John Hewitt v Tara Rivers & Attorney General of the Cayman Islands

The Grand Court of the Cayman Islands has dismissed a petition to overturn the election of Tara Rivers, Minister of Education for the Cayman Islands.

The case concerned the interpretation of the eligibility requirements in the Cayman Islands Constitution, including the prohibition on standing for election if non-resident or "under an acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state". It was described by Caymanian Compass as "vitally important … most people in the country will be watching".

The Grand Court’s judgment is likely to stand as a major authority on electoral law in Commonwealth jurisdictions and on constitutional interpretation generally.

The full judgment can be read here: Hewitt v Rivers Judgment.pdf (1568 kb)

Sir Jeffrey Jowell QC and Tom Cleaver acted for Tara Rivers.