May 12, 2025

The FIA contributed significantly
to domestic and international financial intelligence efforts. Key achievements included
• contributions to the national money laundering, terrorist financing, proliferation financing
and legal persons and arrangements risk as-sessments ; • ongoing participation in national anti-money
laundering committee, working groups and
other c ross-agency initiatives ;
• attendance at the July 2024 Egmont [Group]
Plenary and January 2025 working group
sessions ; and
• attendance at the Caribbean Financial Action
Task Force Plenary and working group meetings in June 2024 and December 2024.

Statistics

In 2024, the reporting entities
continue to file suspicious activity reports and suspi-cious transaction reports to the F IA. This year, the
agency received a total of 870 SAR and STR reports.
Throughout 2024, the FIA conducted analysis
and issued disclosures to local law enforcement competent authorities and overseas f inancial intelligence
units. In support of this work, the agency issued 56
information requests to Egmont Group FIUs [ Financial
Intelligence Units] and one to a local counterpart. Additionally, using its authority under section 16 of the Financial Intelligence Agency Act [2007] , the F IA issued 143 requests to 10 different reporting entities.
As a result of these inquiries, the F IA has disclosed 215 reports to local law enforcement, local competent authorities and overseas financial intelligence units utilising 365 suspicious activity reports
and suspicious transaction reports. This breaks down
to 124 disclosures disseminated locally and 91 disclo-sures to foreign financial intelligence units.
Also, so far in 2025, the FIA received a total of
75 income requests for information —that is 56 from
local counterparts and 19 from foreign financial intelli-gence units. Looking ahead for the 2025/ 26 fiscal
year, the increased grant will be strategically used to
strengthen the F IA's operational capacity and effectiveness. Key investments will include the recruitment
of additional analysts and support staff, upgrades to
the goAML platform and IT infrastructure and enhanced training both in person and virtual , focus ed on
high-risk and emerging areas such as digital assets
and AI.
The FIA will also establish a dedicated strategic analysis workflow to support policy reform and expand stakeholder engagement through public -private
partnerships and targeted outreach to improve the
quality and compliance of suspicious activity and
transaction reports.
In conclusion, the F IA remains steadfast in
delivering its mandate. The role that they play is invaluable as they continue to combat financial crimes and
protect our community. I extend gratitude to the board
and staff at the F IA for their tireless efforts.

And just to use that as a segue , the
Honourable Member , Junior Minister Lister has just
finished presenting on H ead 87. He will be going on to


Bermuda House of Assembly Head 3 under the Judicial Department. We do have in
the Chamber the A ttorney General and our supporting
technical officers. And Junior Minister Lister, you have
the floor.

Mr. Chairman, the subjective
analysis of current account estimates of the Ministry of
Justice Headquarters 2025/26 is found on page B -80.
I will highlight the material object code increases and decreases. Salaries decrease by
$609,000 primarily due to salary adjustments offset by the transfer of eight positions to another Ministry. Advertising and promotion expenses have decreased by
$38,000 as these costs were previously associated
with Consumer Affairs. With the transfer of Consumer Affairs to another Ministry, this expenditure is no longer required.
Professional services increased by $890,000,
largely driven by higher legal and consultancy fees.
While rental expenses increased for Legal Aid, the net
effect was a decrease of $24,000 due to the transfer
of Consumer Affairs rental obligations to another Min-istry.
Other expenses rose by $251,000 due to the
introduction of funding for two new boards and addi-tional support for an existing board. Finally, there was
a $500,000 increase in grant funding provided.

Capital Expenditure

Mr. Chairman, the budget allocation for capital expenditure is found at page C -10, of
the Estimates of R evenue and E xpenditure.
The Ministry of Justice Headquarters has
been allocated a total of $29,000 for fiscal year 2025 /26. This funding will be utilised to acquire new
office furniture as the existing items are fully depreci-ated and have no remaining residual value.
Manpower , business unit 97000. Administration has four staff which will consist of an executive
assistant, administrative assistant, policy analyst and
a comptroller.
Business unit 97030, Legal Aid has 10 staff,
which will consist of a s enior legal aid counsel, two
Legal Aid counsels , administrative assistant , paralegal, executive assistant, administrative assistant , accounts officer and two pupils .
Business unit 97060, Treatment of O ffenders
Board has one staff which will consist of an administrative assistant.
Business unit 97080 , Financial Sanctions Implementation Unit has two staff which consists of a
head of financial sanctions and a legal counsel. Business unit 97100, Law Reform Commission has one staff which consists of a law reform policy and s trategy counsel.
Mr. Chair man, this budget reflects a targeted
investment in strengthening justice delivery and upholding the rule of law in Bermuda. It is aligned with
national priorities and through this allocation, t he Ministry will continue to drive accountability by delivering
measurable and impactful performance outcome.
This ends my presentation on H ead 87, Ministry of Justice.

HEAD 3 —JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

I will now move on to H ead 3,
the Judicial Department, which can be found on pages B-83 to B -90 of the B udget Book.
Mr. Chair man, the Judiciary is established by
the Constitution as a separate and independent
branch of government. Its task is to adjudicate charges of criminal conduct, resolve disputes, uphold the
rights and freedoms of the individual, and preserve
the rule of law.
The mandate of the J udiciary is To administer
justice through the effective management of the courts
of Bermuda. The mandate of the administrative arm of
the Judiciary, the Judiciary Department , is To provide
the services and support necessary to enable the ju-diciary to achieve its mission.

Manpower

The judicial system is comprised of three levels of court : the Magistrates ’ Court
(consisting of Criminal, Civil and F amily Courts ), the
Supreme Court ( consisting of C riminal , Civil and
Commercial , Appellant, Family , Matrimonial and Probate jurisdictions ), and the Court of Appeal . Ancillary
service s offered under the umbrella of judicial system
include Bailiff services. The Honourable Chief Justice
is the head of the Judiciary. The Registrar is the head
of the Judicial Department.
Collectively, the J udiciary and the Judicial
Department have a staffing complement of 70 officers, two of whom require a work permit (Puisne J udges ),
55 (or 79 per cent) of posts are filled substantively ,
seven (or 10 per cent) are filled by temporary relief
employees , and eight ( or 11 per cent) are currently
vacant.

Expenditure Overview : Capital Expenditure

The capital expenditure estimates for 2025/26 are found on page C -10 of the Approved Estimates of R evenue Expenditure Budget
Book. The Judicial Department has been allocated a
total of $1 million for fiscal year 2025 /26 for the replacement of its outdated case management system, JEMS. With the procurement process well underway,
386 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly the department is hopeful that the implementation of a
new case management system will be imminent.
The implementation of this system is expected
to catapult the J udiciary into the 21st century, affording
both the J udiciary and the d epartment the ability to
deliver more efficient, modernised services. In addition, $18,000 has been allocated for computer equipment. Original estimates for 2024/ 25 [was] $800,000
and the estimates for 2025/ 26, again , $800,000.

Current Account Expenditure

The current account estimates
for Head 3, the Judicial Department begin on page B -
84 of the Budget Book.
A total of $10,334,000 has been allocated to
Head 3 within the Ministry of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Reform. This amount represents a $783,000
or 8 per cent increase from the 2024/25 fiscal year.
Additional funding that has been allocated to the department primarily reflects salary increases following negotiations with the BPSU. These salary increases
account for a total of $729,000 of the additional funding allocated to the department. Additional funding
has been allocated to cover fees payable for legal
services. This includes fees payable to the Assistant
Justices who have been appointed to hear matters in
the Supreme Court, and fees payable to local law
firms who have been instructed to represent members
of the judiciary.
Lastly, additional funding has been allocated
to cover increased fees for services that the department is legislatively mandated to cover. This includes
the cost for autopsy reports and the fees for transcription services.
Original estimates [for] 2024/ 25 [was]
$9,551,000. Estimates for 20 25/26 [is] $10,334,000,
an increase of $783,000 or 8 per cent .

Performance Measures by Business Unit

Original estimates for 20 24/25
[was] $1,024,000. Estimates for 2025/26 [is] $1,184,000, an increase of $160,000 or 16 per cent .
This cost centre provides for the salaries and operational expenses for the administration of the Supreme
Court Registry, for which there are 10 posts, including
the assistant registr ar, Supreme Court manager, accounts personnel and administrative officers.
The increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries and the cost of literary subscriptions
required for the J udiciary to perform their judicial functions.

Court Rooms and C hambers , 13015

The original estimate [for]
2024 /25 [was] $2,722,000. Estimates for 20 25/26 [is]
$3,231,000, a n increase of $509,000, or 19 per cent .
This c ost centre provides for the salaries and operational expenses for the courtrooms and chambers of
the Supreme Court (Criminal , Civil and C ommercial ,
and Families /Matrimonial divisions ). There are 20
posts accounted for in this cost centre, including the
members of the Judiciary, the Chief Justice, Puisne
Judges and the Registrar.
When the performance measures were submitted in December 20 24 for the upcoming fiscal year,
the statistics for the Supreme Court's C riminal Jurisdiction and Appellate Jurisdiction were not available.
The department can now report that in 2024 /25, a total of 39 matters w ere commenced in the Criminal Jurisdiction and a total of 35 actions were commenced in
the Appellate Jurisdiction. In the Civil and C ommercial
Jurisdiction, a total of 420 actions were commenced,
1,000 orders were made and 80 judgments and rulings were published. In the Family/Matrimonial J urisdiction, a total of 160 divorce petitions were filed with
90 conditional orders for divorce, and 100 certificates
making conditional orders final issue . In the Probate
Jurisdiction, 140 applications were filed and 120
grants were issued.
The increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries and also the fees payable to A ssistant
Justices and to local law firms. Due to Bermuda ’s
small size, occasionally it is the case that the J udiciary's current complement of j udges are conflicted from
hearing certain matters that are commenced in the
Supreme Court.
When these cases arise, the G overnor in consultation with the Chief Justice will appoint an A ssistant Justice to have conduct of the matter . Given that
there has been an increase in cases that have been
filed in the Supreme Court, the J udiciary has had to
utilise Assistant Justices on a more frequent basis.
Additionally, there have been cases where litigants have commenced Supreme Court and Court of
Appeal proceedings against M agistrates , Judges and
the Regist rar in their judicial capacity. These cases
must be contested, and costs will be sought against
the litigants who commence each action. Regrettably,
the Attorney General's Chambers is conflicted in being


Bermuda House of Assembly able to represent members of the J udiciary, and as
such there must be funding in place to retain private
counsel.

Court Technology Office, 13025

Original estimate for 2024 /25
[was] $472,000. E stimates for [2025/26] [is] $510,000 ,
an increase of $38,000, or 8 per cent .
This cost centre provides salaries for the I nformation Technology Section. There are three posts :
the IT manager, IT assistant and a data entry clerk.
This funding also includes the cost for transcription
services and maintenance fees for the c ourt’s court
reporting system, CourtSmart. The court’s IT equipment and software applications must be maintained,
kept up to date, and will ultimately have to be replaced when necessary.
The increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries and the fees for transcription services .
Due to an increase in the number of criminal matters
proceeding to the Court of Appeal, the d epartment
requires additional funding to cover the increased cost
of preparing transcripts of the Supreme Court proceedings. It is to be noted that the Supreme Court
Registry provides transcripts for the Court of Appeal
as a result of a legislative mandate.

The Court of Appeal , 13020

Original estimates [for] 20 24/25
[was] $1,002,000. E stimates for 2025 /26 [is]
$1,016,000, an increase of $ 14,000 or 1 per cent.
This cost centre provides the sitting and retainer fees of the President of the Court of Appeal, five
Justices of Appeal and the salaries of two posts : the
administrative officer Court of Appeal and an administrative assistant. The Court of Appeal meets three
times a year . Each session is three weeks long. The
increase in funding to this cost centre primarily reflects
salaries with a nominal increase in costs to cover cou-rier services.

The Magistrates ’ Court , 13040
Adjudication

Original estimates for 20 24/25
[was] $1,061,000. Estimates for [2025/26] [is]
$1,087,000, an increase of $26,000 or 2 per cent . This
cost centre provides funding for the S enior Magistrate,
four Magistrates and Acting Appointments where necessary .
The Magistrates ’ Court is presided over by the
Worshipful Senior Magistrate Maxanne J. Anderson,
the Worshipful Tyrone Chin, the Worshipful C. Craig
Attridge, the Worshipful Maria Sofianos and the Worshipful Aura Lee Cassidy, all of whom bring a wealth
of knowledge and experience to the Magistracy. In
addition, the Senior Magistrate has an active Magis-trate roster so as to give opportunities to those in the
legal profession to acquire judicial experience and
skills, which will put them in a position to elevate to the bench.
The Magistrates’ Court is multijurisdictional,
having conduct of civil, criminal, traffic and family matters. There are also the Treatment Courts such as the
Mental Health Treatment Court, the Drug Treatment
Court and the Driving Under the Influence (DUI) Court
which continue to reduce recidivism by addressing the
drug, alcohol and mental health challenges of offend-ers. The Case Management Court which is conducted
once a week is designed to resolve all disclosure, evidential and procedural issues before a matter proceeds to trial .
As a result, instances where a trial would not
have proceeded because of such issues have been significantly reduced from previous years. The increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries.

Civil Records, 13050

Original estimates for 20 24/25
[was] $261,000. Estimates for 2025 /26 [is] $2 73,000,
an increase of $12,000 , or 5 per cent . This cost centre
provides for the administrative arm of the Magistrates’
Court Civil Section . The Civil Section is overseen by
the office manager, who has under their remit one
senior court associate and two court associates.
The Civil Section provides case management
and court services for the resolution of civil claims up
to $25,000 and landlord /tenant matters under the
Landlord and T enant Act 1974 and the R ent Increases
(Domestic Premises ) Control Act 1978 . The Civil
Court continued to accept filings of all proceedings,
including evictions and the recovery of rent arrears.
Proceedings were initiated by various entities, which
include , but are not limited to, law firms, litigants and
persons and credit agencies. The increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries .

Family and C hild Support , 13060

Original estimates [for] 20 24/25
[was] $511,000. Estimates for 2025 /26 [is] $531,000,
an increase of $20,000 , or 4 per cent. This cost centre
provides for the salaries and operational expenses for
the Family and C hild Support Section of the Magistrates ’ Court. There are six posts including the family
support officer, enforcement officer , an administrative
assistant and three court associates. The Family
Court is a special court which was created to handle
the specific needs of children (whether born within or
outside of marriage) and matters arising in respect of
their custody, care, maintenance and violations
against the law juvenile offenders.
There are two Family Courts . Each Family
Court proceeding is presided over by a M agistrate and
two special panel members, one male and female
388 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly pursuant to the Magistrates Act 1948. In 2024, the
number of persons serving on the special court panel
totalled 44. The panel members assist the Magistrates
in decision -making and their value to the F amily Court
and its continued success is immeasurable. The overall number of new cases filed in the Family Court in
2024 /25 total led 135. The overall number of new cases filed in the Family C ourt in 2023/24, total led 135.
There was a nominal decrease in 2024/25 which saw
132 new cases filed in the Family Court. Notably,
there was a rise in the number of domestic violence
orders adjudicated in the Magistrates’ Court of 59 per
cent in 2024/25 when compared to 20 23/24.
In 2024/ 25, a total of 155 domestic violence
orders were issued, compared to a total of 92 DVOs
[domestic violence orders] issued in 2023 /24. Domestic violence remains a prevalent issue within our
community that needs to be addressed. The anticipated establishment of a Domestic Violence Court r epresents a significant advancement in our judicial approach, allowing us to address the underlying issues therapeutically and provide comprehensive support to
victims.
The total number of child support payments
received in 2023/24 was $2,790,050. There was a
decrease in the amount of child support payments
received in 2024/25 which tota lled $2,690,249. The
increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries.

Administration, 13070

Original estimates [for 2024/25
was] $1,279,000, estimates for 20 25/26 [is]
$1,330,000, an increase of $51,000 or 4 per cent . This
cost centre provides for the salaries and operational
expenses for the administration of the Magistrates ’
Court, for which there are six posts, including the
court manager , office manager, accounting officer and
administrative public officers. In 2024/25, the cashier's
office collected a total of $5,656,981 in fees and fines,
which is a decrease of $458,624 when compared to
2023 /24, when a total of $6, 115,605 was collected.
As it did in previous years, the Magistrates ’
Court still takes into consideration the financial cir-cumstances of individuals who have been fined and,
accordingly, the Magistrates ’ Court have allowed prices to pay off the fines in instalments. Additionally,
Magistrates are making community service orders in
lieu of the imposition of fines so that persons who are
not able to pay fines can give back to society through
charity work . Due to the increased inability of persons
unable to pay their fines, the number of community
service orders has drastically increased over the past
year. The increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries and the cost to cover autopsy reports.

Criminal and Traffic Records, 13080

Original estimates for 2024/25
[was] $464,000. Estimates for 2025 /26 [is] $595,000,
an increase of $131,000 or 28 per cent . The Criminal/Traffic Records Sections falls under the remit of
the office manager and is supervised by the records supervisor. There are two c ourt associates designated
to this section who provide case management and
court services related to the resolution of criminal traffic and parking ticket cases, as well as manage all
record request s.
Additionally, the court associates provide
clerking support to the M agistrates and the solely responsible for inputting demerit points into the Transport Control Department ’s drivers ’ vehicle registration system and the Court's current case manage-ment system, JEMS. The number of new criminal
cases filed in Magistrates’ Court increased from 537 in
2023 /24 to 538 in 20 24/25. This was not the case as it
relates to the number of new traffic matters filed, which saw a slight decline from 4, 510 in 2023/24 to
3,986 and 2024/25.
Additionally, the number of parking cases filed
increased in 2024/25 to 29,219 when compared to
2023 /24, which had 28,451 matters filed. In 2024/ 25,
the Criminal Traffic Record Section process ed a total
of 2, 660 record requests which is an increase when
compared to 20 23/24 of 2, 500. The requests come
from various sources which include, but are not limited
to, private citizens, local and overseas employment
agencies, private companies, Canadian immigration,
the US Consulate, et cetera. As stated in prior briefs,
it remains the d epartment's intention to increase the
fee for a record request from the Magistrates ’ Court.
The current fee remains disproportionately
low at $10 per application, when a similar report from
the Bermuda Police Service is $100. It is anticipated
that this fee will be increased during the course of this
upcoming fiscal year. It is to be noted that the fees
payable in respect of filings and services offered in the
Magistrates ’ Court increased generally pursuant to the
Court Fees and Expenses Amendment Act and Validation Rules 2024, which came into effect on 1 August 2024. Prior to this increase the fees charged in
the Magistrates’ Court had not increased in almost 60
years . The increase in funding to this cost centre reflects salaries.

Bailiffs Office , 13090

Original estimate for 2024 /25
[was] $547,000. Estimates for 202 5/26 [is] $577,000,
an increase of $30,000 or 5 per cent. This cost centre
provides for the salaries, service and execution of court papers inclusive of Civil, Family, Supreme Court
and Foreign Service. There is one Head Bailiff, a
Deputy Provost, Marshal General, one administrative assistant and four bailiffs who travel throughout the
Island serving court processes.


Bermuda House of Assembly During the 202 4/25 fiscal year, the bailiff s
served a total of 370 summons , 128 DVOs and executed 52 evictions. The increase in funding to this cost
centre reflects salaries .

Revenue Overview

Mr. Chair man, the revenue estimates for 2025/26 are found on page B -5 of the Approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure Budget Book. Revenues are projected at $4,811,000, or an
increase of 11 per cent from 2024/25. Total revenue
for 2024/25— original estimate for 202 4/25 [was]
$4,329,000. Estimate for 2025 /26 [is] 4,811,000, an
increase of $482,000 or 11 per cent .

Filing Fees for the Supreme Court

Historically, fees payable to the
Supreme Court Registry in respect of documents filed
in new and active proceedings is a source of revenue
that has not been recorded as the majority of these
fees are paid by way of revenue stamps that counsel
and litigants purchase through the A ccountant General.
In 2025, the d epartment began recording the
fees paid in respect of filings in the Supreme Court's
Civil and C ommercial Jurisdiction . During the period
1 January 2025 to 31 March 2025, the Supreme Court
Registry recorded a total of $136,473 in revenue for Civil and Commercial matters. It is to be noted that with effect from 31 March 2024, the fees payable to
the Supreme Court Registry increased pursuant to the
rules of the Supreme Court Amendment Rules 2024 and the Civil Appeal Amendment Rules 2024.
The new fee structure brought the fees
charged by the Supreme Court Registry in line with other similar jurisdictions such as the Cayman Islands
and has provided an increased revenue stream for the
Government of Bermuda.

Fees for Overseas Registered Associates
and Court Fees and Charges

The Supreme Court Registry
also processes applications submitted by local law
firms to register their locally and overseas -based attorneys/associates to practice law. In 2024/25, the
revenue received for overseas registered associate
applications decreased from $36,000 collected in the prior year to $25,000. There was however a significant
increase in the revenue received for court fees and
charges. This revenue includes the fees charged to
conduct hearings in the Civil/Commercial Courts for
obtaining copies of court records, swearing of affidavits and certifications.
The department recorded a total of $213,124
in revenue for court fees and changes in 2024/25,
which is an increase of $160,517 from the previous year which saw a total of $50,607. This increase is
largely due to the department making a concerted effort to enforce the payment of hearing fees in respect
of civil and commercial matters in accordance with the
new fee structure.

Stamp Duty on Deceased Estates.

Lastly, the Supreme Court Registry Probate Jurisdiction processes applications to probate the estates of deceased individuals. A tax assessment is made on the net estate value of a deceased estate. The net estate value is a calculation of
the total value of the deceased gross estate less the
value of statutory deductions and exemptions, including the value of property designated as a primary
family homestead and spousal benefit. The total reve-nue receipts for deceased estates in 2024/25 is
$1,649,000, an increase from the previous year which
saw a total of $747,600. Total stamp duty assessed
for grants issued for 2024/25 is $1,717,000 whereas
the previous year was $1,183,000.

Magistrates’ Court: Traffic, Parking
and Criminal Fines

The major components of revenue in the Magistrates’ Court are traffic, parking and criminal fines. The total amount recorded for traffic
fines in 2024/25 was $1,646,772, a decrease from
$1,841,077 in 2023/24. The total amount recorded for
parking fines in 2024/25 was $461,450, a decrease
from $643,250. The total amount recorded for criminal fines in 2024/25 was $137,684, an increase from
$115,623 in 2023/24.
It should be noted that there remains a concern that the Magistrates’ Court Cashier Section pro-vides all of the resources to collect parking ticket fines
on behalf of the Corporation of Hamilton. These resources are funded by the Bermuda Government.
There is no financial reimbursement by the Corporation of Hamilton to recover the cost of collecting their
fines, as 100 per cent of fines are transferred directly
to the Corporation of Hamilton.
This results in a loss of revenue to the Bermuda Government. The department has recently engaged in discussions with the Corporation of Hamilton
to address this and it is hoped that the department
and the Corporation of Hamilton can come to an agreement that would be a benefit to both the Government and the Corporation of Hamilton.

Court Fees

The revenue received for civil
fees in 2024/25 was $138,615, which is a significant increase when compared to the revenue received for
civil fees in 2023/24 of $88,675. This increase in rev390 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly enue is largely attributed to the new fee structure that
went into effect in August 2020.

