BVI, UK expected to agree on ‘many’ issues during constitutional talks

The BVI and the United Kingdom are expected to find common ground on ‘many’ issues during the upcoming constitutional negotiations, according to attorney Maya Barry, a member of the territory’s 2022 Constitutional Review Commission (CRC).

Speaking recently during the Virgin Gorda leg of public engagement sessions on constitutional negotiations, Barry said the territory had reached a major milestone after the House of Assembly report was formally submitted to the UK.

“The report has now been formally sent to the United Kingdom, and that represents the official negotiating position,” Barry explained.

She said the next stage will see the BVI’s constitutional negotiating team engage directly with UK officials, with the first round of talks expected to take place in the Virgin Islands. While dates have not yet been announced, Barry indicated that negotiators are optimistic about reaching an agreement on many of the issues under discussion.

“We expect that we will be able to reach consensus on many of the issues that will arise for negotiations,” she said. Barry noted that any unresolved matters would likely be addressed during subsequent meetings in the United Kingdom before a final constitutional text is agreed. The belief that the UK and the BVI will agree on many issues has also been expressed by Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley.

While it remains unclear where major disagreements may emerge between the UK and the BVI, residents will be eyeing several areas that have long concerned elected leaders and residents. These include several proposals to further reduce the powers of the Governor and strengthen local control over the territory’s internal affairs.

In the meantime, Barry said once negotiators reach an agreement on the constitutional text, the document will return to the House of Assembly for formal approval. An Order in Council containing the new Constitution would then be drafted and submitted to the Privy Council, which advises King Charles III.

Following royal assent, the new Constitution would come into force on a date agreed by both parties, officially replacing the territory’s current constitutional framework. Barry described the negotiations as the culmination of years of work, saying the process is now entering its final phase after extensive consultation and review.