| BERMUDA Bermuda Bermuda (Overseas territory of the United Kingdom) Joined United Nations: 24 October 1945 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 09/17/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Hamilton
68,268 (July 2010 est.)
Elizabeth II of United Kingdom
Queen since 6 February 1952
Queen since 6 February 1952
The monarch is hereditary and holds that position for life or until
abdication. The Governor is selected by the Queen.
Next scheduled election: None
abdication. The Governor is selected by the Queen.
Next scheduled election: None
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Ewert Brown
Premier since 30 October 2006
Premier since 30 October 2006
Following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed Premier
by the governor; last general election held 18 December 2007
Next scheduled election: 2012
the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed Premier
by the governor; last general election held 18 December 2007
Next scheduled election: 2012
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Black 54.8%, white 34.1%, mixed 6.4%, other races 4.3%, unspecified 0.4% (2000 census)
| RELIGIONS |
Anglican 23%, Roman Catholic 15%, African Methodist Episcopal 11%, other Protestant 18%, other 12%,
unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)
unaffiliated 6%, unspecified 1%, none 14% (2000 census)
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Parliamentary; self-governing overseas territory of the UK with 9 parishes and 2 municipalities. Legal system is English law
Executive: Monarch represented by Governor; Premier is typical the leader of the majority party or coalition
appointed by the governor general
Legislative: Bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the
premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up
to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012)
Judicial: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts
Executive: Monarch represented by Governor; Premier is typical the leader of the majority party or coalition
appointed by the governor general
Legislative: Bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (an 11-member body appointed by the governor, the
premier, and the opposition) and the House of Assembly (36 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve up
to five-year terms)
elections: last general election held 18 December 2007 (next to be held not later than 2012)
Judicial: Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; Magistrate Courts
| LANGUAGES |
English (official), Portuguese
| BRIEF HISTORY |
Bermuda was discovered in the early sixteenth century, probably in 1503, although the evidence for the exact year, and
the identity of the discoverer, is sketchy. It was certainly known by 1511, when Pietro Martire published his Legatio
Babylonica, which mentioned Bermuda. The discovery is attributed to a Spanish explorer, Juan de Bermudez. Nothing is
known of his supposed first visit; he returned again in 1515, with the chronicler Oviedo y Valdés. Oviedo's account of the
second visit (published in 1526) records that they made no attempt to land because of weather. During the following
decades, other visits from explorers of various nationalities ensued, including many whose stays resulted from being
shipwrecked on the treacherous reefs surrounding the then-uninhabited islands. Among the latter were a group of
Portuguese sailors in 1543, and Henry May in 1593. Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists
who were originally headed for Virginia in North America. A fleet of nine ships known as the Third Supply owned by the
Virginia Company of London set sail from Plymouth, England with fresh supplies and additional colonists for the new
British settlement at Jamestown. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Somers on board the flagship, the Sea
Venture. During a 3 day storm thought to have been a hurricane, the Sea Venture was separated from the rest of the fleet.
Admiral Somers was at the helm as she fought the storm, and deliberately drove the ship onto Bermuda's reefs to prevent
its foundering. All 150 crew and colonists survived, and were landed on the uninhabited north-easternmost island of the
archipelago. Leaving two men behind to maintain England's claim on the islands, Somers set sail with the remainder from
Bermuda for Jamestown. Those embarked included William Strachey, whose account of the adventures of the Sea
Venture's survivors may have inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest, and who would draft Virginia's first laws, and John
Rolfe, who would found Virginia's tobacco industry, making the colony economically viable. Rolfe left a wife (and child)
buried in Bermuda, but would find another in Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan. Two years later, in 1612, the
Virginia Company's Royal Charter was extended to include the island, and a party of 60 settlers was sent, under the
command of Sir Richard Moore, the island's first governor. Joining the three men left behind by the Sea Venture and the
Patience (who had taken up residence on Smith's Island), they founded and commenced construction of the town of St.
George. The first slaves were brought to Bermuda soon after the colony was established. Unlike in the plantation
economies that developed in North America and the West Indies, the system of indentured servitude, which lasted until
1684, ensured a large supply of cheap labour. After the elimination of their indigenous population by Spanish slavers, the
Turks Islands, or Salt Islands, were not fully colonised until 1681, when salt collectors from Bermuda built the first
permanent settlement on Grand Turk Island. The salt collectors were drawn by the shallow waters around the islands that
made salt mining a much easier process than in Bermuda. Bermuda spent much of the eighteenth Century in a protracted
legal battle with the Bahamas (which had itself been colonised by Bermudians in 1647) over the Turks Islands. Due to the
islands' isolation, for many years Bermuda remained an outpost of seventeenth-century British civilization, with an
economy based on the use of the islands' Bermuda cedar (Juniperus bermudiana) trees for shipbuilding, and Bermudians'
control of the Turks Islands, and their salt trade. Following the loss of Britain's ports in thirteen of its former continental
colonies, Bermuda was also used as a stopover point between Canada and Britain's Caribbean possessions, and assumed
a new strategic prominence for the Royal Navy. Hamilton, a centrally located port founded in 1790, became the seat of
government in 1815. Tourism first came to the island first developed in Victorian times, catering to a wealthy elite seeking
to escape North American winters. Many also came hoping to find young noblemen among the officers of the Garrison
and Naval base to whom they might marry their daughters. Local hoteliers were quick to exploit this, organising many
dances and gatherings during the 'season', to which military and naval officers were given a blanket invitation. Due
historically to a third of Bermuda's manpower being at sea at any one time, and to many of those seamen ultimately settling
elsewhere, especially as the Bermudian maritime industry began to suffer, Bermuda was noted for having a high number of
aging spinsters well into the twentieth Century. In the early twentieth century, as modern transportation and
communication systems developed, Bermuda's tourism industry began to develop and thrive, and Bermuda became a
popular destination for a broader spectrum of wealthy US, Canadian, and British tourists. In addition, the tariff enacted by
the United States against its trading partners in 1930 cut off Bermuda's once-thriving agricultural export trade—primarily
fresh vegetables to the US—spurring the island to pour more of its efforts into the development of its tourism industry.
