Cayman Islands

Population Statistics

56,092

Total Population

8,414

Population with a disability

according to World Health Organization’s 15% estimate

Election Dates

Cayman Islands has not yet signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities


Elections Law (1983, last amended 2009)

Updated: June 2015

Section 36, subsection 2 states:

Where a presiding officer cannot perform his duties on polling day due to illness or other inability, the Supervisor shall appoint an alternative presiding officer to undertake those duties.

 

Section 37, subsection 3 states:

Where a field officer, logistics officer or poll clerk cannot perform his duties on polling day due to illness or other inability, the Supervisor shall appoint an alternative field officer, logistics officer or poll clerk, as the case may be, to undertake those duties.

 

Excerpts from the Elections Law (1983, last amended 2009)

Cayman Islands Constitution Order (2009)

Updated: June 2015

Section 35, subsection 1 states:

During any period when the office of Governor is vacant or the Governor is absent from the Cayman Islands or is for any other reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, those functions shall be assumed and performed by—

  • (a) the Deputy Governor; or
  • (b) if the office of Deputy Governor is vacant or the Deputy Governor is absent from the Cayman Islands or is for any other reason unable to perform those functions, such public officer, being a Caymanian, as Her Majesty may designate by instructions given through a Secretary of State (“the person designated”).

 

Section 36, subsection 1 states:

Whenever the Governor—

  • (a) has occasion to be absent from Grand Cayman but not from the Cayman Islands;
  • (b) intends to be absent from the Cayman Islands for a short period; or
  • (c) is suffering from any illness which he or she believes will be of short duration, the Governor may, acting in his or her discretion and by instrument under the public seal, appoint the Deputy Governor (or if the Deputy Governor is not available any other public officer in the Cayman Islands who is a Caymanian) during such absence or illness to perform on his or her behalf such of the functions of the office of Governor as may be specified in the instrument.

 

Section 53, subsection 1 states:

If the Premier is unable, due to illness or absence from the Cayman Islands, to perform the functions of his or her office, the Governor shall authorize the Deputy Premier to perform those functions; and in the absence or illness of the Deputy Premier, the Governor shall authorize another Minister to perform those functions, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier or, if it is impracticable to obtain the advice of the Premier, acting in his or her discretion but after consulting the Cabinet.

 

Section 53, subsection 2 states:

Whenever a Minister other than the Premier is unable, by reason of illness or absence from the Cayman Islands or absence from his or her duties on leave, to perform the functions of his or her office, the Governor, acting in accordance with the advice of the Premier, may:

  • (a) appoint a person who is an elected member of the Legislative Assembly to be a temporary Minister; or
  • (b) assign responsibility for the performance of the functions of that Minister to another Minister (including the Premier), and may specify the period for which such person shall be a temporary Minister or for which such other Minister shall perform the functions of that Minister.

 

Section 62, subsection 1 states:

No person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly who:…

  • (d) is a person certified to be insane or otherwise adjudged to be of unsound mind under any law in force in the Cayman Islands…

 

Section 64, subsection 1 states:

If circumstances such as are referred to in section 63(g) arise because a member is….certified insane or adjudged of unsound mind…he or she shall forthwith cease to perform his or her functions as a member of the Legislative Assembly…

 

Section 88, subsection 3 states:

A person shall not be qualified to be appointed as the Chairman of an Electoral Boundary Commission if he or she is a member of the Legislative Assembly or a public officer…

  • (c) 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.

 

Section 96 states:

…(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(a) 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 misbehavior...

 

Section 97 states:

(1) If the office of Chief Justice is vacant, or if the holder of it is for any reason unable to perform the functions of that office, then, until some other person has been appointed to, and has assumed the functions of, that office, or until the holder of that office has resumed those functions, as the case may be, such one of the other judges of the Grand Court or such other person qualified for appointment as a judge of the Grand Court as the Governor, acting in accordance with section 106, may appoint for that purpose shall act in that office.

(2) If the office of a judge of the Grand Court other than the Chief Justice is vacant, or if any such judge is acting as Chief Justice or is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, the Governor, acting in accordance with section 106, may appoint a person qualified for appointment as a judge of the Grand Court to act as such a judge...

 

Section 101 states:

…(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…

 

Section 102 states:

(1) If the office of the President of the Court of Appeal is vacant, or if the holder of it is for any reason unable to perform the functions of that office, then, until some other person has been appointed to, and has assumed the functions of, that office or until the holder of it has resumed those functions, as the case may be, such one of the Justices of Appeal or such other person qualified for appointment as a judge of the Court of Appeal as the Governor, acting in accordance with section 106, may appoint for that purpose shall act in the office of the President.

(2) If the office of a Justice of Appeal is vacant, or if any Justice of Appeal is acting as the President or is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, the Governor, acting in accordance with section 106, may appoint a person qualified for appointment as a judge of the Court of Appeal to act as a Justice of Appeal…

 

Section 105 states:

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

  • (d) 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.

 

Section 106, subsection 7 states:

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.

 

Section 114, subsection 2 states:

The Auditor General 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.

 

Section 117 states:

…(6) The office of a member of the Commission shall become vacant—(d) if the member is removed from office by the Governor 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 misbehavior…

(7) If the office of a member of the Commission is vacant or a member is for any reason unable to perform the functions of his or her office, the Governor, acting in accordance with subsection (2), may appoint a person who is qualified for appointment as a member of the Commission to act as a member of the Commission, and any person so appointed shall, subject to subsection (6), continue so to act until the expiration of his or her term of office...

 

Section 120, subsection 4 states:

The office of the Complaints Commissioner shall become vacant—…

  • (d) 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 the office (whether arising from infirmity of body or mind or any other cause) or for misbehaviour, or for contravention of subsection (5).

 

Excerpts from the Cayman Islands Constitution Order (2009)