Plans for the Upcoming Year

Mr. Chairman, in addition to the
implementation of a new case management system,
funding for which has been allocated in the upcoming
fiscal year, the department has received support from
the Attorney General to restructure the organisation
by redefining now defunct positions. The most signifi-cant and anticipated change to the department's organisational structure includes the addition of a second assistant registrar and an administrative officer
supervisor for the Supreme Court's Matrimonial and
Probate jurisdictions.
The assistant officer for Matrimony and Probate will have oversight over the Matrimonial and Probate divisions of the Supreme Court, while the assistant registrar will lend additional administrative and
quasi -judicial support to the registrar and department
as a whole. The scope of responsibilities falling within
the registrar remit is extensive. Not only does the registrar have quasi -judicial functions and is required to
preside over applications within the Supreme Court
and the Court of Appeal the registrar is also the Head
of Department.
As Head of Department, the registrar is responsible for strategic planning and developing and
maintaining the department's budget, human resource
management, facilities and operations management and procurement. Additionally, the registrar has administrative duties that are set out in statute, which
include scheduling all court proceedings and maintain-ing the courts records. With an increase in the number
of complex matters being filed at all levels of the Court, additional support at the level of administrative registrar is required.
As to the creation of an administrative officer
Matrimonial/Probate post, it has been noted that there
are currently administrative officers over the Criminal
and Civil and Commercial jurisdictions of the Supreme
Court, but no such position exists in the Matrimonial or
Probate jurisdictions. The creation of a second assis-tant registrar and an administrative officer Matrimonial/Probate will fill significant service gaps and greatly
improve the department's ability to deliver prompt and
efficient services. It is also anticipated that final preparations will be made to commence renovations to the
Dame Lois Browne- Evans Building to create additional fit-for-purpose court and administrative space.
With the department now fully vacated from
Sessions House, the Judiciary is suffering from a lack of physical infrastructure. This can have the undesirable effect of negatively impacting the timely disposal
of Court proceedings. The department is looking for-ward to continuing its work with the Department of
Public Land and Buildings this fiscal year to progress
the renovation project. Mr. Chairman, this ends my presentation on
Head 3, the Judicial review.

As legal advisors to Government, the Attorney General's Chambers is committed
to provide high- quality legal advice and litigation services and to drafting sound legislation ever mindful of
the need to protect the public interest and to safeguard and preserve the fundamental rights and free-doms enshrined in our Constitution.
In doing so, we also pledge to uphold the traditions of equity, fairness and justice inherent in the legal profession, whilst simultaneously remaining on
the cutting edge of legal trends and technologies to ensure that we are abreast of and in accord with global trends.

Expenditure

The original estimate for
2024 /25 [was] $5,702,000. The estimate for 2025/26
is $7,052,000, an increase of $1,350,000 , or 24 per
cent. A total of $7,052,000 has been allocated for
Chambers. This represented an increase of
$1,350,000, or 24 per cent from 2024/25.
Mr. Chair man, the A ttorney General's Chambers’ objectives are
1. to provide quality legal services to the Government of Bermuda;
2. to advise all G overnment ministries , departments and entities on the law applicable to
their operational requirements ;
3. to draft legislation as required to implement
the Government's legislative agenda to maintain Bermuda's legislative database and to
support law reform;
4. to draf t contracts, international instruments for
mutual tax information exchange, conveyances and other documents required for public
purposes and to provide advice on private
Bills;


Bermuda House of Assembly 5. to conduct litigation in the Civil Courts of Bermuda on behalf of the Government of Bermuda; and
6. to process mutual legal assistance requests
on behalf of international jurisdictions.
Mr. Chair man, the A ttorney General's Chambers is functionally divided into six programmes accounted for below as follows .

Administration, 14010

Original estimates for 2024/ 25
[was] $435,000. Estimate s for 2025/ 26 [is] $444,000
an increase of $9,000, or 2 per cent . Administration
provides administrative support to the Attorney General, Solicitor General, Deputy Solicitor General, Senior Crown Counsel and Crown Counsel. This cost centre provides salaries for an office manager, a customer service representative, a records management administrator and an accounts officer. It also supports
the purchasing of office supplies that are common to
all sections of the d epartment. The modest increase is
due to the salary increase received by the public
servants . In addition to the salaries provided for in this
cost centre, it also provides $46,000 for repair and
cleaning services, $25,000 for office supplies, $20,000
for telephone services, $12,000 for drinking water,
$31,000 for repair and maintenance of office equipment and $4, 000 for hospitality expenses.

Advisory, 14020

Original estimates for 2024/25
[was] $2,440,000. E stimates for 20 25/26 [is]
$2,673,000, an increase of $233,000 or 10 per cent .
Mr. Chair man, the A dvisory Section is responsible for providing quality legal advice to all Government departments and conducting litigation matters brought by or against the G overnment. Additionally, Advisory is responsible for recovering debts owed
to the G overnment and processing mutual legal assistance request s. This cost centre provides salaries for
one Solicitor General, two Deputy Solicitor Generals,
two Senior Crown Counsels, six Crown Counsels, two
administrative assistants, one paralegal to the Solicitor General and one pupil.
The increase is due to legal services , funding
for the Deputy Solicitor General post f or the full year
and the salary increase received by public servants . In
addition to the salaries provided for in this cost centre,
it also provides $166,000 for consulting services,
$150,000 for legal services, $20,000 for software
maintenance, $15,000 for membership fees, $11,000
for books and subscriptions and $11,000 for office
supplies.

Legislative Drafting, 14030

Original estimates for 2024/ 25
[was] $2,097,000. Estimate for 20 25/26 [is]
$2,842,000, an increase of $745,000 or 36 per cent .
The Legislative Drafting Section advises regarding proposals to introduce or amend legislation, drafts primary and subordinate legislation for all Government departments and provides advice and support to M inisters in the House of Assembly and Senate as their respective legislation progresses.
This section also provides advice to Ministers
and the Governor on legal and constitutional issues
and on matters of parliamentary procedure. The salaries provided for in this cost centre include those of
the Chief P arliamentary Counse l, Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counsel, six Parliamentary Counsel, two
Assistant Parliamentary Counsel, one Legislative Database Manager , one Legislative Editor, one Legislative Administrator and one L egislative Database Administrator.
The year over year budgetary increase is due
to budgeting for payments to drafting consultants , the
temporary additional Parliamentary Counsel and the
salary increase received by public servants. In addition to the salaries provided for this cost centre, it also
provides $3, 000 for local training, $10,000 for overseas training, $8, 000 for membership fees, $20,000
for office supplies and $517,000 for local consulting fees.

Revised Laws of Bermuda, 1404 0

The original estimates for
2024 /25 [was] $244,000 . Estimates 2025/26 [is]
$369,000, an increase of $125,000 or 51 per cent .
Mr. Chair man, this cost centre supports the
consolidation, periodic revision and publication of the
laws of Bermuda. It is responsible for providing Members of both H ouses of the L egislature, businesses,
lawyers and the general public with access to the revised statutes and regulations of Bermuda. It also
supports the ongoing consolidation of primary and
subordinate legislation. The budgetary increase is due to a pricing increase relating to the L IMS software to
enable better system support and an upgrade in security to the online legal database.

Debt Collection, 14050

Original estimates [for] 20 24/25
[was] $338,000. Estimate for 2025/26 [is] $534,000
which represents an increase of $196,000 , or 58 per
cent.
Mr. Chair man, the D ebt Enforcement Unit
within the Attorney General’s Chambers was established by the Government to assist the Department of
Social Insurance and the Office of the Tax Commissioner in the recovery of unpaid social insurance contributions, payroll tax, land tax and other taxes owed
to the Government. The cost centre provides salaries
392 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly for one Crown Counsel, one Junior Crown Counsel,
and one Administrator. The increase is due to the addition of a Junior Crown Counsel and a temporary ad-ditional Junior Crown Counsel . The addition of these
posts will ensure and assist with the training of Bermudian Junior Attorneys that wish to enter the public
service .

Law Library, 14060

Original estimate 20 24/25 [was]
$148,000. Estimate for 2025/ 26 [is] $190,000, an increase of $42,000 or 28 per cent . This programme
provides for the cost of maintaining the L aw Library
and the Attorney General's Chambers which includes
the purchase of books, periodicals and the provision of access to leading online legal information sources such as Lex is/Nexis, vLex, Practical Law and Westlaw
UK. The increase is due to the Law Library moving
from primarily hard copy subscriptions to almost en-tirely digital subscriptions which have now incorpo-rated the use of AI.

Capital Acquisitions

The original estimates 2024/ 25
was $10,000. Estimates for 2025 /26, is $10,000,
which represents zero or nil , or zero per cent change.
The budget allocation for capital expenditures
is found at page C -10 of the Budget Book. The Attorney General's Chambers has been allocated a capital amount of $10,000 for the fiscal year 2025/26. Funding for this amount will be used to purchase office
equipment.

Performance Measures

Mr. Chairman, during the 2024
calendar year, 43 Acts were enacted and 133 Statuto-ry Instruments were made. In addition to the annual
budget legislation, there were a number of new and
amending Acts to give effect to the Government's legislative agenda.
The Bermuda Laws website, which contains
all of Bermuda's current laws and subordinate legisla-tion, is updated in real time from within Chambers and
will continue to make improvements to the site. Updating the eGazette from within Chambers allows Regulations to be published and take effect immediately. Over the past budget year, we received eight mutual Legal Assistance requests, which obligations arise out
of various international arrangements.
The Advisory Section also acts as attorneys for the
Enforcement Authority under the Proceeds of Crime
Act 1997.
Over the past budget year, there was one civil
recovery proceeding resulting in $100,000 being con-fiscated. We also completed three section 51 of the Proceeds of Crime Act 1997 cases, which resulted in $59,000 being confiscated.

Staffing —Civil Advisory

Mr. Chairman, there are currently five vacant posts within the Civil Advisory and
Litigation section of the Attorney General's Chambers.
Two Deputy Solicitor Generals, one Crown Counsel,
one Junior Crown Counsel and one administrative
assistant.
Recruitment for the vacant Deputy Solicitor
General post has begun and interviews are due to
take place shortly. The remainder of the posts are in
the process of having the job descriptions reviewed.
The current staffing levels of the Civil Advisory section
are: one Solicitor General, two Senior Crown Coun-sels, six Crown Counsels, one Junior Crown Counsel,
one administrative assistant, one temporary relief administrative assistant and one paralegal to the Solicitor General.
In December 2024, Shayla Hassell joined the
Civil Advisory Section as a Junior Crown Counsel,
which demonstrates the commitment to hire young
Bermudian counsel.

Staffing —Legislative Drafting

In the Drafting Section of
Chambers, there are five vacancies: Deputy Chief
Parliamentary Counsel, one Parliamentary Counsel,
one Assistant Parliamentary Counsel, and two temporary additional Parliamentary Counsel. The vacancy in the Parliamentary Council position arose with the resignation of Ms . Lauren Francis in February 2025, who
completed 13 years of service in Chambers. We thank
Ms. Francis for he r dedicated work and commitment
to Chambers and we wish her well in her endeavours.
Recruitment for the five vacant positions has
begun and interviews are due to take place shortly.
We will be seeking permission to create three additional posts : one Deputy Chief Parliamentary Counse l,
two Senior Parliamentary Counse l to support professional and leadership progression and to convert one
temporary additional post to an established post so
that a Bermudian Assistant Parliamentary Counsel
can be promoted during this fiscal year.
The current staffing levels in the legislative
Drafting Section are: one Chief Parliamentary Counsel, three Parliamentary Counsels , one temporary additional Parliamentary Counse l, one Assistant Parliamentary Counse l, one temporary relief Parliament
Counse l and three consultants.
In addition to these dedicated lawyers who
are responsible for drafting all g overnment Bills and
statutory instruments, the section is fortunate to have
an excellent administrative team comprising of four
posts : Legislative Database Manager, Legislative Editor, Legislative Administrator , and Legislative AdminisBermuda House of Assembly trator Database, each of whom plays a critical part in
the timely production, publication, and consolidation of
legislation.

Training and D evelopment

Mr. Chair man, the Attorney
General's Chambers includes within its mandate the
development of its professional and administrative
staff. In December 2024, the Acting Senior Crown
Counse l and a Crown Coun sel attended a virtual training session for anti -money laundering and countering
the financing of terrorism.
Additionally, to encourage collaboration and a
healthy work environment, members of the Civil Advisory Section participated in two team building exercises held in September 2024 and March 2025. This
formed part of the development of staff initiative. During the course of the 2024/ 25 budget year, the Solicitor General coordinated the Pupillage P rogramme of
the Ministry of Justice, where one Crown Counsel
serves as pupil master for one pupil , Ms. Denzel le
Swan, who commenced her pupillage on the 1 October 2024.
The Pupillage Programme provides each pupil
with a unique and enriched training experience within
various departments in the Ministry of Justice, which
includes the Department of Public Prosecutions, the
Legal Aid Office and the Drafting and Advisory Sections of the Attorney General's Chambers. In September 2025, Assistant Parliamentary Counsel , Ms.
Lorendae Symonds will complete her online studies at
Athabasca University for a graduate diploma in Legislative Drafting, and we wish her continued success in
completing her training.
Members of the D rafting Section attended various training and development webinars and online training sessions on topics including developments in
legislative drafting, Fin Tech, personal information protection, health and safety, leadership and well-being.
The Attorney General's Chambers Civil Advisory and
Legislative Drafting conduct ed a continuing legal education seminar with members of the Bermuda Bar Council in November of 2024. Members of the Drafting Section conducted policy -to-law training in February 2025 at the Department of Employee and Organisational Development . Staff participated in a team
building and wellness retreat in October 202 4.

Initiatives for the Forthcoming Year—Advisory

Mr. Chair man, a principal focus
will continue to be on the development of Bermudian
Crown Counse l and pupils . Emphasis will be given to
using Senior Crown Coun sel and Crown Counse l to
assist Junior Crown Coun sel and pupils on advisory
and litigation matters . The Advisory Section intends to
fill the vacant post of Deputy Solicitor General, Junior Crown Counse l and administrative assistant in the
forthcoming fiscal year.
Chambers is in the process of revising one job
description for Crown Counsel into a dedicated specialist post with expertise in land law , conveyancing
and planning law. It is worth noting that this initiative
will not increase the number of posts within C hambers. Additionally, Chambers seeks to improve its
case management system to reduce our demand for
paper resources through the increased utilisation of
the ProLaw software and other electronic filing systems.

Legislative Drafting —Staffing and T raining

The legislation is produced
quickly and accurately using LIMS which is customised to our Bermuda drafting style. This, combined with the important role of the legislative editor, has
kept the number of errors and inconsistencies found in
legislation during Ho use and Senate debates to a minimum, thereby expediting the legislative process. The
maintenance of LIMS is through a Canadian vendor
who provides timely professional assistance and
technical support whenever necessary and regularly
updates our software with the latest version.
It is intended to continue to improve our database and to pos t new laws within a week of enactment on the Bermuda Laws Online website
www.bermudalaws.bm, which is hosted locally by O ne
Communications Limited.
Consolidation, which is the incorporation of
amendments into existing laws, is more timeconsuming since the amendments are checked by the
Drafter as well as the Legislative Database Manager.
The goal is to continue to complete the process within one month of the enactment of the amending legislation which was achieved in the last few years. To
date, we have reached the intended outcome of
95 per cent of enactments.
Thank you, Mr. Chair man. That concludes
that brief.

And for the listening audience, we
have just concluded H ead 4 under the Ministry of Justice, which is being delivered by Junior Minister Lister.
We are now in h our number two of five and we are
approaching 20 . . . or just about 20 minutes prior to
going to lunch.
Junior Minister, you have the floor.
394 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly HEAD 74 —DEPARTMENT OF COURT SERVICES

Thank you, Mr. Chair man.
Next, I will continue on with Head 74 Department of Court Services found on pages B -98 to B -101
of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.
Mr. Chairman, it gives me great pleasure to
present the budget for Head 74, the Department of Court Services. The mission statement is to reduce
recidivism by delivering risk reduction programmes
and strategies to protect the community. The mandate
of the Department of Court Services is to be responsible for the assessment, rehabilitation, treatment, supervision and case management of offenders in the
community who are subject to statutory orders.
The department also delivers comprehensive
assessments, makes referrals to treatment agencies for substance abusers via the Bermuda Assessment
and Referral Centre (BARC) and furthermore conducts drug and alcohol screenings. Additionally, the
department supervises and monitors clients, many of them high- risk sexual offenders, violent offenders on
probation and/or supervision orders or those serving
life sentences who are on licence.

Expenditure Review

This department has been, and
continues to be, impacted by an increasing number of
clients who are victims of unresolved childhood and
adult traumas which negatively affect their lives, cul-minating with their involvement in our criminal justice
system. These issues seriously affect their ability to
function in society, which ultimately leads to addiction, criminal thinking and deviant behaviour.
These clients who manifest multidimensional
needs and varied degrees of risk to themselves and/or the community, need a flexible, multi -pronged approach to meet their diverse needs. They require not only monitoring and supervision, but assistance with
requiring social and living skills. All of this requires
complex, intensive and sustained clinical and social
interventions. These interventions are seriously compounded by the myriad number of issues which nega-tively affect our clients’ lives such as economic hardships, lack of affordable housing and insufficient positive community support to assist in parenting and development.
Some of the continuing pervasive issues negatively affecting our client population are unemploy-ment, mental health issues, misuse and abuse of substances, parenting struggles, anger control issues,
gang affiliations, cognitive and brain injury deficits,
negative peer and familial influences and educational
deficiencies.
Mr. Chairman, a total of $4,888,000 has been
estimated for this fiscal year. This is an increase of $491,000 over the previous year. This increase is
solely due to incremental salary increases and the filling of previously vacant posts. No additional operating expenses have been requested for Head 74. This
constitutes 8.5 per cent of the budget allocated for the
Ministry as a whole. Budget savings over the fiscal year were realised by freezing posts as well as stag-gering the filling of vacant posts.

Subjective Analysis

The expenditure for the fiscal
year 2024/25 was $4,397,000, while the estimate for
the fiscal year is $4,888,000. This is an increase of
$491 ,000 over the previous year , or 11 per cent, a nd
as noted above, contains the salary uplift for staff as well as filling of vacant and frozen post s. This salary
increase is 14 per cent.

Case Management Unit
Probation Services , 84010

This business unit has the
Management Team salaries as well as the IT post and
the operational funds for the department.
This business unit in the 2024 /25 fiscal year
had an expenditure of $1,262,000. The 2025/ 26 fiscal
year estimated expenditure is $1,328,000. This is an


Bermuda House of Assembly increase of $66,000, or 5 per cent. This increase is
due to ensure salary monies are available as the
management posts which were frozen in prior budgets
are accounted for as hiring takes place.

Assessment and T reatment Unit—7403
Aftercare and C ommunity Offenders , 84030

The expenditure for this team
was $174,000 in the 2024/ 25 fiscal year . The 2025/ 26
expenditure estimate is $423,000. This is an increase
of 143 per cent. This fiscal year will be the first year
that the department has two F orensic Psychologists,
and with the recruitment process well underway, the Specialist Probation Officer post on this team should
also be filled. Hence the $249,000 increase over the last year. This should be offset by a decrease in
spending to contracted private clinicians for interventions and assessments for our clients .

Community Offenders, 84040

This unit comprises three
teams : Report Writing Team, the BARC T eam and the
Mental Health Treatment T eam, whose 2024/25 expenditure was $1,171,000. The expenditure estimate
of $1,105,000 for the 2025/26 year is a decrease of
$66,000, or 6 per cent .
This brings the 2025/ 26 expenditure for this
unit to $2,037,000. This is an increase of 13 per cent
or $229,000 over the 2024 /25 expenditure total.

Performance Measures by Business Unit

This business unit is responsible for three teams which carry out the functions of probation, parole and the Drug Treatment Court.
Probation Team: The P robation Team monitors and supervises clients who are on probation, orders which have been ordered by the Courts. Conditions in probation orders are designed utilising the
results of assessment tools that determine the areas
of our clients lives which need interventions as well as the risk to and in the community. These interventions,
from probation officers as well as clinical staff, are
designed to support the client in making positive changes to their behaviour, friends and lifestyle, as
well as assisting and reducing the criminal thought
patterns. These interventions are strengthened by
officers making job and home visits to get a holistic
synopsis of the clients functioning in the community.

Performance Measures

Two of the performance
measures, which were forecast at 75 per cent , were
actioned and completed at 100 per cent . All clients
who screened positive for drug or alcohol use were
actioned within one week. This would mean that one
or more interventions based on client behaviour , history and/ or response to said interventions would be utilised to minimise a reoccurrence of the issue. Clients
who were prolific or repeat offenders were case managed within one month of beginning their new order.
This would be an internal case conference
with the prior supervising officer , Treatment Court staff
and/or clinical/ treatment staff to get as complete a
behavioural or clinical package as needed to facilitate
their supervision. The target for administering cl ients a
final risk assessment was 75 per cent . The final total
was 79 per cent .
The number of persons complet ing probation
was 85 per cent of the total number of admissions at
73. This means that 50 out of the 59 discharged were
assessed. The remaining nine will be those who were
breached and were sentenced to incarceration, fined
or had their sentence extended forward.

The Parole Team

Individuals released from the
Department of Corrections on early conditional release to serve the remainder of their sentences in the
community by the Parole Board are supervised for the
remainder of the sentences under the supervision of
an officer from the P arole Team.
This means that in addition to finite sentences, persons serving life sentences are supervised by the department for p arole for the rest of their natural
life. At present, there are 22 offenders under supervision for the remainder of their lives, referred to as “lifers.” During the year, six additional persons were given the licence by the Parole Board. Additionally, there
were five clients whose sentence and parole concluded. Two persons w ere breached and returned to Corrections due to failing to adhere to the conditions of
licence. This was one less than what the target number for the calendar year was forecast at three. These
statistics point out the effectiveness of criminal justice programmes and this number is amongst the lowest
worldwide.

Junior Minister, we have reached the
two-hour mark right now. We started at 10 :24. Lunch
is in about six minutes. Whenever you want to find a
396 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly good place to sort of stop and then we can resume
after lunch.
Mr
. Dennis Lister III: I will do one more page and
then we can stop.
Performance Measures for the Drug Treatment
Court Team
Mr
. Dennis Lister III: The Drug Treatment Court Programme remains the principal model for a Magistrateled team approach to offender treatment and supervision, being the progenitor of all other T reatment
Courts. There were eight new referrals in the D rug
Treatment Court Programme during the year in addition to those observing for potential admittance into
the programme. T he number of participants at the end
of 2024 stood at 17. The makeup of the C ourt in terms
of substances used is 80 per cent use cocaine and
20 per cent use heroin.
An adjusted stream for offenders convicted of
driving under the influence offences is now a full-fledged programme—DUI programme m eetings facilitated by the focused Treatment Care Centre and this department for once-a- week sessions. There were
eight new referrals in the DUI stream. Numbers at the
end of 2024 stood at 21. Of these, 98 per cent are for
alcohol use. In the drug use stream, 90 per cent of
participants are male, while in the DUI stream 80 per
cent are male. Both streams require the office to engage in intensive case management to ensure that the
treatment needs as wel l as social, medical and mental
needs are also met.
With that Mr. Chair man, I will pause before I
continue any further reading.

I call on the Junior Minister for Legal
Affairs to continue with his presentation. Can you
please just remind me and the listening public where you completed before lunch today? Thank you.
HEAD 74 –DEPARTMENT OF COURT SERVICES
[
Continuing]
Mr
. Dennis Lister III: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
I stopped off on Head 74, Department of
Court Services and I am on page 17 on my brief.
When you are ready, I can start.

Thank you, Madam Chairman. I
will try and leave enough time for the Opposition to ask some questions.
Madam Chairman, I left off on stating the performance measures under Head 74 and I will contin-ue. The department is actively working to lessen the
number of persons who test positive during their participation in the programme, and I'll just reflect back, this is the Drug Treatment Court Team. Intensive work has gone on with an added emphasis on assisting plans to give—

You are welcome.
Intensive work has gone on with an added
emphasis on assisting clients to deal with their trauma
issues. The measurement forecast was at 7 per cent
for both the DTC [Drug Treatment Court] and DUI
[Driving Under the Influence) streams. The actual percentage was 10 per cent. Of that percentage most
clients tested positive early on in their treatment with the number declining with the amount of time persons
were in the programme. The percentage of clients
reoffending while in the programme was at 3 per cent
and these additional offences were mainly at the beginning of their entry into the programme.
Additionally, the percentage of clients who
were referred to other therapeutic programmes after the completion of the DTC Court Programme was forecast to be 10 per cent. That percentage for the
year came in at only 36 per cent. This was mainly individuals who were recommended for a lower level of service who were subsequently referred to a higher
level when they were unable to support their sobriety
for at least three months after discharge.

