100% Whopper ® 0% Beef Patty made from plants. TM & © 2020 Burger King Corporation. Impossible is a trademark of Impossible Foods Inc. Used under license. Your most trusted news source Established 1965 No duelling or witchcraft? Cayman's outdated laws Page 5 Judge denies hiding documents Page 12 Recipes to tackle for your Super Bowl party Page 20 YYoouur mmoostt trruste The high cost of paradise cayman compass $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 5-11 February 2021 Living in the Cayman Islands is expensive. The Compass examines just how much more it costs to live here versus other countries. Page 1616 new positives over last week Public Health reported 16 new positive COVID-19 test results in the Cayman Islands between 28 Jan. and 3 Feb., according to Government Information Services. All 16 were recent travellers who tested positive during routine screening and all but one were asymptomatic. The new positives bring Cayman to 400 positive test results as of 3 Feb., with 368 of those people having fully recovered. There are 30 active cases and two people have died. Of the 30 active cases, 53% are female and there are six people showing symptoms. There have been 67,935 tests conducted as of 3 Feb., with 776 people in isolation. Cayman crosses 11K vaccinations mark The Cayman Islands has administered 11,008 doses of the Pfi zer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine as of 3 Feb., according to Government Information Services. Of those, 3,197 were the second doses for those receiving the vaccine. There have been 71.7 million doses administered worldwide as of 26 Jan. Premier: No timeline for reopening Cayman’s March border reopening appears to be off the table. Premier Alden McLaughlin said last week that government has no specifi c timeline when it comes to unlocking Cayman’s borders. “With the arrival of new COVID-19 strains and concerns over how much protection the current vaccines will offer against these new variants, it has become increasingly challenging to develop a fi rm timetable to get the Cayman tourism economy up and running again,” McLaughlin explained as he addressed the Chamber of Commerce Annual General Meeting on Thursday. Pressed on what, if any, timeline government was looking at during the roundtable discussion following his address, McLaughlin admitted there was none. Courts suspend media access to case fi les The Clerk of Courts has blocked media from accessing case fi les. In an email sent Tuesday afternoon from Judicial Administration, the decision to suspend media access to case fi les was said to have been taken in order to “complete a review of the Data Protection Act and clarify what information can be viewed/ reported by the Media”. The Data Protection Law, 2017 came into force on 30 Sept. 2019. It remains unclear why this decision has been taken almost a year-and-a-half after the law came into effect. The Compass has written to the courts for clarifi cation. No response had been provided by press time. The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009 states in Section 7 (9) that “all proceedings instituted in any court for the determination of the existence or extent of any civil right or obligation, including the announcement of the decision of the court, shall be held in public”. Police vehicles involved in crash The RCIPS Traffi c and Roads Policing Unit launched an investigation Wednesday, 3 Feb. after two police vehicles were involved in a collision. The incident happened around 12:50pm on 3 Feb. as a pair of RCIPS service vehicles were responding to a report when they were involved in a collision with a third vehicle near the four-way stop in West Bay, according to a police press release issued about nine hours after the incident occurred. There were no reported injuries as a result of this collision, however all three vehicles sustained damage, police said. Arrest made in connection with fatal crash Police have arrested a West Bay man in connection with the 16 Jan. crash that claimed the life of 24-year-old Shayne Anthony Ewart. The 27-year-old man, police said, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been granted bail as investigations continue. A passenger who was in the vehicle in that crash remains in hospital. The suspect was driving a vehicle that drove through a police checkpoint on 16 Jan., according to police. Offi cers followed the vehicle but stopped and returned to the checkpoint as per RCIPS protocol, according to police. Minutes later, offi cers responded to a report of a car crash involving the vehicle. Police arrest man suspected of fl eeing after collision Police on Sunday arrested a 30-year-old George Town man on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident following a head-on collision on West Bay Road on Sunday, 24 Jan. The man was released on bail pending further investigations, the Royal Cayman Islands Police said in a press release issued Monday. Following the 24 Jan. crash, police issued a statement saying they were seeking the driver of a white Chevy Equinox that had been seen driving into oncoming traffic on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway as he tried to evade a police traffic check at the Yacht Club roundabout. Minutes later, the vehicle was involved in the collision with a white Chevy Silverado on West Bay Road, near Kintyre Drive. Following the collision, the man was taken by ambulance to the Cayman Islands Hospital, but refused treatment and discharged himself before police arrived. The Compass has asked the RCIPS for its policy regarding how to handle situations where a suspect is involved in a car crash and multiple requests for this information have not been answered. Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK HONEST THIEF (PG-13) (SUN) 5:00 | 7:00 VIP | 9:25 VIP | 9:40 MASTER (R) (FRI & SAT) 3:30 | 9:10 (MON-THURS) 4:00 | 7:00 MONSTER HUNTER (PG-13) (FRI) 4:00 VIP | 6:45 | 10:10 (SAT) 12:45 | 4:00 VIP | 6:45 | 10:10 (SUN) 4:00 VIP | 4:15 | 6:45 | 7:20 VIP | 9:50 VIP | 10:10 (MON-THURS) 3:30 VIP | 7:05 OUR FRIEND (R) (FRI) 3:55 | 6:45 | 6:50 | 9:45 | 10:00 (SAT) 12:45 VIP | 3:55 | 6:45 VIP | 6:50 | 9:45 | 10:00 VIP (MON-THURS) 4:30 | 7:30 | 7:40 VIP THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (PG) (FRI) 4:50 VIP | (SAT) 1:15 | 1:35 VIP | 1:35 VIP | 1:35 VIP 4:50 VIP (SUN) 4:40 | 4:50 VIP | 7:15 (MON - THURS) 5:35 VIP THE LITTLE THINGS (R) (FRI) 3:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:45 VIP (SAT) 1:00 | 3:45 | 7:00 VIP | 9:45 (MON-WED) 3:45 (THURS) 3:45 | 7:00 VIP THE MARKSMAN (PG-13) (FRI) 3:55 | 7:20 | 7:35 VIP | 9:55 7:35 VIP | 9:55 7:35 VIP| 10:15 VIP (SAT) 1:20 | 3:55 | 7:20 | 7:35 VIP | 9:55 | 10:15 VIP (SUN) 3:55 | 7:20 | 7:35 VIP | 9:55 | 7:35 VIP | 9:55 | 7:35 VIP10:15 VIP (MON-THURS) 4:15 | 7:50 | 8:00 VIP WONDER WOMAN 1984 (PG-13) (FRI) 3:40 VIP | 6:45 (SAT) 1:00 VIP | 3:40 VIP | 6:45 (SUN) 3:40 VIP | 6:45 | 9:15 (MON-THURS) 4:15 VIP4:15 VIP CLASSICS THELMA & LOUISE (R) TUES. 7PM VIP For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted KIDS CLUB THE LITTLE MERMAID (G) SATURDAY 10AM ALSO AVAILABLE IN VIP PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITORINCHIEF KEVIN MORALES weather 81°F HIGH 73°F LOW Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with a 30% chance of showers. SEA STATE Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. SAT 83°F HIGH 73°F LOW SUN 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW MON 84°F HIGH 73°F LOW TUES 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW WED 84°F HIGH 76°F LOW THUR 84°F HIGH 76°F LOW caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS Southeast at 10 to 15 knots. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass news in brief The Owen Roberts International Airport appears likely to remain closed to travellers for some time still as Premier Alden McLaughlin recently said Cayman’s borders will not reopen in March as previously discussed. - Photo: Stephen Clarke cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2021NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Cayman’s current quarantine and testing requirements will remain in place until 90% of the islands’ over- 60 population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, Premier Alden McLaughlin announced on Thursday. The premier, speaking at a live televised press conference, said incoming travellers will continue to need to spend 14 days in quarantine and return a negative PCR test before being released until Cayman reaches its target of vaccinating 90% of everyone aged over 60. As of Thursday, he said, about 55% of those older than 60 had already been vaccinated. Some 5,000 residents of Cayman are aged over 60. “We have about another 2,300 or so persons over 60 to vaccinate to reach our 90% target,” McLaughlin said, as he urged people to come forward and receive their inoculations. Once that target has been reached, possibly by the end of this month, the premier said, the border controls can be changed to allow the quarantine period to be reduced to 10 days for incoming travellers. He added that those travellers will still be required to acquire a negative PCR test within 72 hours prior to their arrival, as well as a negative PCR test on arrival in Cayman. Each traveller must also have received a COVID-19 vaccination. Those arriving in Cayman, under new measures once the 90% target has been reached, must stay in a household where all residents have received a full course of vaccinations, the premier added. He said members of a household where a traveller is staying, who have not travelled themselves but who have a vaccination, will not be required to quarantine. Children travelling with vaccinated adults must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival on island, as currently no one under that age is being inoculated. The premier acknowledged that people had concerns over the reopening plan for the borders, but he said, “I’m imploring you to go get vaccinated; we cannot stay closed forever.” He added, “We’re not throwing open the borders by any means,” saying that the approach for reopening the borders would be similar to the steps taken to reopen the local economy last year, as Cayman eased its way out of lockdown. “It’s the first safe step,” he said. “We partially opened, bit by bit, as we gained confidence in our safety. We must do the same with our borders. We must not be careless and allow COVID back in our midst.” Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Lee, giving an update on the vaccination rollout at the press briefing, said 11,856 jabs had been administered, which included 3,939 people who have received their second dose. He said 65% of the islands’ over-70s have been inoculated, and added that 12.2% of the entire population had received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which Cayman has received from the UK. Vaccinations are being administered at local health clinics, as well as at the Owen Roberts International Airport. The check- in hall at the airport has been transformed into a vaccine clinic, a step the premier described as a “stroke of genius”, as it enabled more people to receive the vaccine at the same time. “The successful rollout of the vaccination programme offers us the promise we can begin to think positively about returning to a more normal life,” McLaughlin said. The premier also stressed that only those who are “normally and legally resident” in Cayman will be given the vaccinations. This appeared to be in response to reports of visitors on island receiving the shots. Governor Martyn Roper said more vaccines are expected to arrive from the UK in coming weeks. The next batch is expected to arrive on 11 Feb. and bring 15,000 doses. He said that 19,500 doses of the vaccine had arrived in two separate batches already, but said that even though each vial has five doses, “you can get six or seven doses out of each vial”, meaning those batches could include a total of 23,000 doses. The arrival of the next batch of vaccines will mean that nearly 20,000 people, or 40% of the adult population, will be able to be vaccinated. He added that while Cayman so far has been receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, future deliveries may include the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine. Officials on Thursday also announced that a monthly stipend for unemployed tourism workers is being increased from $1,000 to $1,500. Quarantine to stay From left, Finance Minister Roy McTaggart, Premier Alden McLaughlin, Governor Martyn Roper and Health Minister Dwayne Seymour at a live press conference on 4 Feb. Passengers hoping to arrive at Owen Roberts International Airport will still need to quarantine for 14 days until more people in Cayman are vaccinated. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay Premier Alden McLaughlin says Cayman could cut isolation to 10 days after 90% of the islands' over-60 population is vaccinated. cayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 20211234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13141516 17 181920 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 Pad covering wounded eye (5) 4 Disclaim knowledge of (7) 8 Turncoat (3) 9 The basic facts (4,5) 10 Made by exploited labour (7) 11 US gold coin (5) 13 Hang around (6) 15 High prestige (6) 18 Spy (5) 19 Devious (7) 21 A certainty (4,5) 23 Speck (3) 24 At high speed (7) 25 Direct the attention of (5) DOWN 1 Sunshade (7) 2 Exactly drawn (2,3,4) 3 Settled practice (5) 4 To ridicule (6) 5 Overthrow (7) 6 Goods vehicle (3) 7 Use to no purpose (5) 12 Begin to suspect (3,4,2) 14 Give a just claim (7) 16 Be uncomfortably hot (7) 17 Exceptional creative ability (6) 18 Passage between rows (5) 20 Bode (5) 22 Smart blow (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16607 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 16607 ACROSS: 1 Patch, 4 Disavow, 8 Rut, 9 Bare bones, 10 Sweated, 11 Eagle, 13 Loiter, 15 Status, 18 Agent, 19 Evasive, 21 Sure thing, 23 Dot, 24 Express, 25 Refer. DOWN: 1 Parasol, 2 To the life, 3 Habit, 4 Deride, 5 Subvert, 6 Van, 7 Waste, 12 Get wind of, 14 Entitle, 16 Swelter, 17 Genius, 18 Aisle, 20 Augur, 22 Rap. “How much is a carton of milk?” It’s a popular question posed to politicians everywhere during election season to test how in touch they are with the people they hope to represent. For any candidates prepping for the campaign trail in Cayman, we can tell them this – it’s expensive. At $7 for a gallon jug, we are paying twice as much as shoppers in the US and three times as much as the average Brit. The same, or similar, can be said of almost every item in every aisle in the grocery store. It is a trend that extends well beyond the supermarkets and has implications for the standard and quality of life of everyone in these islands. In a detailed report, we examine every aspect of the cost of living in Cayman. The headline conclusions of that exercise are perhaps not so surprising. We all know that Cayman is an expensive place to call home. A premium on food, rent and other essentials comes with the territory. But the extent of the mark-up is, in some cases, quite staggering. The average house price in Cayman comes in at just under a What they’re saying Online Examining the cost of living million dollars – triple the average for England or the US. Even after a COVID-infl uenced exodus of expats, rent is still more than $2,000-a-month – double the US average. Everything from broadband and gym membership to a trip to the movies and a taxi-ride home costs substantially more in Cayman. But before we drown our sorrows in