Welcome to the official website of the Caymanian Bar Association ("CBA").

The CBA was established as a non-profit company limited by guarantee in 1988 when senior Caymanian attorneys perceived the need for an organisation to address issues of particular relevance to Caymanian attorneys as well as those connected with local practice, and effectively to represent the views of Caymanian attorneys who were, and are, a minority in the profession as a whole. To that end, all persons who are admitted to practice as an Attorney at Law in the Cayman Islands and are holders of Caymanian status within the meaning of the Immigration Law (2001 Revision) are eligible to be members of the CBA. Most attorneys that are eligible have joined the CBA, and today it represents the interests of more than 70 Caymanian attorneys. The majority of CBA members are also members of the Cayman Islands Law Society ("CILS") with some persons having served on the Councils of both organisations. However, unlike the CBA, membership in the CILS is not restricted to persons who hold Caymanian status. Hence, the CILS does not focus on (or purport to represent) the interests of Caymanians at the Bar.
The Council of the CBA comprises a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer as officers plus a number of ordinary members. All of them are elected annually at a duly convened general meeting of the CBA. The late Mr. Ormond Panton served as the first elected President.

The CBA has had a number of significant accomplishments over the years of which it is justly proud. Those accomplishments include the following:

· In connection with the review of the Cayman Islands constitution in 1991 the CBA prepared a draft constitution for the Cayman Islands with commentary (published in booklet form) that was distributed to the public. The booklet served as the basis for much of the discussion on that subject among the Constitutional Commissioners and the public. The limited changes that were ultimately effected to the Constitution reflected some of the recommendations of the CBA but failed to take account of others such as the recommendation that a Bill of Rights be enshrined in the Constitution.

· In 1992 the CBA also established an Immigration Law Review Committee and, after much research and discussion, prepared and submitted proposals to reform immigration law and policy. As a part of the CBA's proposals to the Select Committee, a draft Business Licensing Law (proposing the consolidation of the Trade and Business Licensing Law and the Local Companies (Control) Law into one composite law and the establishment of a board, apart from the Immigration Board, to deal with such matters) was prepared and submitted.

· In 1998 the Legislature formed a Select Committee on Immigration, which prepared a report suggesting various reforms. In response to that report the CBA established an Immigration Law Review Committee to address the issues raised in the Report and advance its own proposals for immigration reform, the text of which appears on this web site. The CBA has taken a strong public stand on the matter of on-the-job training for Caymanians and the inequitable treatment of Caymanians by employers both within and without the legal profession. The CBA intends to continue to create public awareness, to stimulate public discussion, to propose effective solutions and to foster the political will to address these concerns.

· In connection with the review of the Cayman Islands constitution in 2001 the CBA prepared a draft constitution for the Cayman Islands and submitted same to the Constitutional Review Commissioners. A new constitution for the Cayman Islands has not yet been adopted and the constitutional review process is still ongoing.
The CBA considers that there are a number of other issues of national importance, such as the EU Savings Directive, on which the CBA can usefully inform the Cayman public. The CBA intends to comment on these issues from time to time in this forum.

Please continue to visit this website for updated commentary and discussion. We welcome your comments and suggestions.

(Updated 1 April 2003)