The Assessment and Treatment Unit

During the past year, individuals
were sentenced to 3,802 hours of community service
by the courts. This is down 10 per cent from the previous year. Generally, the number of hours ordered by
the courts fluctuates with the economy where more
hours are ordered in difficult financial environs as individuals are less able to pay court order fines. Of
these, 2,593 hours or 68 per cent were completed
within the year. This departmental function has also
been carried out by one probation officer or case
manager who has done a sterling job of arranging
regular reviews for uncooperative clients as well as securing more placement opportunities for our clients engaged in paying back the community.

Mental Health Court

The Mental Health Court Programme is a valuable option for individuals who come
into the criminal justice systems with diagnosed and
treatable mental health issues that were significant
contributors to their offending. A major challenge for
this team that continues year to year is the inability for these clients to access the relevant residential treatment services and housing opportunities. This is critical for them to receive the necessary treatment and
social stability which they require for their self -
actualisation and motivation to change. It is an inher-ent barrier to positive development if society cannot supply the basic means to support their actualisation.
The situation is especially prevalent with individuals dually diagnosed with a mental illness and a substance addiction. In several cases many of the individuals are not ill enough to be hospitalised but too
ill for residential placement. This places an added
burden on the case managers who are trying to facilitate clinical, medical and addiction interventions for
these individuals while simultaneously negotiating
through the homeless situation of the clients. Addi-tionally, because of the multitude of varied needs
these individuals present with, their case management
and treatment needs are time and energy intensive.

Community -based Programmes

The Community -based Programme Team delivers accredited and certified interventions by specially trained senior probation officers
for high- risk offenders such as sex and violent offenders under the guidance of a forensic psychologist. Unfortunately, we lost our dedicated sex and violent offender staff member, and we are actively searching
for another. As a result, we were not able to offer
groups which meant a substantial rise in the number
of individual clients seen by the team; however, clients
did not miss out on clinical interventions. Instead, the
team utilised one- to-one intervention. However, we
now have restarted client group meetings as this is
the first full year of the department having a full -time
in-residence forensic psychologist again.
As a result, outsource expenses have decreased and various trainings have taken place to better equip officers to work with our clientele. Future
training will aid in the staff's further development and
application of accredited service standards. The second forensic psychologist has arrived on the Island
and has been working in this last quarter. This will
increase our ability to meet more of the needs and more of our clients quicker. The Assessment and
Treatment Team consisting of the Report Writing and
the Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre com398 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly piled timely, comprehensive and succinct reports and
assessments. These both aid in referrals and guide
the dispensation of cases in the courts as well as informing decisions made by the Parole Board.

Report Writing Team

The Report Writing Team had a
total of 294 reports for the calendar year. This was up 86 from the previous year. Madam Chairman, 95 per
cent of reports were completed on time. The target for
this objective was 100 per cent; however, being unable to contact offenders due to incomplete or incorrect
contact information or the client misses several
scheduled appointments for assessments or home
visits are difficult to schedule are causative factors in not being able to reach 100 per cent. Reports include
45 Prison Rules 1980, 166 reports to the Parole
Board. While the remaining 249 were court -ordered
SIRs (or social inquiry reports). Out of the 249 court
reports, 12 were from the Supreme Court; 217 were
from Magistrates’ Court; and 65 being from the Family
Court specifically for reports on juvenile offenders.

Bermuda Assessment and Treatment Centre

The BARC [Bermuda Assessment and Referral Centre] Team completed a total of
153 reports in the last year. This was five more than
the previous year. During the year there were 53 recommendations for intensive outpatient treatment, while there were 23 referred for inpatient retreatment —I take that back —while there were 23 referred
for outpatient treatment. Madam Chairman, 47 were
referred for residential treatment and ongoing issues
with the length of time some clients have to wait to
enter treatment, especially residential, remains a chal-lenge for the department. Notwithstanding we continue to seek resolutions for addressing this. The Ministry is exploring options for public -private partnerships
with providers with the relevant expertise.
The delivery of BARC reports is overseen by
the team's clinical supervisor who possesses the IADC, International Alcohol and Drug Counsellor des-ignation and is currently studying to obtain the certified Clinical Supervisor designation for those persons
working with drug- involved persons. In turn this supervisor assists with and promotes the development
of our team members.

Plans for the Upcoming Year

Madam Chairman, as we continue to develop our staff developmental opportunities
to keep abreast of trends in the field, numerous training and acting opportunities have been made availa-ble. Additionally, an Acting Unit Manager as well as a
Probation Officer Case Manager attended the American Probation and Parole Association [APPA] confer-ence where they were able to return with up- to-date
knowledge on programmes, therapies and procedures
to assist this department, along with other government
departments, in the further development of additional
treatment courts.
Our Clinical Supervisor was also able to attend several of the conference’s workshops remotely.
This knowledge has proven invaluable and will assist
the department in conducting assessments, analysing
results and conducting treatment planning for the
forthcoming Domestic Violence Court as well as con-tinued readiness to assist those with gambling addiction in addition to the current work. In relation to the
Domestic Violence Court our newest forensic psychologist has been directed to provide clinical support
to the agencies involved as well as to assess and recommend training for our officers to supervise and monitor domestic violence perpetrators in a treatment
court setting.
We are also scheduled to be a pilot agency
later this year testing new state- of-the-art domestic
violence electronic monitoring devices which can be
used not only to determine where a perpetrator is at at
any given moment, it will [also] allow a participating
victim to know that the perpetrator is in their immediate vicinity.
This department remains an active participant
on the Interdepartmental Gang Enforcement Team as well as the Offender Risk Management Team for highrisk sexual and violent offenders. Additionally, the department is represented on the Mental Health Clients
in Corrections and the High -Risk Intervention Committee. The department is also represented on the Child
Safeguarding Committee looking at ways to protect
the children in our community. These collaborations
will continue as we try to ensure the safest possible
Island community.
During this upcoming year, the team will increase clinical interventions as required to further assist sex and violent offenders, continue with training to
obtain additional certification in working with persons
with a gambling addiction, and increase the number of
treatment groups as well as one- on-one interventions
to provide a more intensive clinical response for more clients.
The budget year 2025/26 initiatives include
• continuing with training officers in the
entire department to administer various assessment tools to better facilitate cross -training and movement
amongst teams (or reassignments)
within the department to optimise
skills and resources;
• pursuing options for more specialised
training in addiction assessments,
gambling assessments and treatment;
• as well as domestic violence interventions and supervision.


Bermuda House of Assembly Madam Chairman, the department ’s overall
focus in the coming year is to utilise its funding to optimise its effectiveness and efficiencies. Staggered
recruitment drives have created some shortfalls which
resulted in salary underspends. This was intensified by contracts being offered for positions that were later
turned down due to better offerings in the private sector. Madam Chairman, 98 per cent of all of the department ’s job descriptions have been completed and
signed off on. An intensive recruitment to fill previously frozen or vacant posts is ongoing. The majority of posts should be filled by this summer.
Madam Chairman, the department's treatment, assessment, enforcement and rehabilitation regimes continue its aim to lessen the effects of offending and the impact of associated risk on the
community. Department officers conduct curfew checks, visit homes and employment sites. They also
attend high- profile events in the community to monitor
clients more vigorously. They also use electronic
means to strengthen and support supervision tactics.
These responsibilities present safety risks yet
officers are dedicated in their efforts to transform the
lives of our clients and their families and associates by
deterring further offending or relapse through various strategies and interventions deployed. We note, Madam Chairman, that some offenders prefer to forego
supervision and elect to serve their entire sentence as they view the department's activities as being onerous, intrusive and disruptive to their life pursuits.
The department’s Client -Facing Officers as
well as the supervisors and support staff continue to
work in dangerous conditions conducting curfew
checks in the early hours of the morning, especially on weekends and major holidays, is inherently risky, especially in today's environment where firearms, knives, and other weapons are increasingly available and utilised. These job functions put these officers at
risk for harm yet they persevere and do what is needed to ensure the continued safety of the community.
The department will also continue to utilise therapeutic
and supervision regimes to minimise this threat and
prepare the event offender to be a viable entity in today's community.
Madam Chairman, notwithstanding the department has and will continue to embrace partnerships and strategies as well with other government
departments, community organisations, and NGOs to
meet the department’s objective of protecting the
community. Expenditure requests for this year have not increased and recruitment drives for recently vacated posts or unfrozen posts are almost completed.
And while a couple had been frozen for the entire
year, the department will do its best and rely on whatever support may become available through creative
means throughout the upcoming year to accomplish its goals. We enthusiastically acknowledge the relentless work of the department and its officers and staff
and continue to keep the community safe. Through data- driven programming and collaborative partnerships, the Department of Court Services will continue
to support the courts, reduce recidivism, and improve
long-term outcomes for Bermuda.
Madam Chairman, this ends the presentation
on Head 74, the Department of Court Services and
highlights the operational use of its expenditures.

HEAD 75 —DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
PROSECUTIONS

The mission statement for the
Department of Public Prosecutions is, To provide
Bermuda with independent, efficient and effective
criminal prosecution service without fear or favour
based on the rule of law. The following are the objectives of the Department of Public Prosecutions:
1. Promote the fair, transparent and efficient
prosecution of criminal offences consistent
with lawful authority and subject to established guidelines to safeguard the actuality
and the perception of pr osecutorial independence.
2. Promote high standards and principles in the
administration of criminal justice including
procedures to guard against or address mis-carriages of justice in support of the rule of
law.
3. Carry out prosecutorial functions impartially,
assisting the court to arrive at the truth and to
do justice between the community, the victim, and the accused according to law and the dictates of fairness.
4. Promote good relations between individual
prosecutors, policing and other agencies with-in the criminal justice system to facilitate the
exchange and dissemination among them of
information, expertise and experience, and to
that end, to encourage the use of information
technology.
5. Maintain a team of highly competent and administrative professionals to carefully handle
the day -to-day responsibilities of the department with great detail and confidentiality,
which is a critical and essential element in
helping prosecutors fulfil their mandate.
Madam Chairman, the complications of modern society are such that there can never be an absolute end to crime. All we have at our disposal are the
different components of the criminal justice system to
provide access to justice for our people. And yet this
400 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Ministry amounts to less than 3 per cent of the overall
budget.
In 2024/25, the Department of Public Prosecutions had the smallest budget in the Ministry. Notwithstanding, Madam Chairman, DPP has worked hard to ensure that the Department of Public Prosecutions is a properly empowered and publicly respected
prosecuting authority.
Madam Chairman, 88 per cent of the department ’s 2024/25 budget was spent on salaries and allowances. The remaining 12 per cent of the allocated
budget was spent as follows:
• 43 per cent was spent on consultants to
support the department in specific cases where legal conflict arose;
• 7 per cent was spent on office supplies
and printing;
• 6 per cent was spent to pay interns to
scan the department’s files into the case management system in an effort to become a paperless office;
• 10 per cent was spent on training;
• 3 per cent was spent on storage costs;
• 7 per cent was spent on professional and
membership costs; and
• the remaining 24 per cent was spent on
communications and security costs.

Current Account Expenditure

The original estimate for
2024/25 was $3,703,000. The estimate for 2025/26 is
$4,001,000, an increase of $298,000 or 8 per cent.
The current account expenditure estimates for Head
75, the Department of Public Prosecutions, begins on
page B -102 of the Budget Book. A total of $4,001,000
has been allocated to the Department of Public Pros-ecutions which includes its Witness Care Unit. This represents a $298,000 or 8 per cent increase from the
2024/25 original estimates.

Public Prosecutions

The original estimate for
2024/25 was $3,537,000. The estimate for 2025/26 is
$3,828,000 an increase of $291,000 or 8 per cent.
Madam Chairman, $3,828,000 has been allocated to the Department of Public Prosecutions on its
own. This represents an increase of $291,000 or 8 per
cent from fiscal year 2024/25. Like last year, the majority of the budget for the department relates to salaries and allowances. Money has again been allocated
to the department to fund consultants to support the department in specific cases where legal conflict may
arise or where the department is sued and the Attorney General's Chambers cannot represent them or to fund Privy Council cases.

Witness Care Unit Mr. Dennis Lister III: Madam Chairman, $170,000
has been allocated to the Witness Ca re Unit. This represents an increase of $7,000 or 4 per cent from fiscal
year 2024/25. The Witness Care Unit was implement-ed in December 2008 with the aim of improving the experiences of civilians by offering support to them
within the criminal justice system. This assisted in increasing the number of civilian witnesses who attended court to give evidence and also aided in reducing
the number of trials which had to be forfeited by the
prosecution due to non- attendance by civilian witnesses at trials.
The Witness Care Unit consists of two dedicated Witness Care officers who act as the sole in-termediary contact between civilian witnesses and the
prosecutors. The officers arrange pretrial meetings
between witnesses and prosecutors, identify any peculiar circumstances that the prosecutor might not be
aware of, offer ongoing support to witnesses, and
keep them updated on the progress of the matter that
they are involved in.
Since the implementation of the Witness Care
Unit there has been a vast improvement in the number of civilian witnesses who have attended either
Magistrates’ or Supreme Court to give evidence in
criminal trials. Upward of 18,000 witnesses have received the benefit of this service and the impact that this has had both on the criminal justice system and
the community at large is immeasurable. The officers
continue to receive positive feedback from civilians
they have assisted in criminal trials.

Performance Measures

Madam Chairman, under the
direction of the Director of Public Prosecutions there is
a complement of 14 counsel. However, currently there
are two vacant posts, one of which is well into the recruitment process. All counsel are engaged in the prosecution of offences and appear when appropriate
in the Magistrates’ Criminal Courts, Family Court,
Treatment Courts, (which includes Drug Treatment
Court and the Driving Under the Influence track, and
Mental Health Treatment Court). Counsel also appear
in the Supreme Court, the Bermuda Court of Appeal
and, when necessary , the Privy Council. Soon prosecutors will appear in the Domestic Abuse Court. The prosecutors also provide legal advice to the police,


Bermuda House of Assembly government ministries and departments on matters
relating to offences.
The organisational chart provides for additional staff including one office manager, one litigation
manager, five administrative assistants and one cus-tomer service representative. The department is currently recruiting for a customer service representative
and an administrative assistant. In addition, the department employs the two Witness Care officers as
previously mentioned.
Madam Chairman, during the past financial
year, Madam DPP led a team of her prosecutors to
the International Association of Prosecutors 29
th Annual Conference. The main theme of the conference
was “The Role of the Prosecutor in Upholding the
Rule of Law.” Madam DPP chaired the closing plenary. Mr. Adley Duncan, presented at a workshop and
Mr. Matthew Frick chaired a workshop session. The
team ensured that the Bermuda Department of Public
Prosecutions was recognised on the international stage as a team of highly competent prosecutors.
The Department of Public Prosecutions continues to work toward advancing the criminal justice
system. In 2024/25, the department sponsored a visit
by Madam DPP, the Senior Magistrate, Ms. Maxanne Anderson; Acting Senior Crown Counsel, Shaunte
Simons -Fox; Senior Probation Officer Noel Hayward;
and Witness Care Officer Deanna Binns to the Westminster Magistrates’ Courts, Domestic Violence Court.
All who attended were inspired to return home to
Bermuda to implement our own Domestic Violence
Court.
The Department of Public Prosecutions continues to uphold its mandate to train Bermudian pros-ecutors as successors for all positions. The department was able to hold two training sessions during the
past year with the March 20
th session being attended
virtually by prosecutors from Anguilla.
In 2025/26, the DPP intends to host two major
training sessions for both counsel and administrative
staff. The themes of the training sessions will fit into
the established strategic vision of the department.
This will promote a more positive impact on the community through the department's role in the justice system.

Working with Other Agencies

Madam Chairman, the DPP
works with other departments and entities such as the Bench, the Defence Bar, Legal Aid, Court Services
and of course the Bermuda Police Service. Their cooperation throughout the past and into the upcoming
year is vital for the proper functioning of the criminal
justice system.
Madam DPP’s intention is to continue the
work undertaken since her appointment to develop all members of the department so that the Department of
Public Prosecutions continues to offer an excellent service to the people of Bermuda. The Director of
Public Prosecutions has shared her strategic vision for the department. The way forward for the department
in the upcoming budget year is as follows:
1. To ensure quality assurance and where pos-sible standardise prosecution processes to
achieve a consistent and high standard of trial
preparation and appearances, particularly for
financial crime and vulnerable persons crimes
including domestic violence matters, taking
advantage of information technology to achieve effective and efficient outcomes. In
doing so, the DPP plans to quality -assure and
where possible standardise prosecution processes to achieve consistent and high standard of trial preparation and appearances.
2. To be responsive to victims and witnesses in
the prosecution process. The DPP plans to
strengthen accountability and transparency by
developing and communicating the department’s complaint processes.
3. To influence and implement policy, procedure and law reform by monitoring the outcomes of
trials and appeal hearings, and where appropriate develop submissions, policies or projects that identify issues for law reform. The
DPP plans to liaise with the Ministry, the Judiciary and other relevant stakeholders in order
to advocate for change and improvements in
the criminal justice system.
4. To deliver legal services within a framework
that supports strong governance, professional
capability and staff well -being. The DPP plans
to review and implement changes to optimise
flexibility, efficiency and capability of the department and their service delivery. In keeping
with the public service initiative for staff well -
being, the DPP plans to further develop and implement staff well -being and resilience programmes and activities.
In short, Madam Chairman, the DPP plans to
continue to develop the department through recruit-ment, training and succession planning.
Madam Chairman, Madam DPP is almost six
months into the final year of her current contract which is due to expire in December 2025. She is the first
Bermudian woman to hold her post and I congratulate
her on the achievements in her department and thank
all of the staff of this department as they unwaveringly uphold their duties.
This ends my budget brief for Head 75. I will
now continue onto Head 25 Department of Corrections.

Madam Chairman, it is my
pleasure to present fiscal [year] 2025/26 estimates of
expenditure for Head 25, the Department of Corrections, which are found on pages B -94 through B-96 of
the Budget Book.
The Department of Correction’s mission is, To
protect the public and provide rehabilitative services.
The department objectives are to
• strive to maintain high standards of security as this is essential to the safe operation of our
facilities;
• provide a humane but demanding regime
aimed at reducing re- offending by presenting
inmates with a range of opportunities in which
reward is linked to effort, incentives and
earned privileges to prepare for life after release; and
• aim to have robust and disciplined regimes
and systems in place in order to achieve operation efficiency at all levels.
The department carries out its objectives by
providing rehabilitative services across its three in-mate facilities, [employing] a high level of security to
ensure the safety of its staff, inmates and the community.
Madam Chairman, the current account estimates for Head 25 begin on page B -94. A total of
$24,710,000 has been allocated for Head 25 for fiscal
year 2025/26. This represents a decrease of
$1,017,000 or 4 per cent over the original budget for
fiscal year 2024/25.
Madam Chairman, at present there are 172
full-time staff. The estimated numbers of full -time employees for 2025/26 is 224 who will be funded in the
2025/26 fiscal year.
Madam Chairman, fiscal year 2024/25 saw
the commencement of the recruitment process for the
basic officers to fill vacant posts. Seven officers were
successfully recruited during this fiscal year. In addition to basic officer recruitment, the department recruited and hired two nursing officers and one administrative assistant. In addition to these, there were five staff recruited for the Right Living House therapeutic community, one programme manager, one aftercare
coordinator, two addiction counsellors, and one junior
addiction counsellor.
The Department of Corrections continues to
maintain a high level of security at its facilities. In fiscal year 2024/25, the department completed upgrades
to the CCTV systems at the Farm, Westgate and CoEducational [Co- Ed] Facilities with funding from capital acquisitions. Razor wire was installed and repaired at Westgate, the Farm and Co- Ed Facilities.
There were some operational efficiencies created in fiscal year 2024/25. The Animal and Garden
programme at the Farm and Co- Ed facility produced
eggs and vegetables for consumption by the inmate population in the respective facilities resulting in a reduction in food purchases.
Madam Chairman, the facilities are occupied
by the Department of Ageing and require significant
maintenance and repair. The department continues to
prioritise finding solutions to address the repairs required as a state of our facilities not only impact staff
but those who are remanded in the custody of Corrections.

Physical Plant Upgrades

Physical plant upgrades over
the 2024/25 fiscal year included a continuation of refurbishment and repairs to one of the inmate housing
units at the Westgate Facility. Repairs and replacements have also been made to the air -conditioning
units at Westgate. [Additionally, there were] partial
replacements of the kitchen equipment in the main
kitchen at Westgate and there were some software
upgrades made to the main generator uninterrupted
power supply unit also at Westgate.

Current Account Estimates

I would now like to draw your
attention to page B -94 of the Budget Book which sets
out the current account estimates for the 2025/26 [fiscal year.] Here, under the General Summary, you will
note that there are 12 business units within the De-partment of Corrections. Those business units with
variances from fiscal [year] 2024/25 will be addressed
in turn. (I will take one second, Madam Chairman.)

Headquarters and OTS

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35000, Headquarters and OTS, is
$17,915,000 a decrease of $1,842,000 or 9 per cent
over the 2024/25 budget allocation. This business unit is 72 per cent of the department’s budget allocation.
The allocation will fund salaries for staff including cus-tody staff and operating expenses for Corrections
Headquarters. The Department of Corrections staff


Bermuda House of Assembly training regime is designed to provide learning that is
aligned with the department’s core values. Staff training programmes focus on equipping staff with the
necessary skills to maintain security, enforce policies and legal statutes, and to force the rehabilitation of incarcerated persons.
In fiscal year 2024/25 the Department of Corrections engaged in a very aggressive training pro-gramme both locally and overseas. Madam Chairman,
in the fiscal year 2024/25 the following training was
provided for staff: 37 staff [members] successfully completed the management and leadership training
programme through Bermuda College, APACE [Athora Professional & Career Education]; 25 CPR/First
Aid/AED training plus recertification; 19 leadership
and influence stream; 7 mental health First Aid training; 5 critical incident management; 3 Use of Force
revalidation instructors’ course; 2 recertifications of
professional licences forensic psychologist; and 10
[attended the] Presentation Advantage course.

Farm Facility

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35020 Farm Facility is $446,000.
This represents a $5,000 or 1 per cent increase when
compared to the 2024/25 fiscal budget. The Farm Fa-cility is an adult male minimum security facility with a capacity to house 90 inmates. For inmates to be
housed at this facility they must have completed their
core sentence plan requirements and are classified as
a minimum- to low -risk inmates.
Eligible inmates at the Farm Facility are considered for work release and charity programmes. Unescorted charities that allow inmates to independently contribute to [various programmes] such as rest homes and STAR -such programmes foster societal reconnection and the enhancement of the inmate’s
sense of self -worth.
During the fiscal year 2024/25, the Farm Facility’s gardens managed to produce a variety of vegetables including corn, beans, pumpkin, butternut
squash, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, beets, spinach, Swiss chard, sweet potatoes and turnips. The Animal Programme which includes chickens successfully produced nearly 2,114 eggs for consumption
which equates to a savings of approximately $1,585.
During the [2025/26] fiscal year, we are looking to increase the number of chickens with the aim of supplying all facilities with eggs.
The facility also houses goats which are part
of a robust animal husbandry therapeutic programme
aimed at teaching inmates a beneficial skill which may
be utilised upon release.
Madam Chairman, in fiscal year 2024/25, the
Work Release Programme continued with 10 inmates participating. Two inmates who participated completed
their sentence, were released and secured gainful
employment. The diverse employment placements showcase the success of the Work Release Programme in connecting individuals to various employment opportunities.
During the fiscal year 2024/25, a new work
release initiative “Step Up Work Readiness” started with the aim of providing inmates with significant opportunities to develop the social skills, work ethic, and
gain valuable experience outside of the facility compound. This programme also reinforces in inmates a
sense of confidence, purpose, responsibility and ultimately contributes to reducing their chances of reoffending upon release from custody. Through this
programme they have assisted with the removal of
invasive trees from Coney Island and at various spots
around the Island and have assisted with the clearing
of foliage which encroaches on roads and main
throughfares.
Madam Chairman, recently the Mechanics
Programme at the Farm Facility was reintroduced after a lengthy absence. The main garage at the Farm
Facility is the location of this programme and the intent is to engage inmates with instruction in motor
mechanics, teaching them viable skills which can be
utilised upon reintegration into the wider community. It
is also intended that the garage operations will reduce
overall costs associated with the servicing of the department's fleet of vehicles.