During World War II, Bermuda's importance as a military base increased because of its location on the major trans-
Atlantic shipping route. The Royal Naval dockyard on Ireland Island played a role similar to that it had during the Great
War, overseeing the formation of trans-Atlantic convoys composed of hundreds of ships. The military garrison, which
included four local territorial units, maintained a guard against potential enemy attacks on the Island itself.
In 1941, the United States signed a lend-lease agreement with the United Kingdom, giving the British surplus U.S. Navy
destroyers in exchange for 99-year lease rights to establish naval and air bases in certain British territories. Bermuda has
prospered economically since World War II, developing into a highly successful offshore financial centre. Although
tourism remains important to Bermuda's economy, it has for three decades been second to international business in terms
of economic importance to the island. Though Bermuda has been classified as a self-governed colony since 1620, internal
self-government was bolstered by the establishment of a formal constitution in 1968, and the introduction of universal
adult suffrage; debate about independence has ensued, although a 1995 independence referendum was soundly defeated.
For many, Bermudian independence would mean little other than the obligation to staff foreign missions and embassies
around the world, which would be a heavy obligation for Bermuda's small population, and the loss of British passports
(which could severely restrict travel, as few enough countries have even heard of little Bermuda, and could regard
travellers with suspicion). Effective September 1, 1995, both US military bases were closed; British and Canadian bases
on the island closed at about the same time. Unresolved issues concerning the 1995 withdrawal of US forces -- primarily
related to environmental factors -- delayed the formal return of the base lands to the Government of Bermuda. The United
States formally returned the base lands in 2002.
Source: Wikipedia History of Bermuda
the identity of the discoverer, is sketchy. It was certainly known by 1511, when Pietro Martire published his Legatio
Babylonica, which mentioned Bermuda. The discovery is attributed to a Spanish explorer, Juan de Bermudez. Nothing is
known of his supposed first visit; he returned again in 1515, with the chronicler Oviedo y Valdés. Oviedo's account of the
second visit (published in 1526) records that they made no attempt to land because of weather. During the following
decades, other visits from explorers of various nationalities ensued, including many whose stays resulted from being
shipwrecked on the treacherous reefs surrounding the then-uninhabited islands. Among the latter were a group of
Portuguese sailors in 1543, and Henry May in 1593. Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists
who were originally headed for Virginia in North America. A fleet of nine ships known as the Third Supply owned by the
Virginia Company of London set sail from Plymouth, England with fresh supplies and additional colonists for the new
British settlement at Jamestown. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Somers on board the flagship, the Sea
Venture. During a 3 day storm thought to have been a hurricane, the Sea Venture was separated from the rest of the fleet.
Admiral Somers was at the helm as she fought the storm, and deliberately drove the ship onto Bermuda's reefs to prevent
its foundering. All 150 crew and colonists survived, and were landed on the uninhabited north-easternmost island of the
archipelago. Leaving two men behind to maintain England's claim on the islands, Somers set sail with the remainder from
Bermuda for Jamestown. Those embarked included William Strachey, whose account of the adventures of the Sea
Venture's survivors may have inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest, and who would draft Virginia's first laws, and John
Rolfe, who would found Virginia's tobacco industry, making the colony economically viable. Rolfe left a wife (and child)
buried in Bermuda, but would find another in Pocahontas, the daughter of Chief Powhatan. Two years later, in 1612, the
Virginia Company's Royal Charter was extended to include the island, and a party of 60 settlers was sent, under the
command of Sir Richard Moore, the island's first governor. Joining the three men left behind by the Sea Venture and the
Patience (who had taken up residence on Smith's Island), they founded and commenced construction of the town of St.
George. The first slaves were brought to Bermuda soon after the colony was established. Unlike in the plantation
economies that developed in North America and the West Indies, the system of indentured servitude, which lasted until
1684, ensured a large supply of cheap labour. After the elimination of their indigenous population by Spanish slavers, the
Turks Islands, or Salt Islands, were not fully colonised until 1681, when salt collectors from Bermuda built the first
permanent settlement on Grand Turk Island. The salt collectors were drawn by the shallow waters around the islands that
made salt mining a much easier process than in Bermuda. Bermuda spent much of the eighteenth Century in a protracted
legal battle with the Bahamas (which had itself been colonised by Bermudians in 1647) over the Turks Islands. Due to the
islands' isolation, for many years Bermuda remained an outpost of seventeenth-century British civilization, with an
economy based on the use of the islands' Bermuda cedar (Juniperus bermudiana) trees for shipbuilding, and Bermudians'
control of the Turks Islands, and their salt trade. Following the loss of Britain's ports in thirteen of its former continental
colonies, Bermuda was also used as a stopover point between Canada and Britain's Caribbean possessions, and assumed
a new strategic prominence for the Royal Navy. Hamilton, a centrally located port founded in 1790, became the seat of
government in 1815. Tourism first came to the island first developed in Victorian times, catering to a wealthy elite seeking
to escape North American winters. Many also came hoping to find young noblemen among the officers of the Garrison
and Naval base to whom they might marry their daughters. Local hoteliers were quick to exploit this, organising many
dances and gatherings during the 'season', to which military and naval officers were given a blanket invitation. Due
historically to a third of Bermuda's manpower being at sea at any one time, and to many of those seamen ultimately settling
elsewhere, especially as the Bermudian maritime industry began to suffer, Bermuda was noted for having a high number of
aging spinsters well into the twentieth Century. In the early twentieth century, as modern transportation and
communication systems developed, Bermuda's tourism industry began to develop and thrive, and Bermuda became a
popular destination for a broader spectrum of wealthy US, Canadian, and British tourists. In addition, the tariff enacted by
the United States against its trading partners in 1930 cut off Bermuda's once-thriving agricultural export trade—primarily
fresh vegetables to the US—spurring the island to pour more of its efforts into the development of its tourism industry.
