A Concerned Criminal Defence Attorney writes: Recent comments concerning the shortage of criminal defence attorneys in the Cayman Islands were both welcome and concerning. At the recent Grand Court Opening, the Chief Justice observed that “the courts continue to face challenges in getting their work done because there remain so few practitioners relative to the number of cases before the courts”. She further remarked that there are times when it appears there are more lawyers employed as Crown Counsel than there are practising at the criminal defence bar. Those observations reflect the reality experienced daily by criminal defence firms. The issue is not that criminal law lacks importance. Quite the opposite. Criminal defence attorneys are an essential safeguard against the misuse of state power and a fundamental component of a fair and effective justice system. The difficulty is that criminal defence practice has become increasingly difficult to sustain economically. The...

Indigo Bay Development Ltd, which is building condos on South Sound, operates under an LCCL (photo from social media) (CNS): The Cayman Islands Government has published the Local Companies (Control) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which heralds in a new regime for how it will manage the grant of licences for companies that are trading in Cayman but owned by non-Caymanians. The proposed legislation empowers Cabinet to impose a moratorium on the grant of licences, generally or for a specific kind of business, when it is in the public interest to do so. Premier André Ebanks had announced plans for the change in parliament in April, and the bill is set to be debated later this month. Members of the public can still comment on the bill and lobby their MPs about the change, which is intended to give local entrepreneurs the opportunity to start new businesses in areas previously held by...

Saharan Air Layer (Photo credit: Jason Dunion NOAA/HRD) (CNS): Over the last two days, the air quality readings across Grand Cayman during the current Saharan dust event have remained within the Good to Moderate range of the United States Air Quality Index (US AQI). Government officials said there had been no locations recording readings in the unhealthy or higher categories, and the Cayman Islands National Weather Service (CINWS) has lifted the alert as dust concentrations decline, aided by isolated showers. Health officials have been actively monitoring the situation and issued public advisories in response to elevated airborne dust concentrations observed over the Cayman Islands in recent days. The Department of Environmental Health conducted a comprehensive, island-wide air quality assessment at public and private schools across all districts of Grand Cayman over the last two days, with measurements taken from early morning through the afternoon. Using calibrated handheld instruments, DEH staff...

Owen Roberts International Airport arrivals (CNS): While local health officials continue to rate the current risk of the Ebola virus reaching the Cayman Islands as low, enhanced screening measures for selected incoming flights at Owen Roberts International Airport will begin next Thursday. Travellers are encouraged to cooperate fully with all screening or monitoring measures implemented at any ports of entry, as these play an important role in protecting public health. The World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and international health authorities, including the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and regional public health partners, have advised that there is considerable uncertainty regarding the total number of cases, and several factors suggest the outbreak may be more extensive than currently reported. According to a release from the Ministry of Health, CARPHA and regional...

BritCay celebrates its 40th Anniversary in 2025 (CNS): One of the Cayman Islands’ leading health insurance companies, Coralisle Medical Company Ltd, which operates locally as CG BritCay, is proposing to increase rates for the basic Standard Health Insurance Contract (SHIC) plan by around 25%, effective 1 July. However, the Health Insurance Commission (HIC) has the power to stop the increase if it determines that it is excessive, inadequate, unfairly discriminatory or unreasonable, and Health Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks has indicated that the NCFC government will resist the change. According to a release from the Ministry of Health, the proposed adjustment would increase premiums across all SHIC categories. Justifying the increase at this time, BritCay has pointed to the claims experience, healthcare cost trends and increased use of advanced medical services now available locally and that it is the first adjustment to its SHIC rates since 2013. However, the release noted the...

Water Authority truck (CNS): The Water Authority-Cayman has confirmed that its base price will be increased by 3%, effective 1 July. Customers will see the adjusted rates reflected on their July bill, which will be issued at the end of the month. Under the base increase, the fee for residential customers in Grand Cayman for the first 12 cubic metres (m³) of water consumed each month, equivalent to approximately 3,200 US gallons, will increase by 13¢ per m³, from $4.34 to $4.47. Consumption above 12 m³ will increase by 17¢ per m³, from $5.57 to $5.74. In Cayman Brac, piped water customers will see an increase of 18¢ per m³, from $5.99 to $6.17, while trucked water customers will see an increase of 23¢ per m³, from $7.55 to $7.78. Sewerage rates, which are based on assessed Sewerage Fixture Units (SFUs), will increase from $1.672 to $1.722. The septage disposal rate...

(CNS): Patrick Anthony Campbell  (21) and Emmanuel Carter-Wright (21) both pleaded not guilty to a list of offences when they appeared in Grand Court recently for arraignment in relation to the mugging of two tourists. The incident occurred near the Boney Moon beach bar on Seven Mile Beach around lunchtime on 3 December last year. The men are accused of robbing a cruise ship visitor of a gold chain and a pendant from around his neck and assaulting both him and a woman who had come to help him, causing actual bodily harm. Around 5:30pm that same day, Campbell and Wright allegedly mugged a Canadian cruise ship passenger on the beach close to the Kimpton Hotel. The men have denied stealing her bag, which contained a wallet with US$200, a British Columbia driver’s licence, a Scotia Bank credit card and an iPhone. They also denied using the bank card to...

Loggerhead turtle (file photo) (CNS): Marine scientists at the Department of Environment have tagged their first loggerhead turtle in a new tracking project for the 2026 season. The turtle, who has been named Amber, crawled onto a Grand Cayman beach on the night of 1 June to nest. She has been fitted with both a satellite transmitter and an acoustic tag, and is the first turtle sponsored through Lagerhead, Caybrew’s new amber lager, dedicated to turtle conservation. Over the coming weeks, Amber is expected to return to the beach to lay several more nests, and researchers will use her acoustic tag to learn how female loggerheads move around local waters between nesting events. But the real mysteries will be answered when the nesting season is over. In a press release about the project, the DoE explained that, like all of Cayman’s nesting turtles, Amber was born here and has returned decades...

Scene of the crash in West Bay (CNS): Police have opened an investigation into a serious collision involving a pedestrian in West Bay on Wednesday morning. At around 8am, the police and other emergency services were called to a report of a collision that took place off West Church Street. A driver of a white SUV was driving along Scholars Drive when the person behind the wheel veered off the roadway, hit a pedestrian and then crashed into a residence at Park Trace Townhomes. The pedestrian sustained injuries and was taken to the HSA hospital for treatment. The driver was given a breath test at the scene, which was negative, before she was also taken to the hospital to be checked out. Police are seeking footage from ring doorbell cameras in the area that may have captured the incident. Anyone with such video, images or other information is encouraged to...

Small dump fire today (from @everythin345) (CNS): A small surface fire detected at the north side of the George Town Landfill on Wednesday afternoon was quickly contained and extinguished during routine monitoring activities. The DEH responded immediately and notified the fire service in accordance with standard operating procedures, but the team had put out the blaze before fire crews arrived. The fire was contained before it could spread, and landfill operations have continued as normal. DEH said its staff are conducting ongoing assessments and monitoring as part of established fire prevention and mitigation protocols. Environmental Health Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks said that robust monitoring and response measures remain in place at the landfill. “I want to reassure the public that this incident was identified and addressed quickly through routine monitoring conducted by the Department of Environmental Health. The DEH team will continue to take all necessary steps to mitigate risks and...