Co-Educational Facility

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35030 Co- educational Facility is
$306,000. This represents an increase of $1,000 when compared to the 2024/25 fiscal budget. This
facility with a capacity of 56 cells has separate and
distinct provisions to house 40 females (adult and juvenile); six young male offenders between the ages of
16 and 21; and 18 adult males participated in the residential Substance Abuse Treatment programme therapeutic community. Educational and vocational programmes are offered based on the needs and classification of the inmates and trainees and are identified
through the case management process.
Madam Chairman, the following programmes
are offered at the Co- Ed [Facility] to support the rehabilitation of incarcerated persons.
• Ongoing training and development programmes are provided to help prevent
reoffending.
• Assistance with housing and job placement is
offered to ensure those in custody have the
best possible start as they transition back into
the community upon release.
• Young offenders without a General Education
Diploma [GED] are enrolled in educational
programmes to help them achieve this goal
and provide a foundation for greater self -
achievement.
404 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly • Religious programmes to support inmates’
spiritual needs.
• Alcoholics Anonymous support groups are
available to offer support during incarceration
and help facilitate continued support upon re-lease.
• A chicken programme has been established
at the Co- Ed Facility offering therapeutic benefits as inmates care for the chickens.
• Carpentry classes for both male and female inmates or trainees.
• A mentorship programme is available and de-signed to support the spiritual and social development of inmates and young offenders.
Through this programme experienced men-tors guide mentees in navigating personal
challenges, fostering emotional growth and
building stronger social skills.
• The Cisco [Networking Academy] computer
programme course continued allowing inmates to engage in computer -based programming in a variety of disciplines and pro-vides the opportunity to obtain certified courses and diplomas.

Westgate Correctional Facility

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35060 Westgate Correctional Facility
is $1,188,000. This represents an increase of $52,000 or 5 per cent when compared to the 2024/25 budget.
Westgate Correctional Facility is an adult male establishment with the capacity to house 220 inmates classified as maximum, medium, and minimum security as
well as males remanded by the courts . Most of the
assessment and treatment programs for male inmates
take place at this facility . Westgate presently houses
over 20 inmates who are serving life and over 15 inmates who are serving 15 years or more .
Madam Chairman, in fiscal year 202 4/25,
Westgate Facility continued to have infrastructure
challenges such as plumbing, electrical and roofing
defects because of an ageing physical plant which
has been in existence since 1994.
Madam Chairman, during fiscal year 2024/25
whilst undertaking of the refurbishment of one of the medium classification housing units , the department
entered a pilot programme with the D epartment of
Works and Engineering to enlist nine inmates to supplement the refurbishment work in the unit . The inmates (who were remunerated) were selected based
on their skills and some based on their willingness to learn a new skill . This initiative was a six -week project
that ended in the successful completion of sanding and repainting of the unit with results exceeding expectations .
Madam Chairman, the implementation of a
computer lab instructor continues to bolster supervised access of the computer lab, allowing inmates to utilise programming to online educational and technological programmes. This access also benefits inmates who require additional learning support or may
require alternative learning styles. Inmates who are
seeking employment as part of their discharge planning can now be given a monitored personal email
address allowing them to communicate with potential
employers. Vocational and enrichment classes such
as art , music , culinary arts , and small engine repairs
continue to be offered for enrichment and prove popular with the inmate population.

Therapeutic Community Centre

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35090 Therapeutic Community Centre is $653,000 which represents a decrease of
$132,000 or 17 per cent when compared to the budget allocation for the fiscal year 202 4/25. This reduction
is related to the programme being transitioned to the management of the Department of Corrections resul ting in a reduction in operational costs.
Madam Chairman, t he Therapeutic Community Centre, also known as the Right Living House
[RLH] , is located at the Co- Educational Facility. During the 2024/25 fiscal year, the RLH programme was successfully transitioned from the GO Group to the
Department of Corrections on 1 July 2024. The Right
Living House is a substance abuse rehabilitation programme that is segregated from the remaining prison
population. The programme has the capacity to house
18 adult male offenders with a history of substance
abuse and associated criminality. The programme aims to transition residents to the broader community
with an increased potential for a life free of drug abuse
and criminal activity through providing tools and opportunities for change. The budget allocation funds
staffing, operational costs and the inmate programmes associated with the Right Living House.
Madam Chairman, over the past year 15 inmates enrolled in the Right Living House programme.
The residents transitioned through three phases of the
programme with increased privileges such as day
passes , spiritual passes , and work release. Four residents in phase three have participated in work release
as they transition back into the community while continuing to engage in therapeutic groups and classes
during evenings and weekends . Additionally , six individuals participated in the Aftercare programme with
two graduating in September 2024 during recovery month. T he programme also accommodates individuals serving shorter sentences with community supervision to follow , particularly those who referred
through the D rug Treatment Court.

Psychological Services

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35105 Psychological Services is


Bermuda House of Assembly $354,000. This represents an increase of $10, 000 or
3 per cent when compared to the [ 2024 /25] fiscal
budget. Psychological services have evolved throughout the fiscal year of 2024/25 and are provided across
all three facilities. The services provided by the Psy-chology Department include clinical interventions on a
one-to-one basis and within a group setting. T he individual interventions are person- centred and aim to
meet the specific needs of the clients . To enhance the
services provided, psychologists have engaged in
continuous professional development and have now
introduced eye movement desensitisation and repro-cessing [EMDR], an intervention to address trauma
which has been delivered on a one- to-one basis.
During this fiscal year the group intervention
Life Minus Violence— Enhanced [ LMV-E] was delivered for violent offenders . The service has also been
involved in conducting psychological risk assessments for the purposes of pre- sentence planning for the
courts of Bermuda and for the P arole Board. It must
be noted that support from contracted psychologist s is
needed to complete some of these requests .
Madam Chairman, it should also be noted that
while psychological services are primarily provided for
the incarcerated, the department psychologists also
provide consistent support and consultation for staff in
times of crisis . Psychological provision within Corrections extends to risk focus and well -being interventions which include , but are not limited to, individual
therapies like cognitive behaviour therapy , including
trauma- focused therapy , management of deliberate
self-injurious behaviours , and eye movement desensitisation reprocessing. The breadth of psychological
services provision through Corrections is much
broader than can be fit into this brief .
Madam Chairman, areas of focus for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 will be the implementation
of individualised programming to treat those incarcerated for both violent and sexual offences issued. A
collaborative working relationship between psychological services, health services , and the department
leadership team ensures that our clients psychological
needs are being met . In addition, staff support sessions through reflective practice can assist staff
across all three facilities on a consistent basis .

Social Services and C ase Management

The estimate for business unit
35106 Social Services and C ase Management is
$959,000. This represents an increase of $380,000 or
66 per cent when compared to fiscal budget 2024/25.
This budget increase is due to additional staffing consisting of one social worker , three treatment facilitators, and various independent service providers . The
department ’s social worker is a member of the department's Multi-Disciplinary Team and assist s inmates and trainees with offence- specific associated
problems to address behavioural , social and financial problems . The Social Work Team provides a variety of
services to the inmates and trainees .
During fiscal year 2024/25, Social Services
facilitated the Grief Recovery Programme for inmates ,
participat ed in mental health clients in Corrections
meetings with other agencies to ensure continuity of
services being between the agencies . Additionally ,
Social Services coordinated the Fathers and Children
Together , Father's Day event on 22 June 2024. Nine
fathers participated in the event and 17 children attended. T he second F athers and C hildren Together
event took place during the Christmas period with the
Prison Fellowship Angel Tree Programme donating 62
gifts to the children and grocery vouchers to families .
This was an excellent opportunity for dads and their
children to spend quality time together . The second
annual Family and Friends Get Together party was
held at the Co- Ed F acility for the adult females and
trainees . The event gave the participants an opportunity to bond with family members and friends . The
Thinking for a Change Programme, which addresses
cognitive dissonance intervention, commenced in
February 2024 and eight participants completed the programme.
The social worker also assists inmates in securing employment and housing prior to their release.
Additionally , the social worker facilitates family support and intervention meetings .
Madam Chairman, four case managers or
assessment officers provide assessment and classification for the inmate population. T hey are responsible
for the development of case plans which drives the
rehabilitation process for all inmates , assisting them in
developing risk reduction as well as critical thinking
tools to address criminogenic thoughts and behaviours .
During the 2024/25 fiscal year , case managers conducted various assessments , provided parole
reports , made referrals ( both internally and externally ),
process ed inmate applications , and held multidisciplinary case conferences

Health Services

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35107 Health Services is
$1,744,000. This represents a $181,000 or 12 per
cent increase when compared to 2024/25 fiscal budget. This increase is related to the number of inmates
requiring health care services . This budget allocation
will provide funding for nursing staff and health care
services for inmates . Health Services is managed by a
senior nurse and five registered nurses responsible
for providing services to the inmate population at all
facilities .

Educational Services

406 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Dennis Lister III: Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35108 E ducational Services is
$389,000. T his represents an $89,000 or 30 per cent
increase. T his is due to an increase in the cost of new
courses and associated materials . During the fiscal
year 2024/25 , a total of 55 clients were actively engaged in various educational courses or classes offered both internally and in conjunction with partner
agencies. Twenty students, during fiscal year 2024/25
were actively enrolled in the GED Penn Foster High
School equivalency programmes. A total of six stu-dents sat the GED exam. One successfully passed
the GED, whilst the remainder had various portions to
successfully complete their GED. There were also two
students enrolled in Penn Foster. One student successfully graduated in custody, while the other was
successful after release from custody. There are cur-rently 15 remaining students pursuing their high
school equivalency degree.
Nineteen students participated in various
Bermuda College PACE courses which were offered
online. Through a partnership with the department and
the Bermuda Technical Institute Association, 15 students were enrolled in a variety of Cisco Certified
courses ranging from cybersecurity to entrepreneur-ship. During the summer programme other classes
were offered. These classes included toastmaster
speech craft, music sound engineering, drumming and African studies. A total of 25 students participated in
these offerings. Ten students also participated in the
FinTech programme which was cosponsored by the Economic Development Department. Five students
successfully graduated and were personally congratulated via recorded message by the Premier, the Hon-ourable David Burt.
Six students were enrolled in foreign language
classes, architecture, graphic design, law studies and
individualised remedial learning. One student was accepted into the London School of Design in marketing
and has commenced studies which will culminate in a
Bachelor of Arts [degree] in Marketing. Sixteen students attended a virtual conference held by the Alliance of Higher Education in Prison. This conference
highlighted the important role of education in the jour-ney of rehabilitation and reduction of recidivism.

Vocational Services

Madam Chairman, the estimate
for business unit 35109, Vocational Services, is
$352,000. This represents an increase of $228,000 or
54 per cent. This increase in funding will provide for
continued development of an inmate cooperative programme (a Throne Speech initiative), resumption of
the National Center for Construction Education and
Research (NCCER) training and trade courses. The Department of Corrections prison population has access to a variety of vocational programmes. The De-partment of Corrections offered the following voca-tional programmes during the 2024/25 budget year .
• Academic studies, classes in person and
computer based.
• APACE courses, computer based at Bermuda
College
• Art classes
• Carpentry
• First Aid/CPR/AED
• Horticulture classes
• Motor mechanics
• Sewing
In addition, Vocational Services also provide
hobby work experiences for inmates. These opportunities not only provide a creative outlet, but in addition,
inmates can sell wares such as cedar plaques, jewellery boxes and fabric items such as bags, caps and
articles of clothing. These programmes will continue to
be offered during the 2025/26 fiscal year.

Recreational Services

Madam Chairman, I would like
to draw your attention to [page] B -95 of the approved
Estimates of R evenue and E xpenditure Book. Salaries
have decreased by $1,461,000, or 7 per cent. This
decrease is a result of the forecasted retirement of
senior officers and planned recruitment of new officers
at the introductory pay rate.
Professional Services has increased by
$178,000, or 10 per cent. This increase can be contributed to the increased number of contractors required to provide services to the department.
Materials and Supplies has increased by
$56,000, or 3 per cent. This increase represents materials and supplies that will be needed to effect minor
throughout the facilities due to ageing.

Performance Measures

Madam Chairman, I would now
like to draw your attention to [page] B -97 which outlines the performance measures of the Department of
Corrections. The forecast for 2025/26 is as follows.
1. The average daily inmate population is currently at 152 with 47 of the admissions estimated to be first -time offenders who receive
custodial services.
2. The number of inmates projected to be released through parole is four. In fiscal year
2024/25, Madam Chairman, 40 per cent of elBermuda House of Assembly igible inmates enrolled in development and
treatment programmes aimed to address the
offending behaviours, address educational
and vocational needs and improve skills development. This department has a target en-rolment of 50 per cent for 2025/26.
The Department of Corrections calculates its
recidivism rates according to internationally accepted practices. Based on these standards the rates include
persons who have a conviction for a new offence within three years of their release. The actual outcome for 2024/25 was 20.0 per cent. For international comparison, the recidivism rate at three years is 36.0 per cent
in Australia, 31 .0 per cent in Austria, 17.5 in France,
33.0 per cent in Germany, 44.0 per cent in New Zealand, 25.2 per cent in the UK and 45.0 per cent in the
United States.

Capital Acquisition and Development

Madam Chairman, I will now
move to [page] C -10 of the Budget Book and Capital
Acquisitions. The estimate for 2025/26 is $402,000.
This allocation will be used for main kitchen equipment upgrades, the purchase of security equipment and air -conditioning equipment. [Page] C -4 shows the
2025/26 estimate for Capital Development is at $600,000. The department has commenced the procurement of the Black Creek Integrated security system which is Phase 2 of the required upgrade of the
existing security system, Black Creek.
The original system was installed when Westgate on 9 September 1994. The existing system (which is obsolete) will be upgraded to current operat-ing standards. Although procurement has begun in
fiscal year 2024/25, the bulk of the work will be com-pleted during the 2025/26 fiscal year. Also, during the 2024/25 fiscal year in conjunction with the Ministry of
Public Works, the plumbing and electrical retrofit procurement process began. The remaining work will be
completed during the 2025/26 fiscal year.
Madam Chairman, during the 2024/25 fiscal
year, the procurement for a new intercom paging system for the Co- Ed facility began. The original system
is scheduled for replacement or upgrade with coverage throughout the entire facility. This new intercom
system will replace an older antiquated system and
provide for two- way communication between inmates
and staff should inmates require emergency assis-tance or are incapacitated whilst in their cells. Also, three ageing vehicles were replaced.
The capital developments plans for 2025/26
include
• Security equipment which would improve security measures;
• Replacement of the Farm Facility generator
and hut to house it. This will ensure continuity
of services during power outages, particularly during hurricane season. • Replacement of ageing vehicles; and
• Minor works funding for small infrastructure
projects and unforeseen emergencies.

2025/26 Plans

Madam Chairman, staffing at
the facility continues to be a critical challenge and is a
major part of ensuring the safety and security at the facility. We must operate at the highest security
standard thus ensuring Corrections staff, service providers, inmates and visitors are safe within the facility.
Staffing has posed a significant challenge in
fulfilling our mission as the Department of Corrections endeavours to provide assessment, treatment, intervention, skills training, development, family support
and community reintegration for each inmate prior to
their return to the community. Despite our challenges
with manpower, which requires that staff work long
hours and sometimes double shifts, we are committed
to ensure that the highest level of security is met and maintained. We continue our efforts in the interdiction
and eradication of contraband items from the facility.
This is done through intelligence gathering and sharing with our partner agencies and the utilisation of our
canine units for the general searching of the facility
and continue the targeting and searching of high- risk
offenders and gang members within the facility.

Priorities

Madam Chairman, I will briefly
set out some of the priorities of the Department of Corrections for fiscal year 2025/26. The department
will continue with recruitment to fill various vacant
posts which are mainly custodial staff. Recruitment of
custodial staff has been a challenge during this fiscal
year. However, we recognise that staff are our greatest asset to the fulfilment of our mission and are vig-orously recruiting to bolster our existing staffing levels.
The department is currently undertaking a threepronged recruitment drive in Bermuda, the Caribbean
and the UK to fill custodial staff posts. At this stage,
32 applicants have reached the final stage of assessments and interviews. Bermudians take hiring priority
and remaining posts will be filled after offers have been provided to local applicants.
Department promotions in the senior ranks
are scheduled to fill vacant senior management posts.
The department will work with the Ministry headquarters and other uniformed services to introduce the
Uniformed Services training programme which is a Throne Speech initiative to recruit suitably qualified
candidates and fill the needed vacancies.
As a health and safety priority, the department
will work with the Ministry of Public Works to effect
repairs and replacements of ageing facility structures
and equipment. The department will partner with the Ministry of Public Works to provide work placements
408 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly for inmates on [the] facility’s minor work projects. As
part of a plan to engage the community, the department will partner with community stakeholders to support the successful reintegration of inmates into the
community. The Department of Corrections will also work with community partners to develop projects that
can benefit both the inmates and the wider community.
Finally, the department will continue to work
with other government agencies on criminal justice-related initiatives, updated policy initiatives, amend-ments to antiquated legislation to reflect modern day
best practices in Corrections and that align with the
mission of the department.
Madam Chairman, I would like to thank the
Commissioner, Ms. Joell -Benjamin, and her staff who
throughout many challenges beyond her control provided exemplary service and delivered on the mission
to protect the public and provide rehabilitative services.
Madam Chairman, this concludes my remarks
on Head 25, but before I finish, I just want to make some acknowledgements. I would like to take this
moment to acknowledge and sincerely thank the dedicated officers within the Ministry who worked diligently to prepare this budget brief. Their expertise and unwavering commitment have been invaluable in shaping the priorities and strategic direction presented here today. I would like to name Attorney General and
Senator, the Honourable Kim Wilkerson, JP; Permanent Secretary Mr. David Roberts; outgoing Perma-nent Secretary Ms. Marva Jean O’Brien; Comptroller
Ms. Onika Mendes ; Solicitor General Shakira DillFrancois; Chief Parliamentary Counsel Ms. Nalini
Salick; Director of Public Prosecutions Ms. Cindy
Clarke; Commissioner of Corrections, Ms. Keeva Jo-ell-Benjamin; Director of Court Services, Mr. Derek
Flood; Acting Registrar of the Judicial Department,
Ms. Cratonia Thompson; Director of Financial Sanctions Implementation Unit, Ms. Renée Foggo; Director
of Financial Intelligence Agency, Ms . Christal Hanna ;
and Legal Crown Counsel Legal Reform, Mr. Keivon Simons.
With that, Madam Chairman, I conclude my
presentation on the Ministry of Justice.

Thank you, Junior Minister Lister. I
will give you a minute to just sort yourself and get
ready for any questions.
I just want to take this opportunity to update
the listening public that we are in Committee of Supply for the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure. We
are currently doing the Ministry of Justice, and that
would be Heads 81, 3, 4, 74, 75, and 25.
I welcome anyone who would like to speak at
this time.
The Chair recognises the Member for constituency 22, Mr. Scott Pearman.

Thank you, Madam Chairman,
and good afternoon to you and to the listening public. Let me start by thanking the Honourable Junior Minister for his presentation. And, in particular, let me thank
him for his speed reading, because he has very kindly left me with considerably more time than I have ever
experienced, I think, in Legal Affairs to date and I am
extremely grateful. Unfortunately, we did add an hour
to the debate on this one, so I do apologise in advance.
Let me also acknowledge the presence in the
Chamber of the Honourable and Learned Attorney
General, Senator Kim Wilkerson, who I see is here
with her staff, including the new PS, Mr. Roberts, and
the old PS Ms. O’Brien. I apologise, there is another
member of the Ministry here, whose name I do not
know, but hello and welcome and thank you for being here today.
The—

Okay. Excellent. Oh, and I am
being offered a podium for the [Budget] Book.
Madam Chairman, I will try my very best to
assist both the Honourable Junior Minister and the
members of the Ministry by maintaining each of the
heads and trying to put all of my questions on a particular head and also to go through the h eads in the
same order that the Honourable Junior Minister did. I
noted that order actually differed from the order in the Budget Book, but I will adopt his speaking order rather
than the order that is in the Budget Book.

And the first head, the Ministry of
Justice Headquarters, as a whole appears (for those
who are following along in their Budget Books) at
page B -78. And that is where we have the overview of
the budget for the Ministry of Justice including all of the heads and all of the departments. And, again, for
the benefit of the listening public, this Ministry has changed substantially since last year in that one of the
departments, namely the National Drug Control Department, is no longer in this Ministry. So, we have
lost that department to another Ministry. But we have
also picked one up, and that is the Department of Corrections.
So, I mention that for the benefit of the listening public, but also because the Department of Corrections is something entirely new to me. It has never
been in my Shadow portfolio for these last eight years.
So, I apologise in advance, when we get to Correc-tions, if any of my questions are patently obvious or
silly questions. But this is my first time dealing with
Corrections. So, it is certainly a complicated and inBermuda House of Assembly teresting area of government and one that is very important, not only to this Chamber, but to the Government as a whole and to the population as a whole.
But starting first, Madam Chairman, with the
headquarters. The overarching point is that the budg-et, which is again at page B -78, is just under one million [dollars] more than it was last year. So, there will
be anticipated expenditure in this Ministry and, as we
have heard from the Junior Minister, most of the anticipated increases in expenditure do appear to be salary
increases here or there. The one exception in the Min-istry as a whole is Corrections, where rather than the
numbers going up, we see for Corrections the numbers are going down, in particular against 2023 actuals, the numbers for Corrections are going to go down
about $2 million. And we will come to that when we
get to that particular head.
But, leaving Corrections firmly to one side, the
theme of expenditure (and this is a budget debate) for
the Ministry of Justice is that generally things are ticking up and they are ticking up generally because of salary increases. And that was something that the
Honourable Junior Minister made clear on a number
of occasions while presenting his brief.
The specific headquarters increases, if one
turns to page B -80, are largely, again, in the administration section. We see $780,000 increases to the
2025 estimate, that’s against the original 2024, but considerably up for most of the 2023 actuals. And I
am looking here at page B -80 under line item 97000,
which is the Administration line item for the Justice
Headquarters. The personnel increase. There was not
a great deal of specificity as to what roles were being
increased. There was an expressed reference in the brief by the Honourable Junior Minister to the staff at
the Parole Board being increased. And I noted that.
But my first question out of the gate is, given
that there is a considerable salary increase and numbers increase and employees increase could the
Honourable Junior Minister and the Ministry help to
elaborate a little bit about what new roles one can expect given the considerable increase of some
$780,000 there which, as I understand is mostly linked
to salaries?
Madam Chairman, I am happy to be guided
by you, but from prior experience sometimes the answers are slower than the questions. And so, I won’t
trip into the next head, but I am certainly happy to set
out my questions on this head and let the answers
trickle in. And I will take my seat whenever the Hon-ourable Junior Minister wishes to provide the answers.
So, if that is okay with you, and okay with the Honourable Junior Minister that is how I will know that’s acceptable.