premium-priced beer, we should also note that salaries follow the same trend. Cayman Islands residents earn marginally more than US workers and a whopping $10,000-a-year more than the average Brit. When you consider that we don’t pay income tax, that $50 steak dinner begins to look a bit more reasonable. It is a question of balance and the numbers only tell part of the story. Over the next month in the Cayman Compass Issues section, we will take a deeper look at Cayman’s cost of living and how it impacts ordinary people. Are owning a home and starting a family rights that are realistic and affordable for everyone? Is it possible to survive on the minimum wage in these islands? What power do decision-makers really have to control these costs? For any candidate running in Cayman there is no excuse for not knowing the price of milk, or any other basic necessity. The more pertinent question might be, “Why is it so expensive and what will you do about it?” Premier: No timeline for reopening We saw this one coming – I don’t really see how the govern- ment had any choice, under the circumstances. Very, very tough for everyone working in tour- ism and service industry staff in Cayman. – Jenny Davidson Most of the visitor-facing people and essential workers are on work permits. Yet we can’t convince enough people to take the vaccine? Oh my god, how pa- thetic. Simple, you want to work, you have the vaccine. This is not rocket science. Just do it! – Troy Leacock I don’t understand why we can’t come to our timeshare. We have already gotten our fi rst vaccine and will have the second by 1 March. We miss all of you. – Tony Yarrusso Jr You don’t want to have to deal with the way things are in the States! – Deborah Hoerz Require vaccine and negative test to enter. Sanitise all baggage before leaving the airport. If we don’t bring COVID with us then the island is still safe from COV- ID. The economy will benefi t. It’s very sad that there is an absolute zero expectation for the entire island. That’s like having a zero expectation of mosquitoes. The expectation can be accomplished along with opening borders if people are vaccinated, test nega- tive and baggage is sanitised. It’s an excellent compromise that will help stimulate the economy with- out compromising its citizens. Any thoughts on this? – Dorcas Stone- Nelson This is the most discouraging news! My heart hurts for all of my friends who own businesses down there. – Laurie Lang Deters Sad to hear but agree at this time! We need to see countries like US get a grip on this pan- demic. What’s needed now is a long-term relief assistance pro- gramme for tourism workers and businesses, with emphasis on the businesses in particular, as we are the ones who stand to lose more! Tourism workers can be retrained and upskilled for other jobs; they should be given fi rst preference. But we can’t replace our business- es after we’ve lost them complete- ly and many business owners will lose absolutely everything if they lose their tourist business. Unfor- tunately, this is the harsh reality for many but government must try to save as many as possible. It’s their obligation to do so. – Shaun Ebanks Cayman teen becomes National Geographic Young Explorer Hats off to you, Ben, and to the rising groundswell of others who are also activated to partici- pate in raising better solutions for the greater good. You know that I’m always willing to pitch in with my camera or stock images if it can help a good cause (keep me on speed dial). May God bless your efforts abundantly as you heed the lessons of science to protect our future. – Courtney Platt Given the choice, would you take a flight on a Boeing 737 MAX 8? cayman compass Undecided Yes No ONLINE POLL 47% 42% 11% Editorial cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2021Duelling, witchcraft, cannon firing still feature in Cayman legislation NORMA CONNOLLY nconnolly@compassmedia.ky Thinking about pistols at dawn? Cast- ing a spell under a full moon? Charging someone a fee to catch a duppy? Dump- ing a bucket of night soil on a local road? Think again. Under Cayman’s laws, all these are illegal and could land you with a fine or in prison. These ‘offences’ are among some of the more archaic provisions in local laws, while the wording of others would be considered very politically incorrect these days, such as sections 132 and 145 of the Penal Code which deal with indecent assault and refer to a man or a woman who is “a defective”. The Law Reform Commission is working to modernise Cayman’s Penal Code, under which duelling, obeah and witchcraft, and ghost catching are outlawed. The commission is concentrating initially on addressing any sections or wordings in the law that have human rights implications or may run contrary to the Bill of Rights. Jose Griffith, the commission’s director, said it is putting together a ‘draft discussion paper’ on the various elements of the Penal Code that need to be addressed. This could involve changing the language involved, making minor adjustments, or repealing entire sections. Once the draft paper is complete, it will be put out for public consultation, after which a final document will be drawn up based on the Law Reform Commission’s