Constitutional Provision Guidelines of JLSC Cayman Islands

The constitutional provisions relating to the JLSC, namely Sections 4(4), 9(3), 96, 101 and 105 of the Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 (the “Constitution Order”), are as follows:

Section 4(4) Establishment of Constitution

Until the Judicial and Legal Services Commission has been constituted in accordance with section 105 of the Constitution, power to make appointments to the offices to which section 106 of the Constitution applies shall vest in the Governor, acting in his or her discretion.

Section 9(3) Pending Legal Proceedings

Any matter pending immediately before the appointed day before a tribunal appointed under section 49J(4) of the former Constitution may, on and after that day, be continued and reported upon as if the former Constitution were still in force, and after the tribunal has reported, section 96 of the Constitution shall have effect as if the matter had been referred to and considered by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and as if the report of the tribunal were a report of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission under that section.

Section 96 – Tenure and Offices of Judges of the Grand Court

(1) Subject to this section and section 95(4), a judge of the Grand Court shall vacate his or her office when he or she attains the age of 70 years; but a judge who has attained the age of 70 years may continue in office for such period as may be necessary to enable him or her to deliver judgement or to do any other thing in relation to any proceeding commenced before him or her before he or she attained that age.

(2) A judge of the Grand Court may be removed from office only for inability to discharge the functions of his or her office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, and shall not be so removed except in accordance with subsection (3).

(3) A judge of the Grand Court shall be removed from office by the Governor by instrument under the public seal if the question of the removal of that judge from office has, at the request of the Governor made in pursuance of subsection (4), been referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty’s Privy Council under section 4 of the Judicial Committee Act 1833 or any other enactment enabling Her Majesty in that behalf, and the Judicial Committee has advised Her Majesty that the judge ought to be removed from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour.

(4) If the Governor considers that the question of removing a judge of the Grand Court from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour ought to be investigated, then-

the Governor shall refer the matter to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission;
the Judicial and Legal Services Commission shall inquire into the matter and report on the facts of it to the Governor and advise the Governor whether he or she should request that the question of the removal of that judge should be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; and
if the Judicial and Legal Services Commission so advises, the Governor shall request that the question should be referred accordingly.

(5) The Commissions of Inquiry Law as in force on the appointed day shall, subject to this section, apply as nearly as may be in relation to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission conducting inquiries under subsection (4) or, as the context may require, to the members of that Commission as it applies in relation to Commissions or Commissioners appointed under that Law.

(6) If the question of removing a judge of the Grand Court from office has been referred to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission under subsection (4), the Governor may suspend the judge from performing the functions of his or her office, and any such suspension may at any time be revoked by the Governor, and shall in any case cease to have effect –

(7) The powers conferred on the Governor by this section shall be exercised by the Governor acting in his or her discretion.

if the Judicial and Legal Services Commission advises the Governor that he or she should not request that the question of the removal of the judge be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; or
if the Judicial Committee advises Her Majesty that the judge ought not to be removed from office.

Section 101 – Tenure of Offices of Judges of the Court of Appeal

(1) The judges of the Court of Appeal shall be appointed for such period as may be specified in their respective instruments of appointment; but a person whose appointment as a judge of the Court of Appeal has expired may, with the permission of the Governor, acting in his or her discretion, continue in office for such period as may be necessary to enable him or her to deliver judgment or to do any other thing in relation to any proceeding previously commenced before him or her.

(2) A judge of the Court of Appeal may be removed from office only for inability to discharge the functions of his or her office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, and shall not be so removed except in accordance with subsection (3).

(3) A judge of the Court of Appeal shall be removed from office by the Governor by instrument under the public seal if the question of the removal of that judge from office has, at the request of the Governor made in pursuance of subsection (4), been referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee of Her Majesty’s Privy Council under section 4 of the Judicial Committee Act 1833 or any other enactment enabling Her Majesty in that behalf, and the Judicial Committee has advised Her Majesty that the judge ought to be removed from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour.

(4) If the Governor considers that the question of removing a judge of the Grand Court from office for inability as aforesaid or misbehaviour ought to be investigated, then-

the Governor shall refer the matter to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission;
the Judicial and Legal Services Commission shall inquire into the matter and report on the facts of it to the Governor and advise the Governor whether he or she should request that the question of the removal of that judge should be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; and
if the Judicial and Legal Services Commission so advises, the Governor shall request that the question should be referred accordingly.

if the Judicial and Legal Services Commission advises the Governor that he or she should not request that the question of the removal of the judge be referred by Her Majesty to the Judicial Committee; or
if the Judicial Committee advises Her Majesty that the judge ought not to be removed from office.

(7) The powers conferred on the Governor by this section shall be exercised by the Governor acting in his or her discretion.

Section 105 - Judicial and Legal Services Commission

(1) There shall be in and for the Cayman Islands a Judicial and Legal Services Commission which shall consist of –

a Chairman and one other member, neither of whom shall be a lawyer, appointed by the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition;
the President of the Court of Appeal, ex officio;
a person appointed by the Governor, acting in his or her discretion, who holds or has held high judicial office in the Cayman Islands and has recent personal knowledge of the courts in the Cayman Islands;
two persons appointed by the Governor, acting in his or her discretion, who hold or have held high judicial office in a Commonwealth country or Ireland, but do not currently hold such office in the Cayman Islands; and
two attorneys-at-law qualified to practise in the Cayman Islands, one with experience in Government service and one with experience in private practice, appointed by the Governor, acting after consultation with representatives of legal professional organisations in the Cayman Islands and, where appropriate, the Attorney General.