So, that is a little bit more flesh
on the bones, if we could, about the personnel increases and the cost increases for salaries.
The second topic, still on this head, and this
arises on page B -80, line item 97100, and this is in
relation to the Financial Intelligence Unit. Excuse me,
that is the wrong line item, it is about the Law Reform
Commission.
In his brief, the Honourable Junior Minister
indicated that most of those law reform commissions
were made back in July 2019. And he indicated that
those appointments are mostly, if not all, coming to an end and that a new slate will be appointed. For the
benefit of those less familiar, the Law Reform Commission is a group of people, probably lawyers (I’m
not sure if they are all lawyers, but certainly most of them will be lawyers) who assist the Government with
proposals as to how to improve our laws. So, it does
what it says on that tin the “Law Reform Commission.”
So, what I would like to know in relation not
only to the new slate that we anticipate is coming, or
we are told is coming, but in relation to the old slate
who are now stepping aside after six years of diligent
hard work, firstly, what is the Ministry’s focus on law
reform? What are the priority areas of law reform for
this Ministry and this new Attorney General? Where
410 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly would she like to see our laws improve in the immediate one- , two -year period?
Secondly, in the same vein, are we inviting
the outgoing commissioners to express their views?
They have had six years in the proverbial saddle, as it were. Are we going to invite their views as to what
they advocate should happen in terms of law reform.
The reason I say this is that we who sit in this Chamber often think that the changes to the law are those
which the Government or sometimes the Opposition
say they should be. And sometimes we ignore those who use the law, and who deal with it every day, and
do our shouting and screaming about the areas of the
law that require reform that sometimes do not get the
attention that they should from us legislators. So, it
seems to me that if someone has spent a good six
years working hard, and probably without pay, as a law commissioner, leaving aside the director, I know is
a paid role, but the others, I suspect, are not paid
roles. It would be very meaningful and probably helpful to invite their five or ten points as to how we could enhance Bermuda’s legislative roadmap.
As to the director of the Law Reform Commission, the Honourable Junior Minister, mentioned a curious situation where he, and I believe it is Keivon Simons, I think (let me look at my notes) . . . where
Mr. Simons, who, I know at one time was a lawyer at Carey Olson, is performing a dual role in that he is performing the statutory requirement of being the Director of the Law Reform Commission, whilst at the
same time performing the role of being effectively the (I don’t know the precise expression) policy and strategy councillor, or words to that effect. And I just wonder what plans, if any, the Ministry has to separate out
those two roles. And no disrespect to Mr. Simons, I
am sure he is performing both roles competently at the same time. But is the Attorney General and her Ministry intending to separate out those roles, as one
can see why they would be free- standing and self -
sufficient and differential roles that may not normally
be provided by one person wearing both hats as it
were. So, if I can ask that as my fourth sort of overarching question.
At page C -10, we see the acquisitions of the
department. And this is still in relation to headquar-ters. I note that we had an acquisition of some
$200,000. This is at page C -10 in relation to the Ministry of Justice, under the Justice Headquarters and it ’s
line item 76853, Case Management System. And we
note that in relation to the case management system, some $200,000 has been spent. If we look to the right,
the revised estimate is then zero, and next year’s, this
year’s, as it were, estimate is zero.
So, my question in relation to the case management system for HQ is, Is that now complete? Is
all the work done? And, if so, how is it all working? And if all of the work is not done, [I am just curious
why] there is a zero- budget item. Has it been post-poned or delayed? So, that question arises in relation to the line item at page C -10.
And then going back in the Budget Book to
page B -78, which is overarching page for the Ministry
of Justice, under Capital Expenditure, under Acquisitions, we see an estimated acquisition number $1.47
million (that’s in the greyed- out column, Madam
Chairman, to the right of “acquisitions” under the
2025/26 estimate). Looking at that, I am just wondering if we can assist with what is happening in relation
to that. Because if one goes back to page C -10, which
we were just looking at, we see there, I think the largest line item, which is Judicial, and we will come back
to it, but CJS framework. So, if I may flag that I would
be interested to hear the progress made in relation to
that noting that there has been $800,000 of expenditure, and $1 million of anticipated expenditure in rela-tion to that.
In the back of the [Budget] Book, turning then
to the page on Grants, which is C (for Charlie) 17, one of the considerable items of increased expenditure in
the Grant heading under Ministry of Justice at [page]
C-17 is the FIA grant, the Financial Intelligence Agency grant, which is increasing fairly markedly. And I know that the Honourable Junior Minister did touch on
the Financial Intelligence Agency in his brief. But I did
not quite catch the reason for the considerable in-crease in expenditure. So, if I could just start with a
headline question of, Why is that? A nd again, if we
could just have a little more meat on the bones about
the increased expenditure going up to $2.125 million,
as you can see on page C -17.
In terms of Legal Aid, which the Honourable
Junior Minister in his brief said was one of the largest costs and one of the largest costs within Legal Aid,
the Honourable Junior Minister referenced external
counsel. And he said that the costs in relation to those
was (and I quote) “more than expected.” One of the —

And I am dealing with the issue
of Legal Aid. And I was dealing with the statement
made by the Honourable Junior Minister in his brief
that in relation to Legal Aid one of the largest costs to
the Government in Legal Aid was external counsel.
And he had said that that was more than expected.
Now, the plan in relation to Legal Aid was to
in-house counsel. And that has been a plan that has


Bermuda House of Assembly been developing over the last few years. And the idea
. . . and I understand the idea. You bring your inhouse lawyers in. You have your lawyers in house. And if you look at page B -82, we see there in the middle box of business units . . . So, this is performance
measures at B (for Bravo) 82. And in the middle box
we see Legal Aid 97030. And this is the business unit.
And we see the percentage of new cases (this is the
third item down, percentage of new cases) assigned
to in -house legal counsel. And reading across, you
see the actual of 68 per cent back in 2023. Projections
last year, 75 per cent, revised 75 per cent. And next
year we are projecting 90 per cent.
Now, I just observe that that is an ambitious
projection of 90 per cent. And I would invite the Ministry to explain their rationale behind that 90 per cent
prediction, not least given the number, I think 43 per
cent, of conflicts that were identified as being the reason to pass internal in- house cases out to external
counsel, and 43 [per cent] may be wrong, but it was
forty-something. I am grateful to the Honourable
Member behind me, but it was in the 40s.
So, to sort of try and put that in simple terms,
if we are experiencing such a problem with conflict
with our in -house team that we have to outsource to
external counsel, is the 90 per cent figure on [page] B -
82 realistic? Is it improbable? And more important than that, how does the Ministry anticipate achieving that to get this plan working, which is to take these
things in -house? So, I would be very grateful for some
elaboration on the thought behind that and the apparent contradiction between the 90 per cent target outcome at page B -82 and the conflict number [shared
with us] by the Honourable Junior Minister during his brief?
Moving from in- house counsel in Legal Aid to
the sort of larger question, Is the Ministry satisfied with the pace of trial progress? I note that some of the statistics that have been shared with us today, specifically in the upper courts, were less positive perhaps that
in the Magistrates’ Courts. And one might say that the
Magistrates’ Court figures were more positive in terms
of progression of trials. I am fully cognisant —in fact,
we all will be fully cognisant and those using the legal
system will be cognisant —of the fact that we had a
huge backlog coming out of COVID -19. And that is
some years past now. But nonetheless, a bit of sense of a health check from the Minister and the Ministry.
Where are we with the pace of trial progress? And are
we satisfied with it, or are there things that could be done to improve it or to speed it up?
On the issue of provision of legal services,
one of the things that is a passion of mine and I have called for previously both inside of this House and out,
is the notion that the Bar, the lawyers in Bermuda, can
do more to engage with the Bermudian community and do more from a pro bono perspective, which is
obviously Latin for free, for good, pro bono. And one
of the ideas that has been bubbling around, percolat-ing around is this idea of a walk -in legal clinic which
would be staffed by the Bar Council and by barristers and lawyers and attorneys giving their free time pro
bono to provide at least the more necessary services.
And I obviously appreciate I am not in the
criminal sector here. I am talking more in the civil sector. More specifically, I am talking more about landlord
and tenant, family law issues, employment law issues,
you know, the kind of thing where just a little bit of
knowledge from a lawyer as to how the law works in
that area can be so very helpful to people who are not legally qualified and just want to know what their rights
are. And I would put this marker down, that if the new
Attorney General would like to try to develop that idea
of a legal clinic, it seems to me that there are ample
number of lawyers on this Island. Some would say far
too many. We should all be doing—
Yes, I see the Honourable Member Craig
Cannonier has put his finger up to say, Too many.
[Laughter]

I see the Honourable Member
Michael Fahy, who is a lawyer, say, Never. But there
we are.
But the reality is that there are a number of
lawyers on this Island, probably more statistically and percentagewise than in some other jurisdictions, given
that we are an international financial centre. And I will
put it in the bucket of Wouldn’t it be nice? But would it
not be nice if we could try to harness some of us and
guilt us and shame us into providing those services?
I think we are not far off. What I would respectfully suggest to the Attorney General and her Honourable Junior Minister would be the possibility of
identifying some space. And we heard from an answer
to Parliamentary Questions from the Honourable
Craig Cannonier the other day about how many government properties there are still on the books where
a full- time or part -time clinic could be staffed by volunteer lawyers to share that advice with the public.
Now, I appreciate that that might not be open
seven days a week, 24 hours a day, but maybe could be open three days a week, you know, six hours a day
or something like that. So, I just put a marker down that, in the spirit of bipartisanship and welcoming the
new Attorney General, that would be something wonderful to try to work toward. And it would make a
meaningful impact, I suggest, to those who really would benefit from it.
So, I guess the question is this: In principle,
would the Minister and the Ministry be prepared to find
some space for a walk -in location? And would they be
prepared to work toward persuading the Bar Council
that this is just an eminently sensible and helpful idea
for the community at large?
Turning to what is probably the most interesting announcement in the Legal Affairs space for those
of us who have been following it or participating in it
412 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly for some time is the Domestic Violence Court and also
the Domestic Violence Programme. The question I
have about the Domestic Violence Programme is at
page B (for Bravo) 80 under the General Summary.
And my understanding is that programme, which is currently operational, is folded into line item 97070,
which is the Justice Protection Programme. Now, I
may have misunderstood that. But I think it is commingled within there.
That programme, the Justice Protection Programme, has been given an estimated budget of $320,000. And if I am right that that is commingled
with the Domestic Violence Programme. And I may
not be, but if I am right that they are commingled,
could perhaps I have a breakdown of how the
$320[,000] breaks out between the JPP (the Justice
Protection Programme) and the Domestic Violence Programme?
And the other question, as long as we are on
this page, is the line item immediately below deals with the Sanctions Unit. And this has been a particu-larly active area of late for a number of reasons. One
because as an international financial centre, Bermuda
is at the forefront of regulatory obligations and requirements. And we need to make sure that we are not only meeting the grade, but exceeding the grade,
which we do, I hasten to add. And I thank those involved.
And the other reason why this is busy territory
is of course the wars that are going on, and particular-ly the war in the Ukraine and the sanctions regime that is being applied to Russians and other citizens in
relation to that. And so, my question there . . . and I do
appreciate that the Honourable Junior Minister in his
brief spoke a little bit about the FSIU [Financial Sanctions Implementation Unit], but I would invite a little more clarification about how we are engaging with the sanctions regime in a practical way. Again, I note also
that in the brief there was a discussion of the Governor’s powers to give relief from sanctions, or licensed
sanctions . . . excuse me, that is not the right phraseology . . . to give licence in relation to them.
But I would like to know how it is going on,
and in particular what is the impact of the war and the
sanctions regime upon our registries? This was a hot
topic only a few years ago in relation to our shipping
registry, our aircraft registry. And I would welcome just
a little bit of information or view from the learned Attorney General or her Ministry as to how that is going
and perhaps where we see that going. So, Madam Chairman, those are my questions in relation to [page]
B-80.
While we are on [page] B -80, there is also in
the box below, which is Expenditure, a line item for Professional Services. Now, I declare my interest as a
lawyer. I like lawyers, and therefore I recognise that when lawyers hire lawyers, things get very expensive.

But Professional Services. So,
the actuals were $1.28 million in 2023. They are going
up. They are going up quite considerably, $1.9 [million] is the estimate, $1.94 million in the grey box
there for Professional Services at [page] B -80. That is
almost $1 million up. And so, I guess the question I
have is, Why is it that such a considerable increase is
expected against last year’s original budget or indeed
the actuals of 2023? Is there something looming that
requires particular additional expert legal advice to the
Attorney General’s Chambers, or indeed to the Ministry of Justice? Is there a particular reason that number is going up so much? Or is it just that things go up?
So, I would be grateful for an answer to that question.
At [page] B -82, which is over the page, two
pages, this is the box that deals with Performance
Measures in the Ministry of Justice Headquarters.
This is a very small point. But the box above for Consumer Affairs indicates that the number of vacation
rental inspections and licences was 105 in 2023/24.
And notwithstanding that we are now dealing with
2025/26, I note that 2024/25, the middle year still says to be determined. And I am just curious why there is
not an actually a number there. And if there is a number, could that number be shared with us?
Whilst I am on the Performance Measures
and with a finger staying here at [page] B -82 and turning back to [page] B -80, I had asked a question about
the Justice Protection Programme. If we go back to
[page] B -82, I note that there is no performance
measure at all for that programme in line item 97070,
which is the Justice Performance Programme, which is the third from the bottom at [page] B -80. And it does
strike us as a bit odd that there are no performance measures. The Junior Minister did state an 88 per
cent conviction rate, and that is excellent, because of the programme. And clearly this is a life- saving measure. But it is odd that there are no performance measures. And I suppose the question is, How do you
determine how best to allocate the limited resources that this Ministry has if you do not have performance
measures linked to that?
Likewise, if we go back to [page] B -81 where
we see the Employee box, I do not see any staff
linked to the Justice Protection Programme 97070. It
may be there are no staff. But that seemed odd too,
that that did not have an employee number linked to it.
And, Madam Chairman, those are my questions in relation to Head 87, the first of the six heads
that we are going to cover under this Ministry. And if
that is a convenient moment for me to take my seat
and allow the Junior Minister to address some of
those questions, I will sit down.



Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: Let me first ask if any other Member
would like to speak on Head 87?
No.
Junior Minister, you have the floor.

Thank you, Madam Chairman. I
will try and answer in the order that they were asked.
The first question asked by MP Pearman was
in regard to the personnel salary and employment
numbers in HQ. Just to make a point of clarification,
the number of members on the Parole Board and the budget have not increased. But the Parole Board has
been moved under the Ministry of Justice for the first
time. I would just make a point in regard to your question.
Your second question, What is the Ministry’s
or the Attorney General’s focus and priority, and are we inviting outcoming commissioners to express their
views? The Attorney General is interested in hearing
from both the outgoing and incoming commissioners
on their perspective, as well as hearing from members of the Judiciary and other relevant stakeholders. It is
only by collaboration and consultation that fundamental and important reforms to our legal system can take
place in an effective and comprehensive manner. And of particular interest to the Attorney General are updates to the domestic abuse laws to bring Bermuda in
line with modern approaches to protection and prose-cution.
Updates to restructuring and insolvency law,
reform to the Jurist Act to ensure that criminal cases are appropriately juried to allow for the swift and fair
application of justice. Reform of civil jury panel as recommended by the Judiciary and updates to the Pris-ons Act and Prison Rules and all laws that impact access to justice. And just while I wait, the last is that the Attorney General is also having ongoing discussions with the Governor regarding his views on commissioners.
Next question in regard to the case management system, How is it working, and if not, has the
budget been postponed or delayed? The funds allocated in the Ministry’s budget were earmarked for the
case management. At this point, no funds have been extended toward the case management system.
There is a request for proposal which was issued on 6
January 2025, and the submission deadline was initially set for 17 February, but was extended at the request of proponents to 3 March 2025. And the Judicial
Department is now engaged in the evaluation stage of the procurement process. And capital funds for the
case management system have been allocated in the
Judicial Department’s budget.
While I do wait for some answers, I will go into
another question [the Honourable Member] asked in
regard to Legal Aid staffing. There is no conflict num-ber in the budget brief, and we are unclear . . . I will
ask. We are unclear where that 40 per cent came
from if you can clarify that for us, MP Scott Pearman. Mr. Scott Pearman: Okay.

In regard to your question, Is
the Domestic Violence Court Programme commingled with the Justice Protection budget? The answer is no, they are not commingled. But the Justice Protection
will be available to witnesses and victims in that programme. And we can confirm no additional budget
was required from our department for the Domestic
Violence Court.
Then in regard to the Justice Protection Programme Performance Measurements, no, there are
no performance measurements made public. The information from that programme is statutorily required
to be top secret and confidential. The persons who
staff the programme are full -time public servants who
hold full -time posts within the Ministry, and they receive no additional salary.
And in regard to the question about the dual
role of Mr. Keivon Simons, there has been a service
management review that established roles to support
Legal Aid pending a new law reform office.
I am hoping I am able to answer your questions correctly, MP Pearman.
[Pause]

Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Sorry. Let me just clarify one point, and I
apologise. I think the note was in error. The 43 per
cent was in relation to the DPP [Department of Public Prosecutions] conflict and not in relation to the HQ
Legal Affairs. So, apologies for my misstatement
there. The 43 per cent, Madam [Chairman] , was in
relation to the DPP conflict, not in the Attorney General’s Chambers. So, I do apologise for that confusion.
Nonetheless, the question still stands. Is
90 per cent an ambitious target for next year, notwithstanding the 43 per cent is unrelated?
Yes. So, would the Honourable Junior Minister prefer me to move on to the next head, or do you have further answers to give?

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The next of our six heads, the second of our
six heads, is the Judicial Department. And that commences on page B -84 for those following along in the
Budget Book. And if we keep sort of a finger at [page]
B-84, we turn back to the overarching page for the
Ministry of Justice at [page] B -78. In relation to this
head, Head 3, Judicial Department, the second head,
we can see by the expenditures going up just over three- quarters of a million. Now, I think again, as per
the last head, my understanding is that the increase is largely due to salary increases rather than other spe-cific amounts. And I appreciate of course in the Judicial Department we do have all of the judiciary itself,
and then other members of courtrooms and cham-bers, which is a significant number of employees. As
set out at [page] B -86 it is about 20 or so [according
to] the estimate for next year.
My questions in relation to the Judicial Department are really at a high level. To begin with, in
terms of firstly the civil and commercial judges, where do we see those appointments going? We currently
have the Chief Justice. We have, as I understand it,
two full -time civil commercial judges. And we have
one, I do not want to say part -time, but effectively on a
fixed -term temporary position as a judge of the Commercial Court. Is that temporary judge likely to be re-newed or substituted for by a full -time judge?
Turning from the commercial court to the family court, could the Attorney General in the Ministry
kindly provide us, again very high- level, not specifics,
an update on the Family Matrimonial Court appointments and where we see that going, taking into account the Domestic Violence Court that is coming online or is partly online? And how do you see the
number of judges who are populating those courts?
In the Criminal Court, my understanding is
that we have a new judge, one new criminal judge. Again, do you see expansion or contraction in the
Criminal Court in relation to the number of judges that we have?
Turning from those sitting on the bench to
those before the benches, one of the matters that was emphasised at the opening of the judicial year where
judges are given an opportunity to speak slightly more
freely on their views of how the court system can be
improved, enhanced, addressed, et cetera, was a very
detailed presentation in relation to traffic offences.
And that was made by the Senior Magistrate, who set
out a number of issues as perceived by the bench and
how some of those might be addressed. One in particular that stood out in my mind was the . . . “plea”
might be putting it a bit hard, a bit high, but the obser-vation that some of the fines that we have for our traf-fic offences have not been updated in some considerable time. And questioning whether or not they do
amount to a sufficient deterrent.
For example, if you are speeding, it is only a
$500 fine. There are some people to whom that might
not be a great deal of money who would be less in-clined to worry about how fast they are driving.
Anyway, the Senior Magistrate made what I
thought was a very good case for a review of our traf-fic offences and what we might do in relation to them.
I think we can all agree that our roads are a cause for
concern. It has gone beyond mere safety concerns,
but you know, we have people dying on our roads
more than we should. And again, it is not a political
point; it is just an observation.
And I think where our Senior Magistrate rightly
calls for an overhaul of our traffic laws, hopefully this will be something that can be picked up with relative
ease and in a bipartisan way and pushed through this
House with the speed that the matter deserves.
Also on the judges. I would be grateful if we
could have an update on the status of Assistant Jus-tice Forde. I know that he last sat on the bench in this
Island in November of 2023. And it has been some
time since. So, I am just wondering about the status of
that. And more specifically, is there any reason of
which the Ministry may be aware why the public is still
awaiting his judgment in that rather prominent case
before the courts?
When canvassing in the election, I know that I
am not alone in this Chamber when I announced that I
was the Shadow of Legal Affairs, if asked. The number-one legal issue that was lamented to me was our
probate. I see members in the Chamber nodding
around the Chambers. There was a deep frustration
with probate at the moment and the delay and difficulty with which regular, ordinary, everyday Bermudians
are experiencing problems in progressing probate. And I am pleased to note that amongst those nodding
I see even the Attorney General herself is nodding.
Again, this is not a criticism. It is an identification of an
area. It is an ask for some clarity as to how best we
together can work to solve that.
I note that the Honourable Junior Minister indicated that there were 140 applications filed, and 120
grants issued. Those are not bad numbers. But I think
what number is missing is the backlog before that.


