The Cayman Islands Government is moving to modernise and strengthen whistleblower protections, with Premier and Minister for Financial Services and Commerce André Ebanks bringing a Government Motion before Parliament.

The proposal seeks support for work to update the Whistleblower Protection Act, 2015, as the government reviews the legal framework surrounding people who report suspected wrongdoing or misconduct. The motion was included in the parliamentary agenda ahead of the September 30 sitting.

The initiative forms part of the government’s wider programme concerning public-sector accountability, transparency and governance. Parliament’s latest sitting on September 30 included reports from several government bodies, including the Office of the Ombudsman and the Parliament Management Commission.

The government has also been advancing other institutional reforms. In September, it announced the Strategic Taskforce for Action, Reform and Transformation (START), chaired by Hector Robinson KC, to oversee planning and environmental reform recommendations developed through the Cayman Forward initiative.

Further details on proposed amendments to the whistleblower framework are expected as the government develops the policy and legislative changes.

The initiative puts whistleblower protections and government accountability on the Cayman Islands' current parliamentary reform agenda.