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HRC Submits First Report.

Published 11th May 2006, 4:09pm

The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee reached a significant point in its short history last week when it submitted its first conclusive report relating to a case.

The completion of this investigation was welcomed by the Committee, upon which sit representatives of various sections of Cayman’s society, including the legal profession. Hon. Alden McLaughlin, JP, Chair of the Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee, said, “It proves the robustness of the principles and procedures which were adopted following the Committee’s conception, and represents the first fruits of a great deal of hard work and commitment.”

Deputy Chair of the Human Rights Committee, Mr. Vaughan Carter, is confident that the Committee has now proven that it is up to the task, adding, “I believe we have set a precedent for the way in which future cases will be handled, and in doing so we have demonstrated the potential value of the Committee to Cayman’s society.”

The Committee was appointed at the end of 2005 to provide a vehicle for the promotion of Human Rights in the Cayman Islands and a focal point for Human Rights concerns. This was deemed necessary not only to deliver a vital public service, which was previously unavailable, but also to enhance the credibility of the Cayman Islands on the world stage through increased local awareness of international human rights that have been extended to the Cayman Islands. These international treaties, some of which were first extended to these islands in the 1950’s, have been utilised in the framework for the Committee’s evaluation of complaints.

Mr. Carter explained that the recently concluded case, that of Dr. Luarca, proved to be a particularly rigorous test of the Human Rights Committee’s procedural protocol. He noted that the case was, “Unusual in the high number of allegations made by the complainant; the timeframe over which the complaints spanned; and the urgency brought about by the complainant’s hunger-strike.” He added that, “The case tested the full range of tools at the Committee’s disposal in its conceptualization, investigation and appraisal.”

Dr. Luarca’s case was afforded considerable exposure in local media as a result of his hunger-strike in protest against, what he claimed to be, violations of human rights of which he had been a victim. Among his grievances, the complainant, a Cuban national who was granted political asylum in the Cayman Islands in 1994, alleged that whilst seeking employment he had been discriminated against in relation to his Cuban medical qualifications and refugee status in the Cayman Islands.

In February the case was formally brought to the Human Rights Committee who, upon receiving the complaints, later engaged in a thorough investigation. The complainant subsequently met with members of the Committee on numerous occasions, whilst the Committee sought to gather information and advice from a variety of relevant sources. The case concluded last week with the Final Report detailing the case history, the investigation, and the Committee’s conclusions. The report is available on the Human Rights section of the Government Website (www.gov.ky), under the ‘More About Government’ link on the home page.

It was deemed by the Committee that Dr. Luarca’s case raised important human rights issues generally and provided valuable insight for similar cases. It is hoped that with each subsequent case the Committee’s conclusions will help raise awareness in the public domain of the value of human rights and the benefits of protecting them, and contribute to an enlightened and harmonious social conscience in the Cayman Islands.

The Human Rights Committee can be contacted by email at humanrights@gov.ky.

For further information contact: Human Rights Committee

 The Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee reached a significant point in its short history last week when it submitted its first conclusive report relating to a case. The completion of this investigation was welcomed by the Committee, upon which sit representatives of various sections of Cayman’s society, including the legal profession. Hon. Alden McLaughlin, JP, Chair of the Cayman Islands Human Rights Committee, said, “It proves the robustness of the principles and procedures which were adopted following the Committee’s conception, and represents the first fruits of a great deal of hard work and commitment.” Deputy Chair of the Human Rights Committee, Mr. Vaughan Carter, is confident that the Committee has now proven that it is up to the task, adding, “I believe we have set a precedent for the way in which future cases will be handled, and in doing so we have demonstrated the potential value of the Committee to Cayman’s society.” The Committee was appointed at the end of 2005 to provide a vehicle for the promotion of Human Rights in the Cayman Islands and a focal point for Human Rights concerns. This was deemed necessary not only to deliver a vital public service, which was previously unavailable, but also to enhance the credibility of the Cayman Islands on the world stage through increased local awareness of international human rights that have been extended to the Cayman Islands. These international treaties, some of which were first extended to these islands in the 1950’s, have been utilised in the framework for the Committee’s evaluation of complaints. Mr. Carter explained that the recently concluded case, that of Dr. Luarca, proved to be a particularly rigorous test of the Human Rights Committee’s procedural protocol. He noted that the case was, “Unusual in the high number of allegations made by the complainant; the timeframe over which the complaints spanned; and the urgency brought about by the complainant’s hunger-strike.” He added that, “The case tested the full range of tools at the Committee’s disposal in its conceptualization, investigation and appraisal.” Dr. Luarca’s case was afforded considerable exposure in local media as a result of his hunger-strike in protest against, what he claimed to be, violations of human rights of which he had been a victim. Among his grievances, the complainant, a Cuban national who was granted political asylum in the Cayman Islands in 1994, alleged that whilst seeking employment he had been discriminated against in relation to his Cuban medical qualifications and refugee status in the Cayman Islands. In February the case was formally brought to the Human Rights Committee who, upon receiving the complaints, later engaged in a thorough investigation. The complainant subsequently met with members of the Committee on numerous occasions, whilst the Committee sought to gather information and advice from a variety of relevant sources. The case concluded last week with the Final Report detailing the case history, the investigation, and the Committee’s conclusions. The report is available on the Human Rights section of the Government Website (www.gov.ky), under the ‘More About Government’ link on the home page. It was deemed by the Committee that Dr. Luarca’s case raised important human rights issues generally and provided valuable insight for similar cases. It is hoped that with each subsequent case the Committee’s conclusions will help raise awareness in the public domain of the value of human rights and the benefits of protecting them, and contribute to an enlightened and harmonious social conscience in the Cayman Islands. The Human Rights Committee can be contacted by email at humanrights@gov.ky.