During World War II, Bermuda's importance as a military base increased because of its location on the major trans-
Atlantic shipping route. The Royal Naval dockyard on Ireland Island played a role similar to that it had during the Great
War, overseeing the formation of trans-Atlantic convoys composed of hundreds of ships. The military garrison, which
included four local territorial units, maintained a guard against potential enemy attacks on the Island itself.
In 1941, the United States signed a lend-lease agreement with the United Kingdom, giving the British surplus U.S. Navy
destroyers in exchange for 99-year lease rights to establish naval and air bases in certain British territories. Bermuda has
prospered economically since World War II, developing into a highly successful offshore financial centre. Although
tourism remains important to Bermuda's economy, it has for three decades been second to international business in terms
of economic importance to the island. Though Bermuda has been classified as a self-governed colony since 1620, internal
self-government was bolstered by the establishment of a formal constitution in 1968, and the introduction of universal
adult suffrage; debate about independence has ensued, although a 1995 independence referendum was soundly defeated.
For many, Bermudian independence would mean little other than the obligation to staff foreign missions and embassies
around the world, which would be a heavy obligation for Bermuda's small population, and the loss of British passports
(which could severely restrict travel, as few enough countries have even heard of little Bermuda, and could regard
travellers with suspicion). Effective September 1, 1995, both US military bases were closed; British and Canadian bases
on the island closed at about the same time. Unresolved issues concerning the 1995 withdrawal of US forces -- primarily
related to environmental factors -- delayed the formal return of the base lands to the Government of Bermuda. The United
States formally returned the base lands in 2002.
Source: Wikipedia History of Bermuda
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Bermuda enjoys the third highest per capita income in the world, more than 50% higher than that of the US; the
average cost of a house by the mid-2000s exceeded $1,000,000. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial
services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the
island following the 11 September 2001 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 contributing to the
expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of
its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital equipment
and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is largely focused on construction and agriculture is limited,
with only 20% of the land being arable.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Bermuda)
average cost of a house by the mid-2000s exceeded $1,000,000. Its economy is primarily based on providing financial
services for international business and luxury facilities for tourists. A number of reinsurance companies relocated to the
island following the 11 September 2001 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 contributing to the
expansion of an already robust international business sector. Bermuda's tourism industry - which derives over 80% of
its visitors from the US - continues to struggle but remains the island's number two industry. Most capital equipment
and food must be imported. Bermuda's industrial sector is largely focused on construction and agriculture is limited,
with only 20% of the land being arable.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Bermuda)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
Bermuda is the oldest self-governing British Overseas Territory and has a great degree of internal autonomy. Its
parliament held its first session in 1620, making it the third-oldest continuous parliament in the World. The possibility of
independence has relevance to newly enacted UK legislation entitling citizens of Britain's Overseas Territories, including
Bermuda, to British citizenship.
The UK's Overseas Territories Act, passed in February 2002, provides automatic acquisition of British citizenship,
including automatic transmission of citizenship to their children; the right of abode, including the right to live and work in
the UK and the European Union; the right not to exercise or to formally renounce British citizenship; and the right to use
the fast track EU/EEA channel at the airport, free of UK immigration controls. A poll conducted by the Bermuda Sun,
a local semiweekly newspaper, reveals support for British citizenship. The March 2002 poll revealed that of the 356
persons surveyed, 66.9% were interested in accepting British citizenship, and only 18% said that they would refuse it.
There are no conditions attached to the granting of British citizenship to the Overseas Territories, a fact of particular
importance to Bermuda where the issue of independence lies dormant. The white paper specifically states, "The new
grant of British citizenship will not be a barrier, therefore, to those Overseas Territories choosing to become
independent of Britain....Our Overseas Territories are British for as long as they wish to remain British. Britain has
willingly granted independence where it has been requested; and we will continue to do so where this is an option."
There is a Bermuda Independence Commission, and has published reports and papers to address issues related to
independence.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Bermuda
parliament held its first session in 1620, making it the third-oldest continuous parliament in the World. The possibility of
independence has relevance to newly enacted UK legislation entitling citizens of Britain's Overseas Territories, including
Bermuda, to British citizenship.
The UK's Overseas Territories Act, passed in February 2002, provides automatic acquisition of British citizenship,
including automatic transmission of citizenship to their children; the right of abode, including the right to live and work in
the UK and the European Union; the right not to exercise or to formally renounce British citizenship; and the right to use
the fast track EU/EEA channel at the airport, free of UK immigration controls. A poll conducted by the Bermuda Sun,
a local semiweekly newspaper, reveals support for British citizenship. The March 2002 poll revealed that of the 356
persons surveyed, 66.9% were interested in accepting British citizenship, and only 18% said that they would refuse it.
There are no conditions attached to the granting of British citizenship to the Overseas Territories, a fact of particular
importance to Bermuda where the issue of independence lies dormant. The white paper specifically states, "The new
grant of British citizenship will not be a barrier, therefore, to those Overseas Territories choosing to become
independent of Britain....Our Overseas Territories are British for as long as they wish to remain British. Britain has
willingly granted independence where it has been requested; and we will continue to do so where this is an option."
There is a Bermuda Independence Commission, and has published reports and papers to address issues related to
independence.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Bermuda
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
None reported.
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
None reported.
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
Background Note: Bermuda
July 2009
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
The Government of Bermuda has begun to pursue some international initiatives independent of the U.K. in recent years pursuant to
a General Entrustment Agreement. Bermuda signed a cultural memorandum of understanding with Cuba in 2003. The island also
joined the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as an associate member in 2003. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) provided search
and rescue assistance immediately following Hurricane Fabian in September 2003, but Bermuda declined subsequent offers of
reconstruction assistance from the U.S. and U.K., preferring to accept assistance from its Caribbean neighbors. The USCG
continues to provide search and rescue assistance as needed.