Bermuda House of Assembly I think when the Honourable and Learned Attorney General and I both had the pleasure of attending the opening ceremony of the court this year, this
was a point that was acknowledged directly by the
Chief Justice. But what might assist would be a dedi-cated probate judge. I know we are getting a dedicated probate . . . assistant registrar, I believe will be the
title (I may have the title wrong), but someone effectively to push the cases along.
But is there a judicial issue there? I ask it as a
question, not as an assertion. But probate is some-thing that I think desperately needs our attention as
best we can.
Still under the Judicial Department, one of the
suggestions that we had seen increased of late is to
greater security and independence of the judiciary by
allowing a ring- fenced judicial budget. It is an idea that
I greatly support. It is an idea that I would welcome the new Attorney General maybe clarifying the Ministry’s views [on]. Is it something that you are looking
into? Is it dead in the water? Is it something that might happen or hopefully will happen? And if it is something that will happen, what sort of timeframe and
what is envisaged? Again, the question is placed at a
very high level, but it would be useful to know.
Still under the head, Madam Chairman, on the
Judicial Department, the question arises from the box at B-84. And that is the line item 1300, Criminal Injuries, which I believe is a reference to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, appears to have disappeared in that the budget is no longer there for next year. Now, either that is a typo, or more probably
Criminal Injuries has moved out of this Judicial Department into another department or indeed into an-other Ministry. However, doing the best I could (and I
appreciate the Budget Book is not small), I could not locate where the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board or Criminal Injuries as a headline or indeed line
item 1300 has moved. So, I would be grateful for clarification where it has moved.
On that subject, if one turns to B -87 two pages over, this is the Performance Measures box. And
the first box in relation to that matter, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board or indeed criminal injuries that we’ve just been discussing, the entries in relation
to this line item all say (or at least my copy says) “W ith
the Ministry .” I do not know if your copy says that,
Madam Chairman. But in relation to all of the indica-tors, it just says “W ith the Ministry .” So I would invite
the Ministry to share those figures with this Honourable House, whether by way of the B -87 addenda page
or whatever is the most convenient way, not on my
feet and not right now. I appreciate that perhaps this
page could be updated with those figures.
And whilst I am there, I did not quite understand, if you look down to business unit 13015 Court-rooms and Chambers, and then Criminal Division,
Number of new indictments, Number of Indictments
Carried Over, et cetera, all of those were just at zero. And if over the page, B -88, likewise Civil and Criminal
Appeals from Magistrate’s Court is in the top box, and
then Court of Appeal, all of those were zero. It may be
I have missed the point, and they are meant to be at
zero. But if they are not meant to be at zero, I would be grateful for clarification as to why that is and what it
is supposed to mean.
Still under Head 3, Judicial Department, if we
could turn to page C -10, which is the Capital Acquisition page for the Ministry of Justice. And in relation to
Judicial, I pre -flagged this in relation to CJIS [Criminal
Justice Information Services] framework. Now, the
Honourable Junior Minister did address the point on
the case management system [mentioned previously]
in relation to the Justice Headquarters. And my understanding of his answer is effectively that is now on
hold pending an RFP [Request for Proposal] in rela-tion to the $200,000 that was spent last year. But on
the CJIS framework, it would be useful just to have an
update on that point as well.
In terms of the justice/judicial . . . I am going
to take us back, if I may, to page B -85. The Judicial
Department is, in additional to being an expense sector, it is also a revenue sector because it takes in the
fines and penalties of court fees and such like. One of
the suggestions that I have been banging on about
ever since I was elected to this Honourable House in
2018 (and probably boring each Attorney General in
succession) is a way in which we can better harness
our Commercial Court so that it helps to pay for our
underfunded Family Court. And it is not a novel idea; it
is not my idea. Indeed, it is one that has been used by
the UK by more than a decade if not possibly two decades.
And that is that the court fee for a Commercial
Court claim is linked, is tiered to the value of the claim. So, if the claim is $500,000, the fee is (I do not
know) $500. But if the claim is $1 million, then the fee
is maybe $5,000. It goes up sequentially. In the UK
they use three tiers, beginning, middle and the high
one. It goes without saying that because Bermuda is
such a sophisticated offshore financial jurisdiction, the
litigation that comes through our Commercial Court is
usually, if not invariably, of a vast amount. And it
would be very useful, I suggest, to our court system if we, given the effort that our court staff . . . and the
acting Registrar was in the Chamber earlier today. But
the effort that our court staff give, 110 per cent, 24/7,
to some of these mammoth commercial cases that
make their way through the system, it would be appropriate and fair and reasonable for the fees to be
tiered so that the larger commercial cases that demand people’s attention charge higher fees and that
those court fees generate greater revenue for the
court and that that revenue can support our Family
Court, our Family and Matrimonial Court.
It is a matter I raised with the previous Attorney General and indeed the Attorney General before
that. And I raise it today with this Attorney General in
416 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly the hopes that that very small tweak could be used to
increase the revenue in our courts and to better support our perhaps underfunded Family and Matrimonial
Court.
As to revenues, there is a projected increase
of some of $482,000 in revenue since last year. And
that is doubtless because of the introduction of the
court fees that came through this Honourable House, I
want to say last year but maybe it was two years ago,
but in the recent history. And I will just make the point
that with the tiered system that I have just outlined we could really do so much better in terms of our revenue. So, I invite the learned Attorney General to consider that opportunity and to take a look at how the UK
does it. It is not complicated, and it really could greatly
assist.
The Domestic Violence Court I think strictly
falls in this head, although I did ask some questions
under the previous head. But I would be grateful just
to hear a little bit more as to the Domestic Violence
Court and how that is progressing and when we feel that that will be ready and all of the bells and whistles
going full steam ahead.
Madam Chairman, I think those are the questions I have under this head, the second head of the
Judicial Department, [Head] 3. And I will sit for any
other questions that anyone else may have.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.
I will just go back to answer a few questions
from the previous head. One was the reason behind the increase in the expenditure for the Financial Intelligence Agency. There is an employment of a new
analyst who will assist with preparation for upcoming
mutual evaluation assessments within the next two
years. And then the other question was, Is the Minister of Justice satisfied with the pace of trial progress?
The Ministry understands that for our clients, the pace will never be fast enough. But we acknowledge that
challenges exist and continue to work toward addressing them. And then a question in regard to Legal Aid
staffing. We do anticipate meeting the goal of assigning 90 per cent of Legal Aid cases to internal counsel,
subject to exceptional circumstances.
And then with that, I will go on to [the Honourable Member’s] questions under Head 3. In regard to
the Commercial Courts, there were two assistant justices contracted with the Judicial Department who
have conduct of matters in the civil and commercial
jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. There is Assistant Justice D. Hugh Southey, I believe, and Justice Nicholas Segal. And assistant justices will continue having conduct of matters in the Civil and Commercial Courts
on a case- by-case basis.
Your question regarding the Family and Matrimonial Court appointments . . . the Domestic Violence Court will be under the Senior Magistrate, and
Family Court matters will still be subject to Family
Court panels.
And your question with regard to traffic fines
and consequences, I will just state before I provide an
answer, as a former Road Safety Chairman, the response is, fines across the board will be subject to review as by the Law Reform Project. And I would say
that that is much needed under my former head.
In regard to your question on the judgment
awaiting Mr. Forde, the Chief Justice has been in consistent communication with Mr. Forde concerning the
receipt of his ruling. And we are informed that Mr. Forde suffered a medical issue which had delayed
provision of the rulings. And we are awaiting response
to the Chief Justice in the most recent communication
with Mr. Forde on the timing of that ruling.
And I am going to try to give this answer in
regard to the probate backlog. The Probate Division
has issued two circulars that provide an update on the
probate backlog. The first was issued on August 21,
2024. The second was issued on February 21, 2025.
The Judicial Department has met the goals set out in in the circular issued in February 2025, which indicated that all 2023 probate applications were to be actioned by the end of April 2025. We are now processing 2024 applications, and the aim is to have actioned all 2024 applications by the end of July 2025.
The department would then be well placed to address applications filed in 2025 and thereafter. And there will
be an update provided by way of a circular in May of
2025.
Additionally, the Judicial Department is seeking to restructure its organisational structure to introduce a second assistant registrar and an administrative officer for the Matrimonial and Probate Divisions.
The assistant registrar has the authority to review applications and issue grants of probate. With the addition of these key roles, the Judicial Department will be
in a position to provide increased attention to the applications filed in the Probate Division. And currently, there are two staff members dedicated to the Probate
Division.
In regard to your question about Criminal Injuries, it has been moved to Ministry Headquarters under business unit 9700[0] under a separate heading.
And then in regard to the intentions of independence of the Judicial Department, the independence of the Judicial Department is critical, and a proposal from the Chief Justice is currently under consideration. However, no timeframe has been announced
at this time.
I will take any further questions . . . hold on.
And with regard to the Commercial Court fees, it is
using a tiered system. The Attorney General has indiBermuda House of Assembly cated that this is interesting and is worth taking your
proposal under consideration. Any way that we can
make money is a plus. However, a vast number of
commercial cases are resolved by our arbitration.
In regard to the zero value on pages B -87 and
B-88, the zero is an automated calculation error, as it
multiplies the previous zero in the budget. But it should in fact be an increase. So that will stand to be
corrected on that one.
In regard to the Domestic Violence Court, a
new Domestic Abuse Task Force has been assem-bled. It [comprises] the Attorney General; the Ministry
staff; Senior Magistrate responsible for the Court,
Maxanne Anderson; and senior staff members in the
Department of Court Services, including the staff psychologist; Department of Child and Family Services;
and the police. The task force will be meeting this coming Thursday, and the Ministry will be provided
with a full update. The task force will continue to meet
as the court progresses and will provide feedback for
ongoing, comprehensive domestic abuse reform.
An RFP was issued earlier this year for a service provider with experience specifically in rehabilitation for domestic abuse offenders . An announcement
message of the chosen provider will be [released] in
the coming weeks.
I will sit for any further questions.
[Mr. Christopher Famous , Chairman]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and
thank you to the Junior Minister and to the Attorney
General for those fulsome answers. Just three quick
follow -ups from the answers given.
One in relation to the probate. My understanding of the answer is that we have caught up 2025. We
are now going back to 2024. I do not know if that
means 2023 is outstanding or complete. But I would
be grateful for clarity. That is on probate.
Secondly, the Junior Minister clarified that
there is in fact an error here with the Budget Book. I
think that error is pages B -87 and B -88. And I would
be grateful for an addenda at some future point in
time, not today.
And thirdly, just arising from that, the answer
in relation to where the Criminal Injuries Compensa-tion Board 1300 has gone, I think was that it is now
under Headquarters, B -80, under line item 9700[0]
Administration if I understood the answer correctly. (Is
that right?) Yes. I am told by the Honourable Junior
Minister that it has been rolled into Administration. All right. So, thank you for those answers.
Turning now to questions on the third head of
the six heads identified. And I know that on this head some of my colleagues have some additional questions, and I yield to them . . . No, I’m sorry, not on this
one.

Great.
So, in relation to Head 4, this is the Attorney
General’s Chambers, again this sort of headline issue
based upon page B -78, which is the overview of the
entire department. If you just look there in relation to
the Attorney General’s Chambers, it is going up $1.35
million versus last year, and it is going up about $2
million versus the 2023/24 actuals. And again, as before, we have five of these ministries going up and the
one in relation to Corrections going down about $2
million. And my understanding in relation to the Attorney General’s Chambers is again the reason for the
$2 million circa increase from 2023 —$1.35 million
versus last year —is largely driven by salary increases.
But I would be grateful for clarification on that if I am mistaken.
And my question in relation to the Attorney
General’s Chambers is, Are there any unfilled senior counsel posts? I know that the unfilled senior counsel
posts were an issue over the last year or two. And I
am just wondering if those posts (plural) are now sufficiently filled? Whilst I am there, I note that the Honourable Junior Minister thanked the new Solicitor
General, Shakira Dill -Francois. Let me do the same. I
think she was acting. And I think probably toward the summer or perhaps it was the fall, she became the
formal Solicitor General. So at least let me congratu-late her on her confirmation in her role from [before] (I
believe, although she had been acting for some time).
But let me offer my formal congratulations on the floor
of the House to Ms. Dill -Francois.
In terms of the vacancies, the Honourable
Junior Minister very candidly admitted that there are, I believe he said five vacancies in the legal drafting
team. And if I invite the Ministry and the Attorney
General and the Junior Minister and indeed the Chair
to turn to page B -93, which shows us the business
unit for Legislative Drafting, 14030, we see in the first item the number of Bills drafted and passed by the
Legislature to give effect to the Government’s legislative agenda. And the actual number of Bills was a
418 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly staggering 29 in 2023, forecast to be 35 last year, but
was down to 30. Again, we have a target outcome of
30.
So, I am just asking . . . and again it is not a
criticism; it is a question. But if we are seeking a more, or at least as ambitious, legislative agenda as we had
in the past, if a slightly more ambitious in the sense of
one Bill greater, but you still have five vacancies of
drafting counsel. What is the plan? And I say the next
comment not necessarily for those who are in the Ministry, but for the benefit of the listening public. There are lawyers, we were talking about them earlier. But
those who are parliamentary draftsmen and draftswomen, or drafters, are a relatively rare breed and are
very hard to come by. They are also very hard to
come by to get the good ones. Because the good
ones go off to the jurisdictions that pay more than we do and always will pay more than we do, frankly.
So, given that that is the position, what plans
are afoot not only to hire, but really to try to deal with the risk that the Attorney General’s Chambers be-comes a kind of bottleneck to the progression of the
important legislation that this Chamber needs to deal
with? And again, I make the point that it is not a criticism on my part. It is merely a question of the prag-matic reality that appears to be faced here.
Mr. Chairman, those are my few questions on
the Attorney General’s Chambers. And I think if this is a convenient moment, I will take my seat in case anyone else has questions on the Attorney General’s
Chambers or indeed the Junior Minister has some answers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I
am afraid that I sat down a little too quickly. I had one
last question on the Attorney General’s Chambers,
which I failed to put. And that is at page B -91 under General
Summary and in relation to the topic of Debt Collection, which was 14050. And we see that there is going
to be an increased amount for the debt collection by
the internal team. Debt Collection was of course out-sourced by the Government with some consideration
debate around that. And I am not going to go there.
But regardless of the debate and the company and
the registration and all of that, I think one thing that
could be fairly said about it is that the debt collection
agency (or non- agency) was rather successful in getting money. So, I guess my question is this: Are there
plans to outsource again or not? Or is the debt collection going to be left to this department?
Appreciating that there are specific priorities
of this debt collection department in relation to taxation, the tax commissioner, land tax, et cetera. So that was my final question on this Head 4, Attorney General’s Chambers. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I just want to go back just to clarify the response on regard to the probate. You did ask [about] 2023. So as of now, all of 2023 probates have been
actioned. And as I said, we are now working on processing 2024 applications, hopefully to have them all
actioned by July of this year. And then going forward,
we will be up to date and working on 2025 applications.
Under Head 4, question: Are there any other
unfilled senior counsel posts? Yes. There are two
deputy solicitor posts in the Civil Advisory section of
Chambers, but they will be filled shortly as we are currently at the interview stage.
The question [from] MP Smith in regard to
Criminal Injuries Compensation: Is the figure the
same? No, it has increased to $250 an hour.
And question regarding the vacancies of drafting counsel and a plan to hire and mitigate bottlenecks, the Attorney General says a recruitment drive
for talented staff is underway for Bermudian overseas applicants. Sixty persons have applied for five posts:
Deputy CPC, parliamentary counsel, temporary additional parliamentary counsel and assistant parliamentary counsel from 20 Commonwealth jurisdictions. And the recruitment process is underway.
And in regard to debt collection, there were no
plans to outsource debt collection. As indicated, there
are plans to hire two additional juniors to this unit.
And those are all of the responses for the
questions that I had.

Thank you, Junior Minister.
The Chair recognises Honourable Member
Scott Pearman.


Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Scott Pearman: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
One question following up from that that was
asked by my colleague to my right, just in terms of the
post, the parliamentary draftsmen then post the five
vacancies. I was not sure if any of those was Chief Parliamentary Draftsman. I do not think so. No. I see a
shake of the head from the Attorney General. So, no,
none of them was the Chief Parliamentary Draftsman.
No doubt MP Fahy was considering his options.
[Laughter]

If only. If only.
One of my colleagues has asked in relation to
the answer given for debt collection in the previous head, Head 4, whether there is an idea of how much debt in total we are seeking to collect. And I pass that
question on on his behalf since I am on my feet already.
Whilst that is being considered, I was moving
on to Court Services, which is Head 74. For those looking in the bundles, page B -98, (B as in Bravo) 98.
The headline here again looking back to the page that
gives the overview of the entire Ministry, at page B -78,
the headline for this line item, the Department of Court
Services, is effectively that this spending is going up
about half a million versus last year’s budget, and up
$1.25 million versus the 2023/24 actuals. Again, my
understanding is that this is largely driven by salary increases. Again, if I am wrong in that understanding,
I would be grateful for clarification as to where any
non-salary -related extra spending is anticipated to be
applied. But it is my understanding is that it is mostly
on salaries, given the brief presented by the Junior
Minister.
At page B -99, which is under this head, we
see employee numbers. And an area that is near and
dear is that of Probation Services at 84010 in a box at
the bottom of page B -99. And I see there that the five
posts are now anticipated to reduce to four. Firstly, I guess the question is, Were the five filled? Is the fourth going to be filled or are the four going to be
filled? But second and more relevant, I think, is in
terms of the performance measures for that unit, which can be seen over to page B -100, we see under
Probation Services, business unit 84010 at the top of
the page there, that the first performance measure is
percentage of cases receiving a final risk assessment
during the final month of supervision.
Now, the actual outcome percentage- wise
was 75 per cent in 2023/24. But the target outcome on
the righthand- side box is more ambitious. It is 85 per
cent for the coming fiscal year. It was 75 per cent last
year. So, we are setting ourselves a more ambitious target outcome in relation to what Probation Services will achieve in terms of risk assessments at the very
least, whilst at the same time the posts are being decreased, or at least if those posts are in fact staffed
and filled, they appear to be being decreased. So that
seems a little bit of a contradiction, and I welcome
some clarification on that.
Again, back to the Domestic Violence Court,
which is probably the showpiece of the current Attorney General and this Ministry in terms of where things
are going. There was discussion in the brief by the
Honourable Junior Minister of a pilot agency regarding
electronic monitoring devices. Now with my apologies,
this is the first I have heard of this. I had not picked up
on this pilot scheme prior to today’s brief. And if I
should have done, I do apologise, but I had not seen
that referenced anywhere. And given that I had not
clocked that before, I would just like to ask a few very
high-level questions about the Junior Minister’s description of the fact that those who are accused or
found guilty of domestic violence will be wearing a
monitoring device, I assume, because we are told that
the victim will be told when that person, the abuser, is in the (quote) “immediate vicinity” (unquote).
So, I would like a little bit more information
from the Honourable Junior Minister and the Ministry about that. How is that intended to work? I mean, we
live on a very small island. So, I guess my first question would be, what does “immediate vicinity” mean?
Or if it does not have a specific meaning yet, what is it
likely to mean? How close would this person be before alarm bells go off?
And is there . . . how do I put this? Is there an
anticipated threshold where an abuser is obliged to
wear this versus an abuser who is not obliged to wear this? And if there is a threshold for abusers who do
wear the monitoring devices and abusers who do not,
how is that threshold going to be adjudicated? Is that
something for the Domestic Violence Court to deter-mine? Would that be in the discretion of the judge or
the magistrate? I think it is going to be under the magistrate. How is that going to work? But I would be very
grateful for a little bit of answering around that.
And as indicated previously, I have another
colleague, and I will yield to MP King on the area of
Court Services. Thank you.

No, no, no. It is okay, it is okay. Do
not worry, I will get myself together.
Regarding the Senior Probation Officer who
used to deliver the sex offender programme of violent
offender, he is right here. So, when I came into this
House, that is why they were one person less.
So, regarding the Department of Court Services, I have a question as relates to how many persons are currently under probation, parole, and in the
Drug Treatment Court and Mental Health Treatment Court who are being serviced by the 38 officers at the
department.

Okay, cool. I will go ahead and do
that.
In terms of business unit 84040, Percentage
of individuals who have been sent an appliance, receiving individual versus group, we do not actually have a number of the clients who are in groups or a receiving individual. I am wondering if you have access to that. That would be B -101.
This is a general question as it relates to intimate partner violence [IPV] and services and treatment for that population. What data have been used
to support IPV treatment at the Department of Court
Services in terms of numbers of persons, types of IPV to include stalking other otherwise? Because as it is
right now, I am not seeing specific numbers in order to
make an assessment.
I am looking at [business unit] 84060, percentage of reports utilising risk assessments. What is
interesting about this is the reports that are being re-quested—social inquiry reports, BARC reports, Bermuda successful and referral reports, and other reports —they are all assessment reports . And the social
inquiry report as well. All of the reports are presentence and/or substance use disorder and/or violence and sexual risk assessment reports. So essen-tially, all of the reports that come from Court Services
when they are requested are risk assessments
100 per cent of the time. It is not one or the other. Page B -101, Drug Treatment Court 84080.
How many clients are actually in the Drug Treatment
Court programme?
[In regard to] 84040, do you have a number of
clients who actually completed treatment and reoffended? The percentage of suitably referred clients in treatment is a bit of an ambiguous category.
And I am wondering if you can provide some clarification on that?
Probation, 84010, percentage of clients who
committed new offences whilst in programme. In terms of the 20 per cent target, I am wondering how
this target was arrived at in terms of, was it an arbitrary percentage or was it based on best practice? I
am just wondering how that was arrived at?
Electronic Monitoring Devices, 84070, percentage utilised, 80 per cent. Do you have a number
in terms of the actual number of electronic monitoring
devices that are currently being used? And two, what
is the correlation between the use of the devices and
reducing recidivism? In other words, we are using a
technology with the express purpose of preventing a
re-offence. How does that connect?
Page B -101, Court Services. Report writing,
294 for the year. That essentially works out at five reports per week in total for the team. So, at first blush it does not appear to be a good use of resources. That is why I would ask, What is the total number of clients
under supervision? Thank you.

Thank you, MP King.
Does anyone else have any questions for the
Junior Minister?
No.
For the benefit of the listening audience, we
are now in Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for
the year 2025/26. We are debating the Ministry of Justice.
MP King has given a barrage of questions,
and the Junior Minister shall reply.

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman.
I do just want to jump back to Head 4 just to
further answer the question in regard to debt collec-tion and how much are we seeking to collect? The
forecasted amount will be based on the cases referred
to the office by Finance. It is difficult to provide an
amount at this stage.
Now on Head 74, the question is, What noncellular expenses can we expect? None because this is because of the cuts in salary from last year. In essence, we are filling substantive posts that remained
unfilled.
The question in regard to the Domestic Violence Pilot Scheme, How will it work? The victim will
have updates coming to their mobile device. Thresholds are under consideration, and the devices will be
launched in conjunction with the Domestic Violence


Bermuda House of Assembly Court programme. And the vicinity will be determined
based on the contact limitations and any protection
order or bail condition.
In regard to how many devices, there are a
total of 32 devices and four spares. And in regard to how many are being used right now, I will have to get
that answer to you.
While I wait for further answers, if there are
any other questions, I will open up to any other questions.

Thank you very much, Mr.
Chairman. So, we are waiting on some of the answers in relation to Court Services, including my question in the Probation Services and the number of questions
by MP King.
While we do, I think we have got about 20
minutes or so to run. So, I will move on to the fifth of
the six heads, namely, the Department of Public
Prosecutions.
The Honourable Junior Minister said in his
brief that the term of the Director of Public Prosecutions [DPP] is due to come up in December 2025. I
had not appreciated that it was coming up that soon.
Time runs away with us.
But let me take the opportunity to commend
her. I do not know what the situation will be in De-cember 2025 in relation to the DPP. But I know that she has certainly put in some vigorous effort in difficult
circumstances since her appointment some time ago,
obviously.
In terms of the DPP, again this sort of overarching view going back to page B -78 and the page
that gives the Ministry of Justice overview. For the Department of Public Prosecutions, what we see is
that spending is going up over a quarter -million versus
last year (last year’s budgeted figure anyway) and
approximately $1.1 million versus the 2023/24 actuals.
Again, my understanding is that is mostly expenditure
on salaries, and again if I am wrong and not understanding, no doubt the Junior Minister or the Ministry will kindly point out where other expenditure is anticipated to be allocated.
Just a point of clarification, the Junior Minister
when he was giving his brief —and forgive me. Let me
just grab my note of it. But he said that the Ministry
amounts to less than 3.0 per cent of the overall budget. I think that might be an old sentence left over from
a prior budget speech in years past. Because if one
looks at page C -39 of the Budget Book, it is at 4.2 per
cent; if you look at page B -78 it is actually expressed
as 5.0 per cent at the bottom there, in Expenditure at
the bottom. So I would be grateful for clarification. I
anticipate that the number at page C -39, which is
4.2 per cent, is the correct figure, not less than three.
But anyway, perhaps it is neither here nor there. Also, and this was the 43 per cent number
that we raised previously. And I appreciate that this department is under the DPP and only under the Ministry in a titular way. But one of the things that did
raise eyebrows when it was presented was the point I made earlier about 43 per cent was spent on consultants to support the department in specific cases
where legal conflict arose. So, I guess that is probably
43 per cent of budget rather than 43 per cent of cases
where there is conflict. But I would be grateful if the Junior Minister is in a position to clarify that. Just be-cause 43 per cent of conflict in all cases sounds awfully high. So anyway, maybe the Junior Minister is in
a position to clarify why that is. And it may well not be
as well.
At page B -105, this is under the performance
measures for the Department of Public Prosecutions, a question arose as to (at the very bottom under Witness Care Unit) number of victim impact statements,
was only at 60 in 2023. And it is now anticipated to
decrease this year. Just curious why that would be if
we do not see a downward trend in the number of
cases coming through the system. Or indeed perhaps
it is indicative that we do see a downward trend in the
number of cases coming through the system. But I
would just pose those questions in relation to the Department of Public Prosecutions, Head 75, appreciating that some of those answers may well be in the
hand of the DPP herself and not in the hand of the
Honourable and Learned Attorney General in the
Chamber today.
Mr. Chairman, I propose to sit down, perhaps
hear the answers for Head 74. And if need be, I can go on to questions that I have in relation to the final
head, Corrections, Head 25.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Before I answer those, I just do want to go
back to Head 3 just to provide a response to one of
the questions from MP Pearman in relation to the expansion or contractions of the number of judges in
Criminal Court. There are two judges appointed to the Criminal Court, Justice Juan Wolffe and Justice Alan
Richards. And the court historically has had two judges appointed to the courts, and there are no plans to
expand the appointment of judges to the Criminal Court at this time.
And then just as a follow -up under Head 74, in
regard to the electronic monitoring devices, as I said
there are 32 with four spares. All 32 are being utilised
at this time, actually all 36 including the four spares.
And the question follow -up was, What is the correlation in use of devices in reducing recidivism? Devices are not necessarily used for the purposes of reducing
recidivism, but to monitor a parolee’s adherence to
their parole conditions.
422 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly And then under Head 75, in regard to your
point of clarification on the less than 3 per cent of the
budget, we can agree it is an error. And the 43 per
cent of conflict, 43 per cent of the remaining 12 per
cent of our budget that is not spent on salaries. So, it
not the cases; it is on budget.
And in regard to the performance measures,
the question, Why will impact statements decrease? It reflects the downward trend in victims’ wishing to participate in the sentencing portion of cases. There is an
increase in the number of cases where the prosecutor provides a victim impact statement as is allowed in the
Criminal Code.
And I will take a seat and let you get in a few
more questions for the last head.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman, I am now moving on to the final
head of the six heads presented under this Ministry or at least in this debate today, namely, Head 25 involving the Department of Corrections.
And, Mr. Chairman, before you took your
chair, when Madam Chairman was in the Chair, I had
explained that the one head is completely new to me.
So, I may have some questions that are a little more blindingly obvious than they should be. But let me
pose them, nonetheless.

