A new law has been passed to correct errors in statutes and regulations discovered during Anguilla’s 2022 law revision.
The Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2024, rectifies erroneous cross-references, and adds definitions to clarify the meaning of undefined terms.
It also reinstates legislation that was inadvertently repealed, repeals spent legislation and improves the readability of “unduly complex provisions”.
During a sitting on 23 July, members of the Anguilla House of Assembly voted unanimously in favour of the bill.
Moving the bill, Acting Attorney General Dawne Richardson said the law represents the final step in the law revision exercise which began two years ago and aimed to consolidate eight years of laws.
She described it as “a very long winded and tedious exercise under the auspices of the Attorney General’s Chambers, and the regional arbitration centre”.
Richardson usually works as chief parliamentary counsel so was “intimately involved” in driving the process, she said as she thanked all of those involved in bringing it to fruition.
Rising in support of the bill, opposition leader Cora Richardson-Hodge asked the acting attorney general if the revisions would be incorporated into the original laws.
She replied that they would, as of 31 July when the law will be enforced, and the amendment law will “technically fall away”.
Local attorney general
Premier Ellis Webster then commended the past attorney general Dwight Horsford for the hard work he and his team put into the bill and said he “wholeheartedly” supports it.
Hadyn Hughes, Minister of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing and Tourism, said said with his departure, the island needs a new attorney general from the Caribbean region, if not Anguilla.
“We have never in our history had a local attorney general, and to my mind, we need to graduate towards that as soon as possible,” he said.
Kenneth Hodge, Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Labour, Constitutional Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Lands and Physical Planning, also rose to support the bill.
“It just underscores the difficult tasks that the Attorney General’s Chambers has to grapple with on a daily basis in terms of the sheer myriad of legislation that they are working on,” he said.
He agreed with Hughes on the need for a Caribbean-based attorney general “who can bring to the post that understanding of the Caribbean culture” and local norms and values.
The bill passed through the second reading, committee without amendments, and third reading before being passed into law.
The law makes amendments to the Business Companies Act, Anguilla Economic Residence Act, Child Justice Act, Child Protection Act, Commercial Registry and Beneficial Ownership Registration System Act, Financial Services Commission Act, Goods and Services Tax Act, and Magistrate’s Code of Procedure Act.
It also amends the Health Services Fees and Charges Regulations, and International Tax Compliance Regulations, and it repeals the spent Business Licences Moratorium Act.