In 2009, however, the Government of Bermuda offered asylum to four former Uighur Guantanamo Bay detainees, without
consulting the U.K., on the basis that the decision was an internal immigration matter. The U.K. countered that security is a matter
for which it has jurisdiction. As a result, the U.K. is reviewing the General Entrustment Agreement.
An estimated 8,000 registered U.S. citizens live in Bermuda, many of them employed in the international business community.
There also are a large number of American businesses incorporated in Bermuda, although no actual figures are available. Despite the
trend of American businesses moving to Bermuda or other offshore jurisdictions to escape U.S. taxes, Bermuda maintains that the
island is not a "tax haven" and that it taxes both local and foreign businesses equally.
While U.S. visitors to Bermuda are critical to the island's tourism industry, the number of U.S. visitors to Bermuda is declining. In
2008 only 72% of air arrivals originated from the U.S., compared to 83.9% in 1990. The number of air and cruise passengers from
the U.S. totaled 464,000 in 2000. That number fell to 449,677 American passengers in 2008. Another 3,014 Americans sailed to the
island via private yacht in 2008.
Click here to read more »
July 2009
Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs
The Government of Bermuda has begun to pursue some international initiatives independent of the U.K. in recent years pursuant to
a General Entrustment Agreement. Bermuda signed a cultural memorandum of understanding with Cuba in 2003. The island also
joined the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as an associate member in 2003. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) provided search
and rescue assistance immediately following Hurricane Fabian in September 2003, but Bermuda declined subsequent offers of
reconstruction assistance from the U.S. and U.K., preferring to accept assistance from its Caribbean neighbors. The USCG
continues to provide search and rescue assistance as needed.
In 2009, however, the Government of Bermuda offered asylum to four former Uighur Guantanamo Bay detainees, without
consulting the U.K., on the basis that the decision was an internal immigration matter. The U.K. countered that security is a matter
for which it has jurisdiction. As a result, the U.K. is reviewing the General Entrustment Agreement.
An estimated 8,000 registered U.S. citizens live in Bermuda, many of them employed in the international business community.
There also are a large number of American businesses incorporated in Bermuda, although no actual figures are available. Despite the
trend of American businesses moving to Bermuda or other offshore jurisdictions to escape U.S. taxes, Bermuda maintains that the
island is not a "tax haven" and that it taxes both local and foreign businesses equally.
While U.S. visitors to Bermuda are critical to the island's tourism industry, the number of U.S. visitors to Bermuda is declining. In
2008 only 72% of air arrivals originated from the U.S., compared to 83.9% in 1990. The number of air and cruise passengers from
the U.S. totaled 464,000 in 2000. That number fell to 449,677 American passengers in 2008. Another 3,014 Americans sailed to the
island via private yacht in 2008.
Click here to read more »
BRIEFING FROM GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO END ALL CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN
BRIEFING FOR THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS, PRE-SESSIONAL WORKING
GROUP
19-23 May 2008
From Peter Newell, Coordinator, Global Initiative
info@endcorporalpunishment.org
UNITED KINGDOM
Corporal punishment is lawful in the home in the UK, in all of the Overseas Territories (with the possible exception of the Pitcairn
Islands) and in the Crown Dependencies. Amendments to legislation in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have
restricted the defence of “reasonable chastisement”: in Scotland by introducing the concept of “justifiable assault” of children and
defining blows to the head, shaking and use of implements as unjustifiable (Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, s51); in England,
Wales and most recently Northern Ireland by allowing use of the defence of “reasonable punishment” by parents and some other
carers charged with common assault but not by those charged with more serious assaults on children (Children Act 2004, s58;
Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, s2).
Corporal punishment is prohibited in schools in the UK. Of the Overseas Territories (OTs) covered by the ICESCR, only Pitcairn
and St Helena have prohibited corporal punishment in schools; it is prohibited in state schools only in the Falkland Islands. It is
lawful in Bermuda (under the Education Rules 1974 and the Criminal Code s266), British Virgin Islands (Education Act 2004 s55,
Criminal Code s192), Cayman Islands (Education and Training Law 2005), Gibraltar (Criminal Offences Ordinance 1984 s82) and
Montserrat (Education Act 2004 s49, Juveniles Ordinance 1982 s37, Penal Code 1983 s193). None of the Crown Dependencies
(CDs) has enacted explicit prohibition of corporal punishment applicable to all schools (public and private).
In the penal system, corporal punishment is prohibited as a sentence for crime in the UK and in all OTs and CDs, although as at
May 2006 it remained on the statute book in Guernsey. It is prohibited as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions in the UK (but
not, it recently came to light, in the “secure training centres”, where children aged between 12 and 15 are held. It is prohibited in
Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Pitcairn Islands, St Helena, Jersey and Guernsey. There is no
explicit prohibition of its use as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions in Gibraltar or Montserrat. In the Isle of Man, it is
prohibited in law as a disciplinary measure against persons aged 17 and over in prison but only as a matter of policy for young
people detained in the young person’s secure unit.
Click here to read more »
BRIEFING FOR THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS, PRE-SESSIONAL WORKING
GROUP
19-23 May 2008
From Peter Newell, Coordinator, Global Initiative
info@endcorporalpunishment.org
UNITED KINGDOM
Corporal punishment is lawful in the home in the UK, in all of the Overseas Territories (with the possible exception of the Pitcairn
Islands) and in the Crown Dependencies. Amendments to legislation in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have
restricted the defence of “reasonable chastisement”: in Scotland by introducing the concept of “justifiable assault” of children and
defining blows to the head, shaking and use of implements as unjustifiable (Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003, s51); in England,
Wales and most recently Northern Ireland by allowing use of the defence of “reasonable punishment” by parents and some other
carers charged with common assault but not by those charged with more serious assaults on children (Children Act 2004, s58;
Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, s2).