recommendations. This will be sent to the Attorney General’s Office, and from there, it will be forwarded to Cabinet who will determine if it needs to go before Parliament. “It’s a big project,” Griffith said. “When the commission was established in 2005, the objective was to modernise laws, from A-Z, to go through each one and look at the laws that need to be revised ... whether that be a minor cosmetic change or something more substantial, or whether they need to be repealed entirely,” he said. He said some of the matters the commission looks at come from its own proactive research or from referrals from others. The review of the Penal Code, for example, came about because of a referral from Attorney General Samuel Bulgin. A recent change to the Penal Code was the decriminalisation of suicide, following a review of the law by the commission. One part of the Penal Code that the commission is looking at is the offence of “insulting the modesty of a woman”, which carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison. Though this may sound like an outdated concept in these modern times, the charge pops up in court on a fairly regular basis, including as recently as this month. Lawyers representing defendants charged with this offence have argued that it is archaic, that there is no definition under the Penal Code of exactly what a woman’s modesty is, and that no corresponding offence exists for men. Section 157 of the Penal Code, which refers to trading or distributing any object “tending to corrupt morals” has also come under fire. In 2017, it was used as the basis for customs officers seizing massagers, which they considered to be sex toys, from a local retailer. This broad statute does not actually mention sex toys, but refers to “obscene” items. In the 2017 case, the customs department eventually backed down and returned the massagers to the store. An accompaniment to the Penal Code is the Prohibited Publications Order, which was revised in 1998. This order lists scores of books, magazines, newspapers and other publications that are banned in the Cayman Islands. Among these are publications from Communist countries, like China, Russia and Cuba; books on magic and occultism; and erotica magazines, such as ‘Hustler’, ‘Eros’ and ‘Hooker’, as well as Madonna’s 1992 book ‘Sex’. Some of the banned publications were discontinued years ago – ‘Spicy Detective’ was last published in December 1942 and the Far Eastern Economic Review put out its last edition in December 2009. The Penal Code, while first introduced in 1975, is based on British common law and statutes, many of which were already archaic by the time they were introduced in Cayman. The law is essentially a consolidation of a number of pieces of legislation passed between the late 1800s and the mid 1990s, according to the Law Reform Commission’s 2020 annual report. Since the ‘70s, the Penal Code has undergone only minor changes, such as the adjustment of type and length of punishments with the introduction of some new offences, but has never undergone a comprehensive review. According to its latest annual report, the Law Reform Commission’s review so far has identified provisions of the Penal Code that raise human rights issues, “including provisions relating to immature age (minimum age of criminal responsibility), compulsion by spouse, insulting the modesty of a woman, procuring abortion, unnatural offences, indecent assault, incest and obeah”. The commission has also been comparing elements of Cayman’s Penal Code to relevant provisions of the penal laws of other jurisdictions, such as England and Wales, Jamaica, Canada, India, Bahamas and Australia. Although the Penal Code is the focus of the Law Reform Commission at the moment, it’s not the only law that addresses outdated behaviours. The Towns and Communities Law, for example, threatens a $12 fine for emptying ‘night soil’ onto a street between the hours of 4am and 10pm, and a $30 fine upon conviction for discharging a cannon in town. Griffith said the commission welcomes feedback on what areas of Cayman’s laws may need updating or amending, and he invited members of the public to provide the commission “with specific submissions on any area(s) of the law which appear to be in need of reform or repeal”. | For more information on the Law Reform Commission, visit www.lrc.gov.ky. Cayman's Penal Code is a consolidation of legislation, some dating back to the 1800s. Archaic laws under review “When the commission was established in 2005, the objective was to modernise laws, from A-Z, to go through each one and look at the laws that need to be revised.” Jose Griffith, director, Law Reform Commission A look at some of Cayman’s antiquated laws The following list outlines the wording of a number of sections under the Penal Code or the Towns and Communities Law. Challenge to fight a duel A person who challenges another to fight a duel, or attempts to provoke another to fight a duel, or attempts to provoke any person to challenge another to fight a duel commits an offence. Indecent assaults on females ... (3) Where a marriage is invalid under the Marriage Law (2010 Revision) (the wife being under the age of 16), the invalidity does not make the