So, the headline here, again by
reference to the overarching page for the Ministry, which is B -78, is that we have 26077 revised and
26787 actuals in 2023/24. So, against the actuals, it is
about a $2 million decline. And I guess my question here is really a bit of
a philosophical one. Why does the Ministry believe
that some $2 million, at least against 2023, is able to
be saved in Corrections given what the actuals were?
Is this a bit of a hope and a prayer? Or really will it be achieved? And if it is not a hope and a prayer, if it is
going to be achieved, where are the $2 million in
budget cuts in Corrections actually going to come
from? And I would just like to point out that at pages
B-94 and B -95, if we look at the Salaries box on the
right-hand side at page B -95, there are savings of
$1.4 million. So that is not a small number in salaries
savings. I appreciate that.
Then there a whole series of numbers which
pretty much eat away at that because they are all increases. So, the net savings down from $1.4 [million]
is approximately a million dollars of savings in that box on page B -95. But if you look over at the other page,
we are projecting $1.84 [million], or just [under] $2
million, against actuals. So, there is a considerable
discrepancy between the million at the bottom of the
box on page B -95 and the [$]1.8 million, [$]2- plus million [on] page B -94. So, in this particular instance, I do
ask for further clarity as to how this is going to be
achieved, because it is clearly not all salaries as we
saw with many of the other ministries. So that is one
overarching question in relation to Corrections.
The other overarching question is, I would be
interested to hear the Ministry’s or the Minister’s or the
Attorney General’s or indeed the Junior Minister’s rationale as to why Corrections is being moved out of
National Security in the first place and is being moved
over to the Attorney General’s Chambers. I think that there would be some who would question the logic
behind that. I anticipate that there are some points
that might be made in favour of such a move. But I
anticipate there are some points that might be made
against such a move. And I am just asking what the
particular rationale or rationales (plural) are for the
move in the first place.
Turning to a slightly more specific issue, if we
go to Capital Acquisitions at page C -10, there is reference here under the Corrections to a not -inexpensive
security system. And almost three- quarters of a million
has been spent on a security system. We can see that
in the middle —it is down at the bottom of the page. It
is under 76643, the fourth line item up from the bottom
of page C -10. So, $698,000, almost three- quarters of
a million, on the security system, which has been revised down by more than two- thirds to only $223 million in the revision. So again, these are the numbers. But originally someone was going to spend threequarters of a million- ish, $700[,000] -odd. And now
they are only going to spend $223[,000]. And then this
year coming, if we look to the right, it is zero.
So, I guess my question is, Could someone
please explain this a little bit better? Did the security
system get severely curtailed over at the Department
of Corrections? Or was there a reason why the inBermuda House of Assembly tended allocation became such a lesser amount? Is it
completed, which is why we have gone to zero? Or
was it a budgetary constraint that has driven us to zero? And we will now see the next step with more
spending at a later stage? I do note in passing that there is a reference in the line item above to
[$]235,000 in relation to the CCTV. And I guess my
question again—forgive me for very obvious questions —How was the security system (about which we
have very little information, or I have very little infor-mation) different from the CCTV system? And addi-tionally, there was reference in the brief by the Honourable Junior Minister to an audio system . . . I am
not using the correct word, but it was an audio system
or it was some sort of —
[Inaudible interjection]

Okay. Well, I am grateful to know
the Junior Minister does not remember the precise
word either, so I am okay on that one for a minute. But it was some sort of audio system to monitor each cell
as I understood it.
So those are three overarching questions that
I have about Corrections. The first one, where are the
cuts coming from, in addition to the salary cuts? Two,
why are we moving it? And three, what is going on
with the security system?
I am mindful of the time, and I would love to
get the answers, so let me just quickly point out two or three more questions I have. In terms of refurbishment in Corrections, if we quickly turn to page C -4 we see,
right in the middle of the page under Ministry of Jus-tice Corrections, 75227, Prisons Refurbishment, we see an initial $3.0 million. But of that, it looks like there
is still $1.75 million to spend that has not been spent. And the zeroes to the right of that suggest that it will not be spent. Likewise, there was a $650,000 allocation for plumbing, and it seems like only $250,000 of
that has been spent, suggesting that $400,000, again
because of the zeroes, will not be spent. So my fourth
question in relation to Corrections, given the time
available, would be if some clarity can be given?
And by the way, the word I was trying to come
up with is intercom. And I am grateful that the Junior
Minister has come up with it at the same time as me.
So, I will take my seat. I do have further questions, but we may not have sufficient time.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
In my short few minutes left, I will try to catch
as many answers as possible. But I do want to go back to in regard to Domestic Violence and the data
being used to assess numbers of persons. Because of
how persons are charged, not all domestic violence situations are charged as such. Those numbers will
need to be determined before we invest in Domestic
Violence Units.
Getting to questions under this head, What is
the rationale for moving Corrections from National Security to the Ministry of Justice? The rationale is
strategic focus on restorative justice, which is more
suitably aligned to the Ministry of Justice. Security
system has been reduced to zero. The system is being upgraded using a phased approach to effectively
manage resources. The security system was started in 2024/25, Black Creek. The remaining balance for
Black Creek will be carried forward to 2025/26 as the
project will be completed in the current fiscal year.
And there was not a request in 2025/26. Funding was
to be carried forward in the 2025/26 budget for the
completion of the Black Creek project.
How is the security system different from
CCTV? The Black Creek system was first installed in
1994 when Westgate opened. It has undergone various small upgrades but has required a substantive
upgrade for some time and for the current upgrade.
And CCTV is specifically a camera and video
recording system that tie into the Black Creek system.
And in regard to why does the Ministry of Justice think $2 million can be saved in Corrections? The
majority of savings comes from salaries, understanding that through natural attrition of resignations and
retirements of higher -level staff. The new staff being
hired will be at a lower entry rate. So that is where the
savings can be made in regard to hiring at a lower
staff rate pay scale. As I try to answer one final question in my time, back to the electronic monitoring devices, 10 of those units are also being used to provide
24-hour monitoring of clients who are at high risk.
And before the time is up, I would like to ask if
there are any more questions.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That’s
very kind.
I had a number of questions about the educational programme for prisoners. I will not pose those questions. What I will do instead is simply say, would
the Ministry be prepared to extend an invitation to
Members of the Opposition to visit those programmes
and learn a bit more about them?

424 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly The Chairman: You want to visit Westgate?

I will leave the answer to that
question up to the Attorney General. But with the re-maining time, or as the time has expired, I would first like to thank all of the staff of the Ministry of Justice,
those present here and those who are at their offices
for all of the work they have done. I want to thank the
listening public for taking the time to listen to the
budget being presented from the Ministry of Justice by
myself on behalf of the Attorney General.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Honourable Members, we are now in
Committee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year 2025/26 and I call upon the Minister of Home Affairs
to proceed.
Minister Alexa Lightbourne, you have the
floor.

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I move that the following heads, Head 93,
Ministry of Home Affairs Headquarters; Head 89, Energy; and Head 97, Land Title Registration, be now taken under consideration.

You may proceed.
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
It is my privilege to present the 2025/26 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the Ministry of
Home Affairs. These estimates cover Head 93, Ministry Headquarters; Head 89, Department of Energy; and Head 97, the Land Title Registration Office. I will
speak to each head in turn.
The Ministry of Home Affairs is charged with
key responsibilities impacting those living and working
in Bermuda and in presenting these estimates I reaffirm our commitments to delivering inclusive people -
centred policies, advancing legislative reform, and
ensuring transparent sustainable governance across
all sectors under our remit.

HEAD 93 —MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS HEADQUARTERS

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Head 93, the Ministry
Headquarters, Mr. Chairman, leads the strategic direction policy development and coordination of activi-ties across the department s under the Ministry’s remit.
For the 2025/26 fiscal year our priorities reflect the
Government’s broader objectives of affordability,
modernisation and regional engagement. These include strengthening consumer protection, modernising
key legislation, reducing the cost of living, supporting
energy reform, advancing consultation to advance
policy development, particularly with CARICOM membership for this upcoming year.
The Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure
for Head 93, Ministry of Home Affairs, can be found
on pages B -308 to B -312; C -8, C-16 and C -22 of the
2025/26 Budget Book.
Mr. Chairman, Head 94 encompasses two
business units, Administration and Consumer Affairs. Notably, Consumer Affairs now has been integrated
into the Ministry of Home Affairs headquarters sup-porting a unified approach to consumer -focused policy
in alignment with regulatory oversight. The mission of
the Ministry headquarters is: To develop consumer -
focused policies and legislation addressing affordability, consumer protection, and sustainability through transparent, fair and effective regulation.
To fulfil its mission the Ministry Headquarters
has defined the following strategic objectives: Direct,
coordinate and enhance the performance of departments and sections under the Ministry’s remit to ensure streamline operations and the impactful results;
provide comprehensive support across legislative pol-icy, administrative financial and logistical areas to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Ministry
Headquarters and its affiliated departments; ensure
equity in the rental relationship by reforming the Landlord and Tenant Act and domestic properties Rent
Increases (Domestic Premises) [Control] Act [1978; to introduce clear regulatory policies that promote fair
treatment of both landlord and tenants; strengthen
consumer protection through enhanced public educaB ermuda House of Assembly tion and the development of fair and enforceable legislation that safeguards consumer rights; complete public consultation and stakeholder engagement on CARICOM membership, followed by a delivery of a Green Paper for Cabinet’s consideration ensuring that Bermuda’s progress aligns with all of the interests of
the relative stakeholders; [and] promote transparency,
consistency and fairness within regulatory sectors through continued collaboration with the Regulatory Authority.
To deliver effectively on these national priorities, the Ministry H eadquarters will implement a defined framework that is informed by the 2025 Throne
Speech, the 2025 Budget Statement and the Gov -
ernment’s commitment to [digitise] 93 per cent of
eligible public serv ices by 2026.
There are five pillars which have formed the
strategic developments which include policy development. The Ministry will lead integrated cross -sectoral
policies to promote affordability , access equity across
regulated and unregulated markets, with key focus
areas including electricity policy to advance grid mod-ernisation, expand renewable energy integration and
ensure fair, sustainable cost structures, broadcasting
policies to modernise licensing and content standards
to reflect the evolving media consumption, electronic communications policy to ensure equitable access to telecommunication and digital services, consumer protection policy to strengthen enforcement, legislative reform, and public education to uphold consumer
rights, fuel policies to improve pricing transparency, supply chain resilience and energy security.
Additionally, policies specifically to address
the cost of living will include reforms targeting afforda-bility and fairness in everyday life. This includes the
Landlord and Tenant Act and Domestic Premises Act,
which will amend rent control ensuring equitable treatment of tenants and landlords and improved dis-pute resolution frameworks.
The Electricity Act revisions will support renewable technology adoption while securing equitable cost sharing for residential and commercial users. Consumer protection policies and laws will be devel-oped to combat unfair pricing, deceptive trade practic-es and predatory behaviours.
The Ministry Headquarters will enhance consumer safety and market integration through the following actions: Product investigations and enforce-ment measures. Product investigations will assess safety and quality standards of goods and services and enforcement measures will seek to review the provisions under the Consumer Protection Act 1999
and related laws to issue alerts and initiate legal action for non- compliance.
Additionally, through targeted oversight of unregulated sectors , policy reforms and efforts will focus
on supporting vulnerable consumers subject to unfa-vourable terms. This includes online retail platforms, used vehicles sales with a view to closing policy and enforcement gaps.
Bermuda’s progression towards full
CARICOM membership will proceed via a phased
consultative process. To date, the Government has conducted preliminary stakeholder engagement and
awaits a reply from the secretariat regarding the draft
membership agreement.
During the fiscal year 2025/26, we will further
engage with the secretariat and confirm any associat-ed costs. We will launch public education and consul-tation process and additionally assess any feasibility
that needs to be confirmed. Following, we will prepare
a comprehensive G reen Paper for further consideration by the Cabinet and the public.
In collaboration with the Regulatory Authority,
the Ministry will advance legislative amendments to the Regulatory Authority Act 2011 to enhance adjudication, expand enforcement capabilities and clarify the
Authority’s jurisdiction committed to in the 2025
Throne Speech. This will permit transparent, account-able and fair market conduct across regulated sectors including electricity, fuels , telecommunications and
broadcasting.
In support of the Government’s goal to digitise
93 per cent of eligible services by 2026 the Ministry will prioritise transformation of key platforms including a Consumer Affairs portal for digital submissions and
the Land Title Registry system enhancements integrating AI to improve land title application processing.
These reforms are expected to reduce processing times , improve transparency and efficiency , and enhance overall user experience.
All platforms will adhere strictly to Bermuda’s
cybersecurity data protection standards in coordination with the Department of Information and Digital
Technologies. This reflects our commitment to mod-ernisation, fairness and service excellence. Through oversight and consumer protections, the Ministry Headquarters will continue to deliver its part in the
promise of a fairer Bermuda.
Mr. Chairman, as outlined on page B -310 of
the 2025/26 Current Account Estimates, the Ministry Headquarters has been allocated $3,584,000 for this
fiscal year. This allocation represents a significant change due to our operational landscape by integrating the Consumer Affairs section into the Ministry’s
Headquarters. This further aligns to the overarching
mandate of lowering the cost of living as informed by both the Throne Speech and ministerial appointments. This repositioning recognises that consumer rights, regulatory coherence and affordability must be coordinated uniformly. This alignment therefore enables the Ministry to respond more effectively to the pres-sures facing everyday Bermudians, particularly those related to cost of living, market fairness and public protection.
The integration of Consumer Affairs has increased our staffing and public -facing responsibilities.
426 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly This equips the Ministry H eadquarters to lead with
greater impact in reform, modernisation and digital
transformation.
Mr. Chairman, subjective analysis of the
2025/26 Current Account Estimates can be found on page B -310 and represents our resource needs
aligned to our strategic uses . Line 8, Professional
Services, an increase of approximately $806,000 has been allocated under Professional Services. This item will support specialised technical expertise critical to the Ministry’s wide ranging priorities and are essential
to meeting the commitments outlined in the 2025
Throne Speech.
Specifically, they will support advisory services including the Landlord and Tenant and Domestic
Premises (Rent Control) Act reforms, the Regulatory Authority and Electricity Act reforms, in addition to strengthening consumer protection legislation to address unfair pricing, deceptive practices and emerging
risks in both regulated and unregulated markets. These services will also support specialised CARICOM membership advisory through exploring
both the legal and economic impacts as Bermuda’s
phased approach towards full CARICOM membership. These services will also support energy affordability frameworks putting into practices cost of living strategies and energy pricing mechanisms that priori-tise household stability and commercial sustainability.
Additionally, this allocation supports any digital transformation consultancy to improve internal systems, integrate data analytics and modernise consumer complaint portals, reducing processing times
for licensing investigations and public outreach. A
separate additional $77,000 is allocated under consultants, line 8, to retain specialised legal expertise in
international trade sectors specific telecommunications and energy regulations and the legal interpretation of any further CARICOM obligations. These
consultations will be commissioned on an as -needed
basis to address any impact or high- risk areas related
to advancement.
It is important to note, Mr. Chairman, that
these amounts are separate from the operational expenditures associated with Consumer Affairs as the operational costs for delivering these extended ser-vices are captured under two primary categories:
Consumer Affairs Operational Expenses, which supports the licensing administration, complaint resolution, public education and field investigations , and the
core Ministry H eadquarter costs which include executive policy development, legislative drafting, stakeholder engagement and licensing reform administration.
Line 1, Salaries. The salaries allocation has
been increased by 102 per cent equivalent to
$874,000. This increase accounts for the BPS [Bermuda Police Service] new negotiated salary adjust-ments and the transfer of eight Consumer Affairs staff
into the Ministry’s H eadquarters payroll structure. The creation of new posts also has been set
to meet regulatory demands including the business
liaison officer [fees] under the Ministry H eadquarters
Consumer Affairs business unit.
Line 15, Grants and Contributions: Members
will note a decrease of $80,000 in grants and contributions reflected in this year's budget following the transfer of environmental programme funding to the newly formed Ministry of Public Works and Environment.
Across lines 7 , 9, 10, 11 and 12, Operational
Cost, an increase of $128,000 across operating lines represent a 175 per cent increase. These increases
cover rent and facilities costs stemming from the relocation of the Consumer Affairs section to the [D.] Rego building, utilities and telecom services to
support both new and existing staff, enhance adminis-trative resources to manage growing volumes of pub-lic interface and inter-ministerial coordination. T hese
operational investments ensure that the Ministry Headquarters can perform efficiently , delivering timely
services, and maintain compliance with the evolving
public sector standards.
Mr. Chairman, this budget as presented positions the Ministry H eadquarters to deliver more equitable landlord/tenant relationships, protect the public from unfair pricing and exploitive practices, modernise
licensing and enforcement across key sectors and accelerate digital services to improve everyday expe-rience of the people that we serve.
Revenue: Mr. Chairman, the revenue summary is located on page B -311 of the 2025/26 Current
Account Estimates. For the upcoming fiscal year , the
Ministry Headquarters projects a revenue generation
of $4,000. This revenue is derived solely from the li-censing of two debt collection agencies, each of which
is subject to a licensing fee of $2,000 under the oversight of Consumer Affairs. The Consumer Affairs sec-tion which supports the debt collection licensing is designed to protect families, workers and tenants from unfair and unsafe products, misleading practices and
unregulated exploitation. In the upcoming fiscal year
Consumer Affairs will continue to execute a strong, visible enforcement mandate, one that directly sup-ports the Government's broader priorities of cost -ofliving relief, affordability and modernisation.
For 2025/26, Consumer Affairs aims to conduct approximately 2,000 product investigations
across the local marketplace. A nd while this ambitious
but necessary target reflects the enhanced enforcement capabilities , following its formal integration to the
Ministry Headquarters it will also be supported by its
personnel whose purpose is to intercept unsafe, substandard, deceptive or illegally traded goods before
they reach the consumers. The investigation programme is underpinned by three operational pillars.