Corporal punishment is prohibited in schools in the UK. Of the Overseas Territories (OTs) covered by the ICESCR, only Pitcairn
and St Helena have prohibited corporal punishment in schools; it is prohibited in state schools only in the Falkland Islands. It is
lawful in Bermuda (under the Education Rules 1974 and the Criminal Code s266), British Virgin Islands (Education Act 2004 s55,
Criminal Code s192), Cayman Islands (Education and Training Law 2005), Gibraltar (Criminal Offences Ordinance 1984 s82) and
Montserrat (Education Act 2004 s49, Juveniles Ordinance 1982 s37, Penal Code 1983 s193). None of the Crown Dependencies
(CDs) has enacted explicit prohibition of corporal punishment applicable to all schools (public and private).
In the penal system, corporal punishment is prohibited as a sentence for crime in the UK and in all OTs and CDs, although as at
May 2006 it remained on the statute book in Guernsey. It is prohibited as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions in the UK (but
not, it recently came to light, in the “secure training centres”, where children aged between 12 and 15 are held. It is prohibited in
Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Pitcairn Islands, St Helena, Jersey and Guernsey. There is no
explicit prohibition of its use as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions in Gibraltar or Montserrat. In the Isle of Man, it is
prohibited in law as a disciplinary measure against persons aged 17 and over in prison but only as a matter of policy for young
people detained in the young person’s secure unit.
Click here to read more »
Special Report Section
Rule Of Law: Criminal Justice And Property Rights- Full Chapter
The rule of law requires that laws be adopted in accordance with established procedures, that they be made known to the public,
and that they be enforced consistently and even-handedly. The rule of law is intended to ensure that a government exercises its
authority fairly, and it is crucial to securing liberty and justice for the people of any nation.
No country is perfect in this respect, but overall and as compared to other countries, the United States conforms to the rule of law.
In America, those accused of breaking the law have the right to fair, speedy trials, and convicted criminals are protected by rules
intended to ensure that they are treated humanely. Civil courts exist to remedy breaches of administrative and civil law and to
enforce private contracts, and courts are generally considered fair and impartial (judges tend to fare better in public opinion polls
than do members of Congress). Both the federal and state constitutions protect property rights. Federal law protects women, racial
and ethnic minorities, and other historically oppressed groups from governmental discrimination and in some cases from
discrimination by private actors as well.
Criminal Justice
Incarceration. Today more than 7 out of every 1,000 residents of the United States are in jail or prison,1 giving America the highest
reported incarceration rate in the world. More than 5.6 million people in the United States, or one of every 37 residents, have spent
time behind bars.
Other countries with comparable rates of incarceration include Russia, Belarus, and Bermuda. However, some experts suggest that
actual rates of incarceration in more repressive countries are higher than reported. Cuba, for example, reports a rate of only 4 in
1,000,2 but keeps lists of prisoners secret, making this number impossible to verify. Most Western European nations report
incarceration rates of between 0.5 and 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
The rate of incarceration in the United States has risen steeply in the last 20 years, from 1.39 per 1,000 residents in 1980 to a high
of 7.35 per 1,000 residents in 2005. Critics accuse the United States of using incarceration to deal with social problems, such as
drug use, that many countries handle through treatment programs and other less drastic means. However, the U.S. system’s
defenders note that crime has declined sharply as prison sentences have increased; incarceration, they argue, is an effective way to
reduce crime.
Click here to read more »
Rule Of Law: Criminal Justice And Property Rights- Full Chapter
The rule of law requires that laws be adopted in accordance with established procedures, that they be made known to the public,
and that they be enforced consistently and even-handedly. The rule of law is intended to ensure that a government exercises its
authority fairly, and it is crucial to securing liberty and justice for the people of any nation.
No country is perfect in this respect, but overall and as compared to other countries, the United States conforms to the rule of law.
In America, those accused of breaking the law have the right to fair, speedy trials, and convicted criminals are protected by rules
intended to ensure that they are treated humanely. Civil courts exist to remedy breaches of administrative and civil law and to
enforce private contracts, and courts are generally considered fair and impartial (judges tend to fare better in public opinion polls
than do members of Congress). Both the federal and state constitutions protect property rights. Federal law protects women, racial
and ethnic minorities, and other historically oppressed groups from governmental discrimination and in some cases from
discrimination by private actors as well.
Criminal Justice
Incarceration. Today more than 7 out of every 1,000 residents of the United States are in jail or prison,1 giving America the highest
reported incarceration rate in the world. More than 5.6 million people in the United States, or one of every 37 residents, have spent
time behind bars.
Other countries with comparable rates of incarceration include Russia, Belarus, and Bermuda. However, some experts suggest that
actual rates of incarceration in more repressive countries are higher than reported. Cuba, for example, reports a rate of only 4 in
1,000,2 but keeps lists of prisoners secret, making this number impossible to verify. Most Western European nations report
incarceration rates of between 0.5 and 1.5 per 1,000 residents.
The rate of incarceration in the United States has risen steeply in the last 20 years, from 1.39 per 1,000 residents in 1980 to a high
of 7.35 per 1,000 residents in 2005. Critics accuse the United States of using incarceration to deal with social problems, such as
drug use, that many countries handle through treatment programs and other less drastic means. However, the U.S. system’s
defenders note that crime has declined sharply as prison sentences have increased; incarceration, they argue, is an effective way to
reduce crime.
Click here to read more »
16 June 2009
USA 13 Uighur detainees held at Guantánamo
Four of the Uighur detainees who had been held in the US Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, without charge or trial since
2002, were transferred to Bermuda on 11 June 2009. They have been identified by their lawyers as Huzaifa Parhat, Abdul Semet,
Abdul Nasser and Jalal Jalaladin.
Thirteen other Uighurs men remain in indefinite detention at Guantánamo more than eight months after a US federal judge ruled that
their detention was unlawful and ordered their immediate release into the USA. The US administration appealed against this order,
and the case is now pending before the Supreme Court. The administration has continued to hold the Uighur detainees, arguing that
it is for the political branches of government to decide who should be allowed into the USA.
In a statement following the transfer of the four Uighurs to Bermuda, Bermudian Premier Dr. Ewart Brown confirmed that the four
men would be granted asylum and given the opportunity to become naturalized citizens. He said that the US Government would
“bear the cost surrounding the relocation” and the Government of Bermuda would “facilitate documentation, residence and
employment.”
