Hon.
Samuel Bulgin QC, JP

Opening
and Welcoming Remarks

Overseas
Territories Attorneys General Conference

Tuesday,
19 February 2019

His
Excellency the Governor,

Hon.
Premier, Hon. Chief Justice, Hon. Deputy Governor and Hon. Ministers
of Cabinet, Hon. Leader of the Opposition and other Members of the
Legislative Assembly, Hon. Judges of the Grand Court, Colleague
Attorneys General, Hon. Chief Magistrate and other Hon. Magistrates,
Acting Solicitor General, Acting Director of Public Prosecutions,
Cabinet Secretary, Commissioner of Police and Dep. Commissioners of
Police, our distinguished delegation from the FCO led by Mr. Greg
Reisman; Mr. Jason Carter from the US Dept. of Justice, other
distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – Good morning.

I
am understandably thrilled to be the host Attorney General and to
welcome you to the Opening Ceremony of the 2019 Overseas Territories
Attorneys General Conference.

A
special welcome to fellow Attorneys General, and other visiting
delegates from overseas! We have delegates from: Anguilla, BVI,
Falkland Islands, Guernsey, Jersey, Montserrat, St. Helena, Pitcairn,
Turks & Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States
of America.

Welcome
and we hope that in between discussing all the knotty issues on the
agenda, you will find some time to get out and around to enjoy the
beauty of our Islands, the warmth and hospitality of our people, and
to indulge in some of Cayman’s sumptuous culinary delights.

I
am understandably delighted to have you here and we look forward to
navigating the myriad of issues reflected on the conference agenda
and which are of common interest to our various jurisdictions.

Indeed,
the annual conference of OTs Attorneys General, normally chaired by
the AG/or SG of the UK, is an invaluable opportunity for us to
exchange views and experiences, as well as to formulate and implement
action plans that are of vital importance to the legal systems of our
respective jurisdictions.

I
am mindful that we are meeting at a time when the UK and our OTs are
facing enormous challenges from domestic as well as international
issues.

Issues
to do with Brexit, the EU, OECD, FATF; as well as human rights,
natural disasters, transnational organized crime and other antisocial
behaviour, etc.

These
are all matters that continue on a daily basis to engage the Chambers
of all Attorneys General present at this conference.

But
as often noted elsewhere, the conference also affords us a
significant opportunity for forging mutual understanding and support
among colleagues.

As
we AGs are only too aware, it can often be a very demanding, lonely,
and at times, an uncomfortable job. And it doesn’t get any less
sensitive when AGs have to be the legal adviser for the Governor and
simultaneously for the elected Representatives, especially if they do
not see eye to eye on a particular issue. It can be very daunting.
Perhaps, Sir Patrick Hastings, AG of the UK in 1925 said it best,
when he commented: “being AG is my idea of hell.”

That
notwithstanding, it is a very professionally rewarding and fulfilling
role. One in which we are expected at all times to offer objective
and professional legal advice to our various clients across
government in a way that clearly delineates what is legally
permissible and what is not. And to suggest or advise on ways to
legally move forward, even if with less fanfare!

This
is why we greatly appreciate our annual conferences where we can
collectively share our experiences and challenges.

Additionally,
the presence of colleague legal advisers from the UK FCO affords an
invaluable opportunity for us to benefit from the UK’s guidance and
perspectives. It also offers that direct source of support and
soundings that may otherwise be purely aspirational.

In
that view, allow me to pause here and offer apologies from Mr. Ian
Hendry – FCO consultant on Constitutional Reform. This is the
first time he is missing from one of these conferences and he greatly
regrets not being able to attend and has asked me to offer his
apologies.

In
a related way, I must also note the presence of our colleague from
the US DOJ, Mr. Jason Carter. Indeed, Representatives from USA and
Canada DOJ have become regular participants at these conferences. The
USA and Canada are two of our most important and strategic treaty
partners in just about every sphere of Criminal Justice work,
including Exchange of Information, extradition, restraint and
forfeiture asset-sharing as well as other areas of International
Cooperation. Their support is invaluable.

Ladies
and Gentlemen - This allows me to segue nicely on to talk about the
person who has constitutional responsibility for External Affairs,
the Gentleman who is constitutionally charged with exercising
executive authority in the Cayman Islands on behalf of Her Majesty,
as is the case in the other OTs as well.

His
Excellency the Governor is one of the AG’s principal clients and is
therefore uniquely placed to be associated with this gathering.

Governor
Martyn Roper, OBE, has recently been appointed as our Governor and
has wasted no time in earning the trust and confidence of the Cayman
Islands Government and people. He is unequivocal in his advocacy for
the Rule of Law and good governance.

Ladies
and Gentlemen, our Governor, His Excellency Mr. Martyn Roper will now
bring you greetings.

______________________________________________________

The
Hon. Alden McLaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA, is serving his second term as
Premier of these Islands. He is an Attorney by training, and likes to
refer to himself as a retired lawyer. The Premier, along with the
other Ministers of the Cabinet, are among some of the most important
and demanding clients of an AG. But equally, they are some of the
most supportive of the role we play as legal advisers.

The
Premier is a very passionate proponent of constitutional
modernization and good administration.

Please join me in welcoming the Hon. Premier to bring greetings.

Cayman Islands Premier's Remarks at OTAG Annual Conference Opening

The Hon. Premier’s remarks at the opening ceremony are being uploaded to GIS YouTube Channel – please check out the link https://youtu.be/QuEgjptnQz0.