Cayman Islands may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in the Cayman Islands, but same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are not eligible for the same legal protections available to opposite-sex married couples. The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory. Although the local Legislature and courts are independent from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Her Majesty's Government deals with all international relations on behalf of the Territory. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office oversees the governance of the Cayman Islands.

2009 Caymanian general election

General elections were held in the Cayman Islands on 20 May 2009 alongside a referendum on a draft constitution. The opposition United Democratic Party defeated the incumbent People's Progressive Movement.

2012 Caymanian electoral system referendum

A referendum on changing the electoral system was held in the Cayman Islands on 18 July 2012. Voters were asked whether they wish to change the electoral system from one using multi-member constituencies to one with single member constituencies. Although the proposal was approved by a majority of those voting, the quorum of half of registered voters voting in favour was not met.

Among the fourteen British Overseas Territories, nine – Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Bermuda, the British Antarctic Territory, the British Indian Ocean Territory, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, the Pitcairn Islands, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands recognise and perform same-sex marriages. In the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, only British military and civilian personnel can enter into same-sex marriages and civil partnerships.

2017 Caymanian general election

General elections were held in the Cayman Islands on 24 May 2017. They were the first elections held after electoral reforms approved in a 2012 referendum, which introduced single member constituencies.

Same-sex unions are not recognised in the Cayman Islands. The island's statutory law defines marriage between one man and one woman, however a lawsuit challenging this ban on same-sex marriage is currently pending in the Grand Court.

References