One of the men told the media after his release, “When we didn’t have any country to accept us, when everybody was afraid of
us…Bermuda had the courage and was brave enough to accept us.”
In reaction to the transfer, the opposition United Bermuda Party (UPB) tabled a vote of no confidence against the Bermudian
Premier. The vote is due to be held on 16 June. Although the leader of the UPB has stated that the vote is not “just about Uighurs in
Bermuda,” Amnesty International is concerned that the Uighurs are being used as political pawns, something that has also occurred
inside the USA.
The UK government has also criticized the government of Bermuda on its decision to accept the men without first consulting the
government of the United Kingdom. Bermuda is an overseas territory of the UK, administered by a Governor appointed by the
Queen on the recommendation of the UK government. Amnesty International understands that the Bermudian government’s
acceptance of the four men is currently subject to a security assessment by UK authorities before the transfer can become
permanent.
Click here to read more »
USA 13 Uighur detainees held at Guantánamo
Four of the Uighur detainees who had been held in the US Naval Base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, without charge or trial since
2002, were transferred to Bermuda on 11 June 2009. They have been identified by their lawyers as Huzaifa Parhat, Abdul Semet,
Abdul Nasser and Jalal Jalaladin.
Thirteen other Uighurs men remain in indefinite detention at Guantánamo more than eight months after a US federal judge ruled that
their detention was unlawful and ordered their immediate release into the USA. The US administration appealed against this order,
and the case is now pending before the Supreme Court. The administration has continued to hold the Uighur detainees, arguing that
it is for the political branches of government to decide who should be allowed into the USA.
In a statement following the transfer of the four Uighurs to Bermuda, Bermudian Premier Dr. Ewart Brown confirmed that the four
men would be granted asylum and given the opportunity to become naturalized citizens. He said that the US Government would
“bear the cost surrounding the relocation” and the Government of Bermuda would “facilitate documentation, residence and
employment.”
One of the men told the media after his release, “When we didn’t have any country to accept us, when everybody was afraid of
us…Bermuda had the courage and was brave enough to accept us.”
In reaction to the transfer, the opposition United Bermuda Party (UPB) tabled a vote of no confidence against the Bermudian
Premier. The vote is due to be held on 16 June. Although the leader of the UPB has stated that the vote is not “just about Uighurs in
Bermuda,” Amnesty International is concerned that the Uighurs are being used as political pawns, something that has also occurred
inside the USA.
The UK government has also criticized the government of Bermuda on its decision to accept the men without first consulting the
government of the United Kingdom. Bermuda is an overseas territory of the UK, administered by a Governor appointed by the
Queen on the recommendation of the UK government. Amnesty International understands that the Bermudian government’s
acceptance of the four men is currently subject to a security assessment by UK authorities before the transfer can become
permanent.
Click here to read more »
EU: Follow Swiss Example of Accepting Guantanamo Detainees
Switzerland’s Decision to Resettle Two Uighurs Will Help Close US Prison
February 3, 2010
(Washington, DC) - Switzerland's decision to accept for resettlement two Uighur detainees who have been wrongfully detained at
Guantanamo for more than eight years is a significant contribution toward closing the prison, Human Rights Watch said today.
Swiss authorities announced today that they would resettle two of the seven remaining Uighurs at Guantanamo on humanitarian
grounds. The announcement comes just a week after Switzerland agreed to resettle an Uzbek detainee from Guantanamo.
"Switzerland should be commended for its humanitarian action," said Andrea Prasow, senior counterterrorism counsel at Human
Rights Watch. "By agreeing to resettle three Guantanamo detainees, the Swiss are making a major contribution to shuttering
Guantanamo."
Several other European countries, including Albania, Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Slovakia, have
accepted Guantanamo detainees.
The two Uighur detainees, whose names have not been released, are members of an oppressed Turkic minority from western China
who have been cleared for transfer or release from Guantanamo for years, but cannot return home due to credible fears of
persecution or ill-treatment there.
Twenty-two Uighurs were originally detained at Guantanamo. They had reportedly been living together in a Uighur camp in
Afghanistan when the US-led coalition bombing campaign began in October 2001, and a group of them fled into the mountains.
Arab travelers promised to take them to a safe house in Pakistan, but instead turned them over to Pakistani authorities who, in turn,
handed them over to the United States - reportedly for large bounties.
The United States cleared most of the Uighurs for release from Guantanamo in 2004, and has been looking for countries to resettle
them ever since. In 2006, Albania resettled five of them, and in 2009, Bermuda four and Palau six.
Click here to read more »
Switzerland’s Decision to Resettle Two Uighurs Will Help Close US Prison
February 3, 2010
(Washington, DC) - Switzerland's decision to accept for resettlement two Uighur detainees who have been wrongfully detained at
Guantanamo for more than eight years is a significant contribution toward closing the prison, Human Rights Watch said today.
Swiss authorities announced today that they would resettle two of the seven remaining Uighurs at Guantanamo on humanitarian
grounds. The announcement comes just a week after Switzerland agreed to resettle an Uzbek detainee from Guantanamo.
"Switzerland should be commended for its humanitarian action," said Andrea Prasow, senior counterterrorism counsel at Human
Rights Watch. "By agreeing to resettle three Guantanamo detainees, the Swiss are making a major contribution to shuttering
Guantanamo."
Several other European countries, including Albania, Belgium, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, and Slovakia, have
accepted Guantanamo detainees.
The two Uighur detainees, whose names have not been released, are members of an oppressed Turkic minority from western China
who have been cleared for transfer or release from Guantanamo for years, but cannot return home due to credible fears of
persecution or ill-treatment there.
Twenty-two Uighurs were originally detained at Guantanamo. They had reportedly been living together in a Uighur camp in
Afghanistan when the US-led coalition bombing campaign began in October 2001, and a group of them fled into the mountains.
