From The Cayman Islands Law Reform Commission

The Law of Contempt

 On 10 January, 2014, the Law Reform Commission issued a Consultation Paper in which the impact on the law of contempt by the Bill of rights and internet communications was considered. The Commission also took the opportunity to consider whether any, and if so, which parts of the law of contempt merited codification, amendment or repeal.

On 16 April, 2014, the Commission received a very helpful response from the Cayman Islands’ Law Society. After a consideration of the response the Commission recommends partial codification of the law as well as some amendments to the Penal Code. A Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and a Contempt of Court Bill, 2016 together with a second Consultation Paper are now submitted for public comment. This second paper broadly adopts the same treatment of the topic as in the Consultation Paper although the Commission has prefaced that treatment with some general observations on codifying the law of contempt or any part of it and included an executive summary. The Commission has also added, after the treatment of the principal topics, some discussion of its attempt to rationalise the existing statutory contempt-like offences and, finally, a brief discussion of contempt in relation to tribunals, a topic which was not covered in the initial Consultation Paper.

The Consultation Paper and the Bills will be published on www.gov.ky as well as on www.lawreformcommission.gov.ky (or www.lrc.gov.ky). Members of the public are invited to submit their comments on the Consultation Paper and Bills. Submissions should be made no later than 15th September, 2016 and should be posted to the Cheryl Neblett, Director, Law Reform Commission, P.O. Box 1999 KY1-1104, delivered by hand to the offices of the Commission at 1st floor dms House, Genesis Close or sent by e-mail to [email protected].

Tuesday, July 19, 2016