husband an offender under this section by reason of her incapacity to consent while under that age, if he believes her to be his wife and has reasonable cause for the belief. (4) A woman who is a defective cannot in law give any consent which would prevent an act being an assault for the purposes of this section, but a person is only to be treated as having committed indecent assault on a defective by reason of that incapacity to consent, if that person knew or had reason to suspect her to be defective. Indecent assault on a man ... (3) A man who is a defective cannot in law give any consent which would prevent an act being an assault for the purpose of this section, but a person is only to be treated as having committed an indecent assault on a defective by reason of that incapacity to consent, if that person knew or had reason to suspect him to be defective. Insulting the modesty of a woman A person who, with intent to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture or exhibits any object intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman, commits an offence and is liable to imprisonment for three years. Obscene publications A person who ... for the purpose of or by way of trade or for the purpose of distribution or public exhibition, makes, produces or has in his possession any one or more obscene writings, drawings, prints, paintings, printed matter, pictures, posters, emblems, photographs, cinematograph films, discs, tapes or other obscene objects or any other object tending to corrupt morals ... commits an offence and is liable to a fine of two hundred dollars and to imprisonment for three months. Idle and disorderly persons A person who — (a) wanders abroad or places himself in any public place for the purpose of gathering alms, or who causes any child so to do; (b) being a common prostitute, behaves in a disorderly or indecent manner in a public place; (c) pretends to deal in obeah, myalism, duppy catching or witchcraft or to tell fortunes by palmistry or like superstitious means intending to deceive or impose on people ... shall be liable to a fine of two thousand dollars and to imprisonment for four years. Discharging cannon in town Every person other than a person acting in obedience to lawful authority who discharges any cannon or other firearm of greater calibre than a common fowlingpiece within five hundred yards of any dwelling-house within any town, to the annoyance of any inhabitant thereof, and every person who, after being warned of the annoyance by an inhabitant, discharges any such firearms, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of thirty dollars. Actions on thoroughfares Every person who — ... (c) in any thoroughfare, beats or shakes any carpet, rug or mat (except door mats, before the hour of eight in the morning), or causes any offensive matter to run from any manufactory, slaughter-house, butcher’s yard or dunghill into any thoroughfare or uncovered place, whether or not surrounded by a wall or fence... (d) empties or begins to empty, any privy between the hours of four in the morning and ten at night, or removes along any thoroughfare any night soil or other offensive matter between the hours of four in the morning and ten in the evening, or who wilfully or carelessly slops or spills any such offensive matter in the removal thereof; or who does not carefully sweep and clean every place in which any such offensive matter has been placed, slopped or spilled; or discharges or allows to run from their premises any putrid or noxious water or other offensive matter or thing whatsoever, into any street, lane or thoroughfare, or into any other place or premises in the occupation of any other person; (e) keeps any pigsty to the front of any thoroughfare within any town, not being shut out from such thoroughfare by a sufficient wall or fence, or who keeps any swine in or near any street or in any dwelling, so as to be a common nuisance... ... is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of twelve dollars. cayman compass 5 news N news FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2021ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Grand Court Judge Richard Williams has denied instructing court staff to withhold from the public documents relating to a judicial review of Governor Martyn Roper’s use of his constitutionally granted reserved power. Williams’ comments contradict previous statements from senior court staff, who said they were ordered to keep the documents from the public domain. The documents in question include a writ filed by Kattina Anglin and Williams’ subsequent ruling on the writ. The writ claimed Governor Roper acted outside the scope of the powers granted to him in Section 81 of the constitution last year when he pushed through the Civil Partnership Bill. Between October 2020 and January 2021, the Cayman Compass requested several times, in person and via email, access to both the application itself and the subsequent judgement. Each time Cayman Compass was told the documents were not to be made public. Application for judicial review An application for judicial review of the governor’s use of his reserved power was filed by Anglin on 28 Oct. 2020. Anglin, of