Arab travelers promised to take them to a safe house in Pakistan, but instead turned them over to Pakistani authorities who, in turn,
handed them over to the United States - reportedly for large bounties.
The United States cleared most of the Uighurs for release from Guantanamo in 2004, and has been looking for countries to resettle
them ever since. In 2006, Albania resettled five of them, and in 2009, Bermuda four and Palau six.
Click here to read more »
INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
COMMEMORATION 2010
March 16th, 2010
The Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation and The Commission for Unity and Racial Equality invites the public to attend the
upcoming commemorative ceremony to honour the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 19th March,
2010 from 12:30 – 1:30pm at the Bermuda National Gallery, City Hall, Hamilton.
The Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation, the Hon. D. Neletha I. Butterfield, MBE, JP, MP will be in attendance to read and
sign the Day‟s Proclamation. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of the “Treasuring your past is the key to your future”
Community Treasure Hunt.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police
opened fire and killed 69 people in Sharpeville, South Africa. The victims were peacefully protesting against the apartheid „pass laws
‟.
In 1966 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March, the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre, as the
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This day is commemorated world wide with the expectation that
each respective country will embrace and acknowledge their unique struggle for fundamental human rights and racial equality in
their communities and redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
CURE is honoured to commemorate this day by heightening awareness of Bermuda‟s commitment to promoting good relations
between racial groups in practical and progressive ways, working towards the elimination of racial discrimination and institutional
racial discrimination in Bermuda. The commemoration invites individuals and the country as a whole to learn more about and to
contribute to progress in race relations.
This is a free event and refreshments will be available.
Click here to read more »
COMMEMORATION 2010
March 16th, 2010
The Ministry of Culture and Social Rehabilitation and The Commission for Unity and Racial Equality invites the public to attend the
upcoming commemorative ceremony to honour the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 19th March,
2010 from 12:30 – 1:30pm at the Bermuda National Gallery, City Hall, Hamilton.
The Minister of Culture and Social Rehabilitation, the Hon. D. Neletha I. Butterfield, MBE, JP, MP will be in attendance to read and
sign the Day‟s Proclamation. Prizes will be awarded to the winners of the “Treasuring your past is the key to your future”
Community Treasure Hunt.
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police
opened fire and killed 69 people in Sharpeville, South Africa. The victims were peacefully protesting against the apartheid „pass laws
‟.
In 1966 the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March, the anniversary of the Sharpeville massacre, as the
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This day is commemorated world wide with the expectation that
each respective country will embrace and acknowledge their unique struggle for fundamental human rights and racial equality in
their communities and redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
CURE is honoured to commemorate this day by heightening awareness of Bermuda‟s commitment to promoting good relations
between racial groups in practical and progressive ways, working towards the elimination of racial discrimination and institutional
racial discrimination in Bermuda. The commemoration invites individuals and the country as a whole to learn more about and to
contribute to progress in race relations.
This is a free event and refreshments will be available.
Click here to read more »
Human Rights Commission: Somerset Roadshow
June 25, 2010
The Human Rights Commission [HRC] is putting on a series of ‘roadshows’ intended to educate the public and share information
on how to deal with matters affecting Human Rights and real or perceived discrimination. About forty persons attended this first
‘roadshow’ held at St James Hall in Somerset yesterday [June 24]. Lisa Currin, Shade Subair, Carlton Crockwell represented the
HRC and lawyer Leopold Mills acted as moderator.
Following a short overview presentation by Ms Currin, Executive director of the HRC, questions flowed and the panel sought to
supply answers. Ms Currin’s HRC overview set out that a very simple explanation of discrimination was “treating someone less
favourably (or more favourably) than the way others were generally treated.”
Shade Subair, pointed out that discrimination was allowed in specific circumstances such as a situation where a person with a
criminal record, but who satisfied other criteria, could be refused employment if the nature of his or her past criminal behavior
conflicted with the specific needs and requirements of the workplace and the employer. She explained further, that this would mean
that a convicted and then incarcerated and now freed person could be refused employment in – for instance – a child care situation
if he or she had been convicted of child molestation or a similar offence.
The overview reminded that complaints should normally be laid within six months of the incident having taken place; but that the
HRC could still entertain complaints that were up to two years old. The overview also indicated that the HRC can initiate its own
complaints if it finds reason to do so.
A questioner asked if it was unlawful and discriminatory to advertise for and specify a mature female to take the job of caregiver to
a female senior. Shade Subair replied that the Act allowed for ‘bona fide’ specifications or requirements. The test would be whether
or not the restrictions were bona fide.
Other questioners asked about matters to do with overtime pay, equal pay, and landlord and tenant relationships. Ms Subair re-
directed these questioners to the Employment Act and the Landlord & Tenant Act; pointing out that the Human Rights Act covered
the specifics of nationality, race, gender, political views, religious beliefs, etc….
This HRC roadshow will continue and the presentation will be repeated in the central and eastern parishes. Times will be announced
later. The Human Rights Commission can be found on the third floor of the Mechanics Building on Church Street in Hamilton. It is
directly across from the City Hall car park.
Click here to read more>>
June 25, 2010
The Human Rights Commission [HRC] is putting on a series of ‘roadshows’ intended to educate the public and share information
on how to deal with matters affecting Human Rights and real or perceived discrimination. About forty persons attended this first
‘roadshow’ held at St James Hall in Somerset yesterday [June 24]. Lisa Currin, Shade Subair, Carlton Crockwell represented the
HRC and lawyer Leopold Mills acted as moderator.
Following a short overview presentation by Ms Currin, Executive director of the HRC, questions flowed and the panel sought to
supply answers. Ms Currin’s HRC overview set out that a very simple explanation of discrimination was “treating someone less
favourably (or more favourably) than the way others were generally treated.”
Shade Subair, pointed out that discrimination was allowed in specific circumstances such as a situation where a person with a
criminal record, but who satisfied other criteria, could be refused employment if the nature of his or her past criminal behavior
conflicted with the specific needs and requirements of the workplace and the employer. She explained further, that this would mean
that a convicted and then incarcerated and now freed person could be refused employment in – for instance – a child care situation
if he or she had been convicted of child molestation or a similar offence.
