Mandatory registration elements removed from the legislation

Durrant Pate/Contributor

The Cayman parliament has passed the Identification Register Bill and the  Identification Card Bill after mandatory registration elements were removed.

This is similar to what was done in Jamaica regarding the revised National Identification and Registration Act (NIDS), where the mandatory element was removed paving the way for the law to be passed having been struck down by the Supreme Court on April 20, 2019, as unconstitutional.

Cayman News Service reports that all opposition members of parliament voted against the legislation with a view to delay the process, despite the previous administration beginning it. With the law now being passed, Cayman will now begin the creation of a digital register while continuing to raise public awareness of the national identity system.

During the parliamentary debate on the bills, Premier Wayne Panton rejected the Opposition’s request to withdraw the bills to allow further public consultation, saying they will not come into effect until later in 2023, contending that there would be no point in a delay.

Many Caymanian without ID

Deputy Governor Franz Manderson is pointing to the fact that a surprisingly large number of locals do not possess a valid form of identification adding that he was only recently made aware of this. He acknowledged that that some people cannot afford a passport or even the fee for the police clearance certificate, the first step for processes such as job applications and opening a bank account.

When eventually issued, the ID cards will be free the first time. The centralised identification and registration scheme is projected to cost around CI$8 million (US$9.6 million) or US$150 per person over the first five years if everyone voluntarily enrolls.

It is open to minors and registrars will be able to enter a child without a birth certificate. Users will have control over whether they have the ID, what fields they fill in, such as including a photograph or parents’ ID numbers, and any access to information on their profile will be time stamped.

The physical card is contactless and the digital identity will allow online identity verification. Unauthorized collection of identification information could lead to a CI$20,000 fine, as would attempting to access the register.

Cayman, which is a British Overseas Territory, has a population of around 64,000 people and is home to 65,000 companies, as a major offshore financial centre.

Residents are heavily outnumbered by more than two million tourist arrivals each year.