Deputy speaker Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden has praised the Cayman Islands for what she described as strong standards in judicial independence, parliamentary oversight and budget transparency.
Her comments came following her return from the ‘Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Small Branches Workshop 2026’, held in Malé in the Maldives from 27 to 29 April.
It was hosted by the parliament of the Maldives under the theme, ‘Strong and independent parliaments in small jurisdictions’.
About 25 other delegates hailed from countries and territories including Saint Lucia, Samoa, the Isle of Man, the Seychelles, Tasmania, Belize and Sri Lanka.
Sessions covered separation of powers, the law-making process, accountability mechanisms, and parliamentary financial oversight.
Delegates also took part in a group exercise focused on strengthening parliamentary oversight, applying the principles discussed during the workshop.
“I was very proud to represent Cayman because we are so far ahead when it comes to other jurisdictions when it comes from separation of powers,” McGaw Lumsden said.
Speaking on Radio Cayman’s ‘For the Record’ programme on 13 May, she said three topics stood out from the professional discussions.
On judicial appointments, she highlighted the contrast between Cayman’s system and those used in some other jurisdictions.
In Cayman, the appointment of senior judges rests with the governor alongside the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, while in jurisdictions such as Saint Lucia the executive participates directly in the process.
She described the potential for political influence that such arrangements carry as an eye-opener and said she came away proud of where Cayman stood on the issue.
On parliamentary oversight, she noted that some jurisdictions hold public accounts committee meetings only once every two years, while Cayman’s PAC had already met several times in 2026.
She added that participants raised concerns about governments being reluctant to submit to public scrutiny over spending.
“It was, again, a proud moment for us because we have so many checks and balances in place,” she said.
On budgeting, the group discussed how far in advance parliamentarians should receive budget documents.
The deputy speaker said the consensus was that at least eight weeks was needed, and noted that Cayman’s Strategic Policy Statement process, which provides a high-level preview of anticipated budget measures, was not something most other jurisdictions had in place.
“That was something that we’ve done… and done it very well,” she said.
Her main recommendation at the close of the workshop was that it be extended from three days to at least five or six, arguing the volume of material made it impossible to properly absorb and apply everything covered.