The overview reminded that complaints should normally be laid within six months of the incident having taken place; but that the
HRC could still entertain complaints that were up to two years old. The overview also indicated that the HRC can initiate its own
complaints if it finds reason to do so.
A questioner asked if it was unlawful and discriminatory to advertise for and specify a mature female to take the job of caregiver to
a female senior. Shade Subair replied that the Act allowed for ‘bona fide’ specifications or requirements. The test would be whether
or not the restrictions were bona fide.
Other questioners asked about matters to do with overtime pay, equal pay, and landlord and tenant relationships. Ms Subair re-
directed these questioners to the Employment Act and the Landlord & Tenant Act; pointing out that the Human Rights Act covered
the specifics of nationality, race, gender, political views, religious beliefs, etc….
This HRC roadshow will continue and the presentation will be repeated in the central and eastern parishes. Times will be announced
later. The Human Rights Commission can be found on the third floor of the Mechanics Building on Church Street in Hamilton. It is
directly across from the City Hall car park.
Click here to read more>>
The Bermuda Sun
11th August, 2010
Bermuda's Ombudsman celebrates five years of defending islanders' rights
The offices of Bermuda’s Ombudsman are a bit like the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency — filled with cheerful but tenacious
women working cases and chasing down the truth.
It does not seem like the most glamorous post — wading through a vat of bureaucracy to report on Government maladministration.
Glamorous
Even the title Ombudsman sounds archaic and a touch off-putting.
But Arlene Brock and her team are celebrating five years of standing up for the everyman.
In other countries, the post has a more glamorous title — ‘defender of the people’.
That is how Ms Brock defines her role — standing up for the rights of individuals at risk of being trampled on by those in authority.
The role, the brainchild of Jennifer Smith’s administration, does not receive much publicity.
But it has been an important step forward for human rights in Bermuda.
Protocol prevents the Ombudsman from disclosing details of her investigations while they are ongoing.
But she sat down with the Bermuda Sun to look back on some of the most interesting cases of the first five years.
Allegations
They include a devastated widow who could not get her husband’s death certificate after he was murdered in Sudan, a probe into
allegations of racial discrimination at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and a contractor’s battle to be paid $54,000 for work
carried out for Government.
From the case files of Ombudsman Arlene Brock
The Ombudsman and the case of the hurricane-damaged home
A mystery telephone number scrawled on a yellow post-it note was the key to solving the case of the hurricane-damaged home.
A disgruntled tenant had been battling with the Bermuda Housing Corporation over thousands of dollars of rent she felt she had
been unfairly charged in the aftermath of Hurricane Fabian.
The tenant, Mrs. X, claimed she was forced to live in an apartment with tarpaulin over the roof before finally being moved.
Complaint
She complained her new apartment was substandard and was moved again before finally taking refuge with friends. She had been
told she would be moved back into her home as soon as the refurbishments were done.
Two years later, she saw the keys to her now refurbished home being handed to another tenant in a television news feature and
launched an official complaint.
The BHC dismissed her accusations, saying she was in arrears for $1,702 and had been removed from their renters’ list. That’s
when the Ombudsman stepped in.
Mrs. X argued the BHC actually owed her money for the two months rent she had been charged during Fabian. A clause in the
lease states that tenants are entitled to rent relief if the property is uninhabitable.
Click here to read more »
11th August, 2010
Bermuda's Ombudsman celebrates five years of defending islanders' rights
The offices of Bermuda’s Ombudsman are a bit like the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency — filled with cheerful but tenacious
women working cases and chasing down the truth.
It does not seem like the most glamorous post — wading through a vat of bureaucracy to report on Government maladministration.
Glamorous
Even the title Ombudsman sounds archaic and a touch off-putting.
But Arlene Brock and her team are celebrating five years of standing up for the everyman.
In other countries, the post has a more glamorous title — ‘defender of the people’.
That is how Ms Brock defines her role — standing up for the rights of individuals at risk of being trampled on by those in authority.
The role, the brainchild of Jennifer Smith’s administration, does not receive much publicity.
But it has been an important step forward for human rights in Bermuda.
Protocol prevents the Ombudsman from disclosing details of her investigations while they are ongoing.
But she sat down with the Bermuda Sun to look back on some of the most interesting cases of the first five years.
Allegations
They include a devastated widow who could not get her husband’s death certificate after he was murdered in Sudan, a probe into
allegations of racial discrimination at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and a contractor’s battle to be paid $54,000 for work
carried out for Government.
From the case files of Ombudsman Arlene Brock
The Ombudsman and the case of the hurricane-damaged home
A mystery telephone number scrawled on a yellow post-it note was the key to solving the case of the hurricane-damaged home.
A disgruntled tenant had been battling with the Bermuda Housing Corporation over thousands of dollars of rent she felt she had
been unfairly charged in the aftermath of Hurricane Fabian.
The tenant, Mrs. X, claimed she was forced to live in an apartment with tarpaulin over the roof before finally being moved.
Complaint
She complained her new apartment was substandard and was moved again before finally taking refuge with friends. She had been
told she would be moved back into her home as soon as the refurbishments were done.
Two years later, she saw the keys to her now refurbished home being handed to another tenant in a television news feature and
launched an official complaint.
The BHC dismissed her accusations, saying she was in arrears for $1,702 and had been removed from their renters’ list. That’s
when the Ombudsman stepped in.
Mrs. X argued the BHC actually owed her money for the two months rent she had been charged during Fabian. A clause in the
lease states that tenants are entitled to rent relief if the property is uninhabitable.
Click here to read more »
Represented by
Sir Richard Gozney
Governor since 12 December 2007
Sir Richard Gozney
Governor since 12 December 2007
| Click map for larger view |
| Click flag for Country Report |
Paula Cox
Deputy Premier since 30 October 2006
Deputy Premier since 30 October 2006
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
None reported.