(2) No person shall be qualified to be appointed to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission if he or she is a member of, or a candidate for election to, the Parliament or (except for appointment under subsection (1)(e)) holds or is acting in any public office.

(3) The office of a member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission shall become vacant -

at the expiration of five years from the date of his or her appointment or such earlier time as may be specified in the instrument by which he or she was appointed;
if he or she resigns office by writing under his or her hand addressed to the Governor;
if he or she becomes a member of, or a candidate for election to, the Parliament, or (except for a member appointed under subsection (1)(e)) is appointed to or to act in any public office; or
if the Governor, acting in his or her discretion, directs that he or she shall be removed from office for inability to discharge the functions of that office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour.

(4) If the office of a member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission becomes vacant or if such a member is for any reason unable to perform the functions of that office, the Governor, acting in accordance with subsection (1) for the appointment of that member, may appoint another suitably qualified person to that office for the unexpired term of the previous holder of the office or until the holder of the office is able to resume his or her functions.

(5) Any decision of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission shall require the concurrence of not less than five members of the Commission, and the Commission shall take its decisions in such form and manner as it may determine; but any decision relating to the appointment of the President of the Court of Appeal or the Chief Justice shall require the concurrence of at least two members of the Commission who have judicial experience.

(6) In the exercise of their functions, the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and its members shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority.

(7) The Judicial and Legal Services Commission may regulate its own procedure, which may include meeting by teleconference or other electronic means of communication.

Section 106 – Functions of Judicial and Legal Services Commission

(1) Power to make appointments to the offices to which this section applies, persons holding or acting in such offices, shall vest in the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; but the Governor, acting in his or her discretion, may act otherwise than in accordance with that advice if he or she determines that compliance with that advice would prejudice Her Majesty’s service.

(1A) Power to exercise disciplinary control over persons holding or acting in any offices mentioned in subsection (4)(c), (d) or (f) shall vest in the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission; but the Governor, acting in his or her discretion, may act otherwise than in accordance with that advice if he or she determines that compliance with that advice would prejudice Her Majesty’s service.

(1B) Power to exercise disciplinary control over any person holding or acting in the office of-

magistrate or judge of the Grand Court, other than the Chief Justice, shall vest in the Chief Justice; and
judge of the Court of Appeal, other than the President, shall vest in the President of the Court of Appeal.

2. Before exercising the powers vested in the Governor by subsection (1) the Governor may, acting in his or her discretion, once refer the advice of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission back to the Commission for reconsideration by it.

3. If the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, having reconsidered its original advice under subsection (2), substitutes for it different advice, subsection (2) shall apply to that different advice as it applies to the original advice.

4. This section applies to the offices of—

Chief Justice and other judge of the Grand Court;
President of the Court of Appeal and other judge of the Court of Appeal;
Attorney General;
Director of Public Prosecutions;
Magistrate;
such other offices in the public service, for appointment to which persons are required to possess legal qualifications, as may be prescribed by any law enacted by the Legislature.

5. No member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission shall participate in any proceedings of the Commission which affect him or her personally.

6. In cases where the Judicial and Legal Services Commission conducts an inquiry under section 96(4) or 101(4), the President of the Court of Appeal and any current judge of the Grand Court who is a member of the Commission shall not participate in that inquiry other than as a witness.

7. A person holding the office of Attorney General, Director of Public Prosecutions or Magistrate may only be removed from office for inability to discharge the functions of his or her office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour.

8. Where the issue of the removal from office of any person holding one of the offices mentioned in subsection (4)(c), (d), (e) or (f) has been referred to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, the Governor may, acting after consultation with the Commission, suspend that person from performing the functions of his or her office pending the outcome of the referral.

9. Any suspension, removal or disciplinary action taken under this section shall be carried out in accordance with the highest appropriate standards of procedural fairness.

10. The Judicial and Legal Services Commission shall –

draw up a code of conduct for the judiciary and a procedure for dealing with complaints; and
have such other functions as may be conferred on it by a law enacted by the Legislature.

11. Subject to subsection (6), this section is without prejudice to sections 96 and 101.

The JLSC is an independent body, which is crucial for its effectiveness and legitimacy. In the exercise of their functions, the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and its members shall not be subject to the direction or control of any other person or authority. Section 105 of the Constitution states that the JLSC should comprise of:

a Chairman and one other member, neither of whom shall be a lawyer, appointed by the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier and the Leader of the Opposition;
the President of the Court of Appeal, ex officio;
a person appointed by the Governor who holds or has held high judicial office in the Cayman Islands and has recent personal knowledge of the courts in the Cayman Islands;
two persons appointed by the Governor who hold or have held high judicial office in a Commonwealth country or Ireland, but do not currently hold such office in the Cayman Islands; and
two attorneys-at-law qualified to practise in the Cayman Islands, one with experience in Government service and one with experience in private practice, appointed by the Governor, acting after consultation with representatives of legal professional organisations in the Cayman Islands and, where appropriate, the Attorney General.

Full Constitution

Click below to read the full versions of the current constitution and its amendments:

The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009

The Cayman Islands Constitution (Amendment) Order 2016

Constitutional Guidelines