Governor Daniel Pruce this week downplayed London’s two-month delay in providing its final assessment of the Commission of Inquiry process.
June had been widely anticipated as the point when the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office would declare its view on the reforms that began more than three years ago following the release of the COI report.
UK leaders had also promised to decide by then whether to lift the controversial order in council that allows them to implement direct rule if the VI government doesn’t complete the reforms.
Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley has strongly opposed the direct-rule threat, which he has described as “colonialism.”
But despite the governor submitting his final COI review in early May — along with the VI government’s own report and a public consultation that drew input from more than 600 people — the UK has remained silent on the matter.
‘Quite extensive’
Asked about the delays, Mr. Pruce told a press conference Tuesday, “To the extent that I understand it, that process in the United Kingdom of that body of information — which is quite extensive; there’s lots of it — is moving ahead.”
Bank holiday
The governor added that Monday was a public holiday in England and Wales.
“We are just emerging in the UK from a long bank holiday weekend which traditionally marks the recommencement of government business and engagement, so it’s not for me to impose a timescale on [Overseas Territories Minister Stephen Doughty], but my assumption would be that work of consideration has been moving ahead, and I hope that we will hear something soon,” he said.
Pressed on why the key declaration had not yet emerged, the governor said there are many things to consider.
“It’s a fundamentally important set of issues which the minister is being asked to take a view on,” he said. “No doubt at all that as soon as a view is reached that will be communicated to us without any delay.”
The announcement on the matter is expected to come from Mr. Doughty after consultations with Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
In his final report on the COI in May, Mr. Pruce said he did not see the need for the governor to be given extra powers.
He added at the time that almost all the COI reforms had been completed, with five left to be fully implemented, some of which were under his domain.
The outstanding reforms, he said, included measures to pave the way for the option of judge-only trials; a full overhaul of public assistance; vetting of police, customs, prison and immigration officers; changes to immigration procedures; and an update of criminal procedure rules.
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