the Christian Association for Civics, filed the application on the grounds that Roper’s use of his reserved power in this case was ‘unlawful’ and ‘irrational’. Williams heard the ex parte (meaning ‘on behalf of one party’) application on 17 Nov. On 14 Jan., Clerk of Court Shiona Allenger, in an email to media, said the documents were not to be made public and noted, “...we have not [been] granted permission to place any documents in relation to this matter on the public register at this time”. Furthermore, she stated she had “reached out [to] the judge who was presiding over the Leave Application and based on indications received from the judge, the ex parte application was not made available to the public”. In a statement issued by Judicial Administration on Tuesday, 2 Feb., Williams refuted these claims. He first stated that it was not accurate that he had been consulted by the clerk of courts regarding the application being made public. He added it was also inaccurate that he had indicated the application should not be made public. “For the avoidance of doubt, Justice Williams was not consulted and he gave no such direction,” the statement reads. It confirms that the application was not placed on the Public Register “because it was ex parte in nature and in keeping with what is often done in such cases”. However, it then states that this is a case of “genuine public interest [and] ought not to have been embargoed in any way without an order from the judge, and no such order was made”. On 22 Jan. 2021, Williams ordered that the ex parte application be placed upon the Public Register, where it appears dated 28 Oct. 2020 despite the document not having been made available at that time. Ruling on judicial review The second document in question is Williams’ reserved written judgment on Anglin’s application for judicial review, which was handed down on 20 Nov. In his written ruling, Williams approved Anglin’s application and gave the green light for the judicial review to proceed on the basis of Anglin’s first ground for review, which states that, “The Governor erred in law by using section 81 to enact the [Civil Partnership (Act).” The ground also claimed, “The CPL is beyond the scope of the Governor’s responsibility as defined by section 55 of the Constitution.” Although Williams’ written ruling was handed down on 20 Nov., it was not made public on the Judicial Administration website’s registry until two months later – by then it had already been uploaded to the UK Privy Council’s website and made public. The recent statement from Judicial Administration says it had been “inadvertently overlooked”. The statement reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, Justice Williams did not direct that the publication of the judgment be restricted in any way.” Judge denies withholding judicial review documents Justice Richard Williams Statements contradict those made by court staff. cayman compass 6 FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2021 news N newscayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2021ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Storm names are set for what forecasters say could be an active Atlantic basin hurricane season in 2021. The list of names begins with Ana and ends with Wanda. In a recent discussion paper, forecasters at Colorado State University released five potential scenarios they say could occur this year. Each scenario presented a slightly different outcome for the hurricane season, but the most probable scenario called for 12- to-15 named storms, six-to-eight hurricanes, and two-to-three major hurricanes. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an average hurricane season is made up of 10.1 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes and 2.5 major hurricanes. Therefore, if CSU’s predictions come through, 2021 would be the sixth consecutive hurricane season above NOAA’s average. CSU is expected to make its first official pre-hurricane season forecasts in April. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active in 170 years. Last year the Atlantic basin recorded 31 tropical and subtropical depressions (tying the previous record which was set in 2005) while setting the record with 30 named storms. Of the 30 named storms, 13 developed into hurricanes, six of which became major hurricanes. 2020 was the second season in recorded history where forecasters used up preapproved storm names and were forced to utilize the Greek alphabet. The previous record of most named storms came in 2005. Storm names set for 2021 Forecast parametersAverage for 1981-2010 Named storms12.1 Named storm days59.4 Hurricanes6.4 Hurricane days24.2 Major hurricanes2.7 Major hurricane days6.2 • Ana • Bill • Claudette • Danny • Elsa • Fred • Grace • Henri • Ida • Julian • Kate • Larry • Mindy • Nicholas • Odette • Peter • Rose • Sam • Teresa • Victor • Wanda CSU forecasters expect above-average hurricane season 2021 STORM NAMES The 2020 hurricane season was one for the record books. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay cayman compass 8 FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2021cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2021Next >