Please hold, Honourable Minister.
For the benefit of the listening audience, we
are now in Committee of Supply for further consideraBermuda House of Assembly tion of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for
the year 2025/26. Heads 93, 89 and 97 are being read
off by Minister Alexa Lightbourne.
Please proceed, Minister.
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The investigation programme is underpinned
by three key operational pillars, risk -based targeting
and sectoral prioritisation by which Consumer Affairs
will use risk -based enforcement methodology to focus
resources on product categories most likely to pose
health, safety and financial risk to the public. This includes electrical appliances, children’s goods and
toys, personal care items , and over -the-counter health
and wellness products.
This targeted approach ensures that the Ministry is focused not only on compliance but on the prevention of harm. Investigations will be supported by
proactive market inspection that includes retail inspection and audits of labelling practices, warranty and
disclosures , and return refund policies. These tools
will help identify trends and inform evidence- based
interventions.
Consumer protection and legal support as
part of the Ministry renewed focus will seek to safe-guard the rights of consumers and provide legal
mechanisms that underpin the consumer protection
regime. This section of Consumer Affairs continues to
serve as the frontline agency for consumer oversight
empowered by key legislations to investigate and intervene where necessary.
With enhanced awareness, it is important to
note that under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 the
officers are authorised to conduct investigations into premises and seize unsafe goods or documentation
and carry out tests for other purchases. Importantly section 21 makes it an offence to offer or supply prod-ucts that fail to meet general safety standards, while
sections 23 and 24 allow for the issuance of orders to
prohibit the sale or distribution of unsafe goods.
This Act also addresses unfair business practices within section 12, making deceptive, misleading
or exploitative conduct a punishable offence. Through
the Sale of Goods Act 1978 consumers are further protected by the requirement that the goods be of
merchantable quality, fit for purchase and as described. When those standards are not met consumers have a legal right to refund, repairs or replacements.
To enhance transparency and accountability
the department will issue product recall notices, publish monthly bulletins on active investigations and an
expand access to secure anonymous complaint submission portals. These measures work in tandem to
increase public confidence and deter bad actors
across these sectors. In this fiscal year we are committed to enhance enforcement to ensure fair trade,
safe and informed marketplace for all Bermudian residents. Mr. Chairman, the outputs of these include issuance of public advisories and safety alerts, product
review recalls, and penalties for violations. These outcomes protect not only the consumers but legitimate
businesses that operate within the law and uphold ethical trade practices. It is also important to emphasise that this work contributes directly to the Government’s national priorities of affordability and cost relief,
public health and safety, market regulation, consumer
education and empowerment. This governance empowers those both living and working in Bermuda to protect themselves.
For the upcoming 2025/26 fiscal year Consumer Affairs will ensure that these outcomes will re-sult in public advisories and that the enforcement actions will not only promote compliance but support
education and ensure trading confidence in these practices. The manpower estimates, Mr. Chairman, for
the Ministry Headquarters as outlined on page B -311
reflect a total of 16 full -time posts for the 2025/26 fiscal year. This represents an increase of eight positions following the recent integration of the Consumer
Affairs and these positions have been aligned with the
core objectives to advance legislative reform, digital
service delivery, and expanding consumer education.
Under Capital Expenditure, Mr. Chairman, as
outlined on pages C-8 and C -16 the Ministry H eadquarters does not anticipate any capital assets purchased during 2025/26 fiscal year.
Under Grants and Contributions, Mr. Chairman, there are no formal grants or contributions allo-cated under the Ministry Headquarters for this reporting period.
Mr. Chairman, the department’s performance
measures are outlined on page B -312 for 2025/26
fiscal year. Headquarters is targeting 100 per cent
completion of the initiatives assigned under the 2025 Throne Speech. These deliverables form a critical part
of the Government’s broader reform and modernisation agenda. Key output targets include legislative and
regulatory reforms ; introduction of the amendments to
the Landlord and Tenant Act [and] Electricity Act to
enhance energy affordability and reliability ; amendments to the Regulatory Authority Act to clarify the
mandate and improve sectoral governance; development of the CARICOM membership Green Paper; and
implementation of cost -of-living mitigation strategies.
In tandem with these initiatives the Ministry is
advancing digital transformation projects aligned at
modernising the delivery of services within Consumer
Affairs. As part of the Ministry’s H eadquarters commitment to strengthening public protection and regulatory transparency , I am pleased to report that the development is actively underway for a dedicated digital
platform for Consumer Affairs. This initiative aligns
with the Government’s broader digitisation agenda
and is being implemented as a standalone purposebuilt system in support of the digital transformation
priority for the Ministry.
428 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
B ermuda House of Assembly The platform is being developed in collaboration with the Department of Information and Digital
Technologies and is designed to deliver end- to-end
service integration for both the public and internal
regulatory teams. The platform objectives are de-signed to significantly modernise and centralise Consumer Affairs service deliveries and upon launch it will
support key functions including electronic submission of consumer complaints, licensing applications, prod-uct investigation requests, and case management and resolution tracking. This approach reflects our com-mitment to financial prudence and technology agility.
This platform is intended to be integrated by the end
of the fiscal period.
Once operational it will yield significant operational gains and public service enhancements includ-ing reduction of processing times for complaints and investigations, allow for task prioritisation and streamlined review of these processes, improved work -flow
transparency and real -time case status updates for
both internal officers and members of the public, and
will provide centralised records and case histories
supporting faster resolution and improved continuity
across complex or repeat complaints. This would be in
full compliance with the centrali sed IT infrastructure,
cybersecurity and d ata protection, Personal Information Protection Acts, cyber risk management protocols and data encryption standards.
The public can be confident to know that their
information will be treated with the highest standard of
care and will provide analysis of complaint categories and consumer pain points, identification of repeat of-fenders and trend analysis across licensing volumes, enforcement activity, and resolution timeframes.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr. Chairman,
remains steadfast in its commitment to strategic policy service delivery, enhancing regulatory capacity and directly addressing the public's priorities with the par-ticular focus on the rising cost of living. As outlined in the 2025 Throne Speech, the Ministry has developed
a multi -tiered approach to cost of living mitigation targeting regulatory oversight and key sectors such as fuel, energy and telecommunications. The Ministry is
working closely with the Cost of Living Commission and industry stakeholders to explore and expand the regulatory framework s resulting in lower costs.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry of Home Affairs is
placing a renewed emphasis on public engagement
and consumer empowerment through the expansion of its education outreach and regulatory oversight functions as aligned with the 2025 Speech from the
Throne which prioritises consumer protection and
market transparency. Consumer Affairs will spearhead
public communication strategies targeting all sectors.
To facilitate this, the Ministry will appoint an Education
Officer to lead targeted public awareness campaigns,
develop educational materials and increase the visibility of consumer rights and responsibilities throughout
the community. A central component of the strategy would be
the proactive regulation of high- risk sectors, which
pose particular risk to customers and consumers.
These include informal and unlicensed debt collections agencies, unregulated used car sales and other deceptive practi ces. These reforms aim to provide
consumers with clear, accessible pathways to foster greater accountabilities across businesses and ensure that the public remains both informed and protected in an increasingly complex marketplace.
Mr. Chairman, the major achievements from
the 2024/25 fiscal year under the Ministry of Home
Affairs Headquarters include several key milestones in
alignment with the Government ’s moderni sation efforts. The M inistry advanced the implementation of
Bermuda’s National Space Strategy, positioning the
jurisdiction as an emerging global hub in the rapidly
expanding space and satellite communications industry. Achievement s included the development of a
regulatory framework to ensure safe and transparent
sector operations, formalisation of stakeholder part-nerships with industry leaders and international bod-ies, and the establishment of licencing protocols to
attract foreign investments and produce sector
growth.
The Ministry successfully also led legislative
amendments to the Electricity Act [2016] , resulting in
expanded kilowatt hour allowances for residential customers. This change directly addressed energy affordability concerns and the promotion of more equitable access to essential electricity services across households.
For the upcoming year, Mr. Chairman, the
Ministry of Home Affairs remains steadfast in its com-mitment to address systematic cost drivers such as
housing, energy and the price of essential goods and
services. I n the upcoming fiscal year, the Ministry will
continue to advance reforms to deliver meaningful relief to Bermuda's residents . To support this, the Ministry will implement an electronic register of goods ,
review the list of essential services to determine best
areas for reform, r eview new trade agreements to reduce the cost of living through strategic importation
savings , and in the area of housing, t he Ministry will
finalise these amendments to the Landlord Tenant Act aimed to foster equitable rental relationships and ensure protection for both landlords and tenants to streamline adjudication.
In the energy sector, further amendments to
the Electricity Act [2016] will be introduced to advance
fair pricing methodologies and incentivis e investments
in renewable energy. As part of this strategy, work is
progressing to develop frameworks for community
solar , designed to incentivi se local participation in
clean energy generation a nd improve energy equity.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry also intends to
amend the Regulatory Authority Act 2011 to stream-line internal operations and strengthen enforcement
capabilities. These amendments will address current

B ermuda House of Assembly operational gaps and reinforce the A uthorit y’s ability to
fulfil its statutory oversight and responsibilities effectively. We are also preparing for the launch of a Cost
of Living Summit in the coming months. This event will
feature a comprehensive report on both past and pre-sent initiatives designed to alleviate financial pressures on Bermudian households.
Mr. Chairman, the Ministry’s legislative agenda for the year include
•the Landlord Tenant Act —repeal s the 1997
[Act] and establishes a modern framework for
residential relationships ;
•amendment s to the Electricity Act to ensur
e
af
fordability and sustainability in energy pricing;
•amendments to the E lectronic Communication
Act; and
•enhancements to the Regulatory Authority Act2011 , in consultation with the Regulatory Authority.
Mr. Chairman, in direct response to one of the
most pressing issues facing the people of Bermuda,
the rising cost of living, the Ministry has taken decisive
steps to strengthen coordination, deepen analysis and deliver meaningful, measurable outcomes . To support
the Ministry's cost -of-living efforts , it has convened a
non-statutory strategy team w orking in tandem with
the newly formalised C ost of Living Commission to
develop a coordinated multi -sectoral action plan.
The Cross Functional Team is convened by
the Ministry Headquarters with volunteers to ensure
focused leadership and coordination on strategic cost -
of-living priorities. It operates with engaging industry
experts across sectors to drive implementation of ac-tionable policies and regulatory reforms. While previous jurisdictional reviews and internal reports have offered important insights, many recommendations
were left unreali sed due to fragmented ownership and
resource constraints. The strategy team now supports
a coordinated multi -sectoral action plan focused on
affordability, pricing, fairness and structural market
reform.
The Cost of Living Commission gazetted on
7 May 2025, formally established its mandate to provide evidence- based independent advice to the Minister and the G overnment on monitoring price trends
and cost drivers across essential goods and services ,
recommending fair pricing practic es to ensure equitable treatment of consumers and suppliers, and advising on appropriate policy and regulatory interventions,
particularly where market conditions create hardship for systematic inequities.
The Commission will work closely with both
the Ministry and the strategy team to align analysis
with execution, ensuring strategic coherence and ac-countability. To support this work, the Ministry has
launched two national public surveys ( one for residents and one for businesses ) and has hosted a focus
group. These surveys closed on 30 April 2025 with impressive participation. Approximately 1,500 responses from residents and 250 from business es
across sectors. This strong level of engagement
demonstrates that the public is eager to be part of the solution and will enable Government to design responses, grounded in lived experiences. The findings
from the S ummit will be shared upon completion of
their analysis and will be tabled in the House thereaf-ter.
Mr. Chairman, planning is well advanced for
this inaugural Cost of Living Summit, which will convene these key stakeholders to tackle immediate affordability challenges and long- term relief. The Summit will aim to deliver the short -term immediate actionable i tems, particularly within the food and essential
goods supply chain, and also to develop a road map
for sustainable affordability in the long- term to address
the cost pressures. A comprehensive stakeholder list
is being finalised and will include representation from grocery retailers and wholesalers, shipping and logis-tics providers, labour unions, business associations, non-governmental organisations and consumer advocacy groups.
Recognising the importance that this topic has
to members of the public, the Ministry is developing a
phased communication strategy to promote transpar-ency and manage expectations. This includes a dedicated website providing regular updates and reports, as well as media engagements and newsletters to
keep the public equally informed of the progress and
any relative policy changes. The strategy team supporting the M inistry Headquarters will review pricing
practi ces in unregulated sectors , study market concentration in key sectors, explore competition tools
and also advance research to further inform consumer
behaviours, pricing markups and supply chain dynam-ics. These initiatives are designed to ensure that the
proposals align and are evidence- based, responsive
to market conditions and capable of delivering lasting relief to Bermudians across income levels.
Mr. Chairman, the G overnment made a promise to the people of Bermuda to tackle the cost of liv-ing in action. A nd through the upcoming C ost of L iving
Summit, the M inistry is translating that promise into
action. We seek to advance these reforms that ensure
that families can afford basic necessities , businesses
can compete fairly and transparently and that no one is forced to choose between dignity and survival. We look forward to reporting back on the concrete out-comes and policy interventions emerging from this work in the months ahead.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the dedicated public of-ficers of the Ministry Headquarters and to their continued work in the success of the Ministry's mission and
objectives.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you, Honourable Minister.
430 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report
Ber muda House of Assembly For the benefit of the listening audience, w e
are now on the Committee of Supply for further consideration of the E stimates of R evenue and Expenditures for the y ear 2025/26. The Ministry of Home Affairs, Heads 93, 89 and 97 were presented by the
Honourable Minister Alexa Lightbourne. The Chair
now invites the Shadow M inister , Michael Faye.
Ho
n. Alexa Lightbourne: Actually , I have two additional heads .
Th
e Chairman: Oh, sorry.
Ho
n. Alexa Lightbourne: N o problem.
HEAD 8
9—DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Ho
n. Alexa Lightbourne: T hank you, Mr. Chairman. I
am pleased to present the budget for H ead 89, the
Department of Energy, as detailed on pages B -313
[through] B -315 and C -16 of the Approved Estimates
of Revenue and Expenditure.
Mr. Chairman, the mission of the Department
of Energy is to develop and advocate for policies, leg-islation and regulatory frameworks that enhance sus-tainability, stabilise pricing, ensure affordability and build a resilient future for Bermuda’s energy, tele-communications, space and satellite industries.
To accomplish this mission, the department
proceeds the following broad objectives:
•to reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports whilebalancing the security, sustainability, and affordability of energy in Bermuda;
•to provide education, advice and guidance on
policy and regulation for the energy and tele-communications sectors;
•to facilitate the growth of industry and businesses in Bermuda through supporting the
development and maintenance of robustspace, satellite and telecommunications, and
energy infrastructure; and
•to meet these objectives, the department, operates through a single business unit detailed
on page B -313 and is supported by four officers under the heading of Administration.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Energy's total budget allocation for the 2025/26 fiscal year is $526,000. This allocation is largely consistent with previous year's estimates, reflecting a slight decrease
of 4 per cent compared to the 2024/25 budget. Notably, there is a modest increase in the salaries line to
accommodate expenditure relating to acting pay and necessary salary adjustments. The Director's post is a statutory position, which necessitates the appointment
of an Acting Director whenever the substantive post
holder is on leave. As a result, an additional $5,000 has been allocated to this line, representing a 60 per
cent increase. In terms of operational expenses, cost -saving
measures have been implemented to improve effi-ciency. The budget for overseas call and data lines have been eliminated, resulting in a reduction of 25 per cent, contributing an additional savings within the department's operational expenditure.
Revenue
Ho
n. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, the Department of Energy's estimated revenue for the 2025/26 fiscal year as outlined on page B -314 is projected at
$15,385,000. These revenues are made- up of
•telecommunications fees of $5,981,000;
•Integrated Communications Operating Licence (ICOL) and spectrum band fees of
$9,091,000;
•broadcasting fees of $30,000;
•electricity fees of $177,000; and
•aircraft and marine licencing fees of $106,000.
This represents a decrease of $1,964,000 or
approximately 11 per cent compared to the original
revenue estimates of 2024/25. The primary reason for
this decline is a projected reduction in telecommunica-tions revenue following the Government's decision to
lower monthly tax on mobile phones by 50 per cent,
from $12 to $6 effective 1 July 2025. This policy
change was a key initiative announced in the 2025/26 Throne Speech and reflects the Government's ongo-ing commitment to ease financial burdens on residents by reducing government -imposed fees.
Sta
ffing
Ho
n. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, the Department of Energy Staffing details are provided on page B-314 of the Estimate of R evenue and E xpenditure.
The department is comprised of four full -time
positions of which all are held by Bermudians. At present, one of these positions is vacant. However, the department is actively recruiting with the goal of ful-filling the vacancy before the end of the current fiscal
year. The full staffing complement includes the Director and Energy Policy Analyst, a Research and Development Officer and a T elecommunications Officer.
The total salary allocation for these positions is
$514,000, which accounts for 98 per cent of the department's overall budget.
Per
formance Measures
Ho
n. Alexa Lightbourne: The Department of Energy's performance measures are outlined on page B -
315 of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure.
These updated metrics reflect the Government's commitment to public service reform and are closely aligned with the department’s core functions. Essential priority for the department continues to be the provision of technical and project management
support across Government, alongside its leadership


Bermuda House of Assembly role in collaborating with the Regulatory Authority to
advance critical policy and legislative initiatives across
the energy, fuel and electronic communications sec-tors.
In the upcoming fiscal year, the d epartment
will play a pivotal role in supporting the Government ’s
initiative to modernise Bermuda's regulatory frame-work. The current enforcement and adjudication process employed by the R egulatory Authority have been
deemed outdated, insufficient and unnecessarily complex. These processes often involve lengthy formal hearings and administrative steps which no longer
meet the needs of a modern regulatory environment.
To address this, the G overnment is implementing a
more streamlined regulatory model. This updated approach will introduce clear procedures for issuing
warnings, making final decisions, and publicly disclos-ing enforcement outcomes where appropriate. It will
also strengthen the enforcement capabilities of the
Regulatory Authority by enabling it to impose suitable
penalties, amend or revoke licences and take other
necessary actions to ensure compliance.
To address this, the G overnment is seeking to
implement a more streamlined and transparent regulatory model and this updated approach will introduce clear procedures to strengthen all enforcement. Additionally, the consultation process with stakeholders will be improved. The current three- step process required for most cases with the option to revert to the
original format for complex or sensitive matters when
necessary. The enhancements aim to make Bermuda's regulatory regime more responsive, efficient and
aligned with international best practi ce. The Department of Energy remains committed to supporting
these reforms and ensuring that the sectors under the
Regulatory Authorit y’s oversight operate with a modern, effective and transparent framework.
Mr. Chairman, a major milestone that was
achieved in the previous fiscal year through the G reen
Overseas (GO) programme, which is the EU -funded
initiative executed by Expertise France is an initiative
funded by the European Union and implemented to
provide international technical cooperation. This was
launched in August of 2020 with the budget of €17.8
million over 68 months. The programme aims to support sustainable development and climate resilience in
overseas countries and territories, including Bermuda.
The programme operates through two main mechanisms : the GO facility, wh ich allows for individual territories to request specific national level activities within
a set financial range and GO C ommunities which fosters regional and interregional collaboration among
multiple territories.
In Bermuda, the GO programme assisted in
updating the Island ’s building codes for both commercial and residential structures, focusing on enhancing
energy efficiency and resilience to extreme weather
events linked to climate change. This support included
expert consultations and stakeholder engagements to ensure that the revised codes effectively address the unique environmental challenges faced by the island s,
including rising sea levels, and increased hurricane
activity. The programme has significantly advanced
Bermuda ’s sustainable development.

Hon. Michael Fahy: Just a point of clarification, if I
could.

Is that clear enough for you, MP
Fahy ?

Hon. Michael Fahy: Sadly not. I am just not following.
We are on H ead 89. T he Minister is giving a presentation on last year's performance outputs . But from what
I gathered that was to do with Planning. That does not
seem to fall within this particular budget h ead anymore. I am not . . . I just want some clarification because otherwise I will ask questions on it from last
year. B ut it does not appear in this . . . in these h eads.
Sorry, but I need some clarification.

Okay. Thank you.
Thank you, Minister .

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: The Department of Energy
provided technical leadership to ensure that all recommendations were tailored to Bermuda's unique climate and socioeconomic context , while the Depart432 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly ment of Planning led the drafting and integration of
these recommendations into the updated building
code.
Mr. Chairman, the technical modelling and
analysis conducted under the GO facility produced
several key insights. It was determined that many
Bermudian residents already exhibited relatively high
energy efficiency due to the I sland's moderate temperature range. As a result, traditional efficiency up-grades such as w all installation and high -performance
glazing offered limited cost -effectiveness and longer
payback periods. Instead, the study found that passive design strategies such as extended porches, roof
overhangs, and natural shading from trees delivered a
far greater impact.
This collaboration also identified two high impact scalable technologies : heat pump water heaters
and balcony solar systems. Water heaters can reduce
the residential electricity consumption by 30 per cent if
made widely accessible and the balcony solar system
small plug-in solar units that do not require P lanning
permission capable of meeting most daytime electricity demands and approximately 17 megawatts of decentralised solar capacity.
Collectively these efforts have laid a foundation for more affordable energy resilient -built environments and the revised building code reflects both ambition and pragmatism, accounting for Bermuda ’s
specific development challenges while moving the
Island closer to its sustainability and climate resilience
goals.
Mr. Chairman, it is also important to highlight
the department's oversight for Bermuda ’s subsea telecommunications infrastructure, which plays a crucial
role in the I sland's digital and economic resilience.
The Bermuda Submarine Communications Cable Act
[2020] provides legal framework for licencing and
managing the landing and operation of submarine cables in Bermud a’s terrestrial waters . With exponential
growth of global data f lows and increasing strategic
value of data connectivity, submarine cables have
emerged as vital infrastructure underpinning financial
services, community and data scrutiny. The de partment continues to monitor the sector developments
and will lead in efforts to align Bermuda's legislative
and regulatory regime with international best practi ces
to ensure that the jurisdiction remains attractive for
future cable landings and investments . In the upcoming fiscal year, the d epartment will also assess how
this sector can be integrated more broadly into Ber-muda's long- term telecommunications and digital
economy strategies, identifying opportunities to support innovation, s ector evolution and new business
development aligned with Bermuda's role as a digitally
connected hub in the Atlantic.
Mr. Chairman during the most recent fiscal
year, the government passed the Electricity Amend-ment Act 2024, introducing a new Bulk Generation
Sole U se Installation Licence (“BGSUI” Licence) as part of its ongoing efforts to modernise Bermuda's regulatory framework and accelerate the I sland's energy transition. This legislative change directly sup-ports the objectives outlined in the 2019 Integrated
Resource Plan, which calls for 85 per cent r eduction
in fossil fuel use for electricity generation by 2035 and
promotes greater adoption of distributed renewable
energy. The new B ulk Generation Sole U se Installation Licence permits Bermuda’ s registered companies ,
Government departments and statutory authorities to
install renewable energy systems exceeding 500 kilowatts for self- use, while allowing them to distribute up
to 30 per cent of their total monthly generation to the
transmission, distribution and retail licensee .
Importantly, the Regulatory Authority must assess and approve each installation to ensure grid sta-bility and safeguards ratepayers from potential cost impacts. This amendment resolves a long- standing
challenge faced by developers who were previously
required to sell all of their generated electricity at low
feed- in tariffs and repurchase it significantly higher
retail rates. The updated framework creates a more
commercially viable and equitable pathway for large
scale renewable investments by private and public
sector entities alike. Furthermore, it aligns with broad
public support for clean, affordable energy and responds to stakeholder calls for more flexible futureready energy legislation. By removing structural barriers and promoting responsible development, this reform reinforces the IRPs [Integrated Resource Plan]
road map , while advancing Bermuda's national sustainability and energy affordability goals.
Mr. Chairman, the Department of Energy remains a key partner in supporting interministerial initiatives and driving national progress towards zero
emissions mobility. Mr. Chairman, the Department of
Energy remains a crucial partner in advancing Bermuda's national objective for sustainable transportation. In the upcoming year , the department will continue to provide technical and project management support for the development and implementation of two
landmark policy frameworks . In collaboration with the
Ministry of Transport the national policy of zero emissions vehicles , also known as EV olve.
This framework forms the foundation of Bermuda's long- term strategy to transition from inter -
combustion engines to clean electric mobility. The
national policy on zero emissions vehicles, sets ambitious but achievable targets to phase out the importation of fossil fuel powered vehicles across all classes.
Key masters include banning the importation of gas -
powered motorcycles by 2028, public service vehicles
by 2032, passenger cars by 2035, light and intermediate trucks by 2036, and heavy trucks by 2040. The
policy also promotes EV-ready building codes and a
workforce training to support this transition. The department will continue to lead stakeholder engagement, scenario planning and legislative alignment efforts to ensure timely implementation of these targets.


Bermuda House of Assembly In direct support of these national goals, the
department has also expanded its collaboration with
the Ministry of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport,
which is embarking on its own sector -specific clean
transport transition. As part of this support, the d epartment has reassigned one officer to provide targeted guidance on vehicle electrification infrastructure
requirements and policy alignment to facilitate the
Ministry's goal of modernising transport services within the tourism economy. This officer ’s role has been
adjusted accordingly in the department's staffing plan,
reinforcing the d epartment's agile and interministerial
approach to advancing national sustainability targets.
Mr. Chairman, the G overnment continues to
lead by example. Several ministries have already initiated the conversion of their fleets to electric vehicles,
demonstrating a firm commitment to decarboni sation
of Bermuda ’s transport sector. Notable actions include
the introduction of electric motorcycles within the
Bermuda Post Office, the deployment of electric vehicles within the Ministry of Health and the ongoing electrification of vehicles for the Ministry of Public
Works and Environment. Furthermore, the electrification of Bermuda's public bus system represents a
transformative shift with 70 electric buses now operating across the I sland . This initiative has significantly
reduced emissions from one of Bermuda's largest ve-hicle fleets, while generating cost savings through lower fuel and maintenance expenses.
Mr. Chairman, marine transportation is also a
key focus. The G overnment is currently piloting the
use of electric ferries to assess feasibility, operational
efficiency and environmental benefits of electrifying
Bermuda’s ferry system. This project supports the
long-term aim of modernising Bermuda's maritime
infrastructure in a manner that is both climate resilient
and cost -effective. From electric buses to inter -
ministry fleet conversions and the expectation of elec-tric ferries, the department will continue to support
projects that reduce emissions, expand EV infrastructure and stimulate the clean energy economy. These
initiatives reflect Bermuda's commitment to building a
modern, efficient and climate resilient transport system that benefits all sectors of society.
Mr. Chairman, the G overnment's early adoption of electricity mobility serves two strategic purposes. First, it demonstrates leadership and builds public
confidence, encouraging wider adoption of electric
vehicles in the public and private sectors, and it secondly supports the expansion of electric vehicle market, which will result in increased electricity demands
and k ilowatt hours. This growth economically is significant . By increasing energy consumption, fixed generation and distribution cost s can be spread across a
larger volume, potentially reducing the per kilowatt
hour cost of electricity and improving affordability and
long-term sector sustainab ility.
Mr. Chairman, the G overnment continues to
advance its clean energy agenda through strategic partnerships and targeted programmes that accelerate the transition to renewable energy . Central to this
effort is the Government ’s solar programme, which is
facilitating the development of solar systems across
35 government -owned buildings. This initiative is designed to reduce the G overnment's overall electricity
consumption, lower operational cost s and set a strong
example of environmental stewardship across the public sector. The Department of Energy is coordinating this effort by identifying suitable sites, establishing procurement frameworks and guiding implementation to ensure efficiency, cost -effectiveness and long- term
performance.
Let me just take a break.

Thank you, Minister .
For the benefit of the listening audience, we
are now Committee of Supply for fur ther consideration
of the Estimates and R evenue Expenditures for the
year 2025/26, M inistry of Home Affairs . Honourable
Alexa Lightbourne is presenting Heads 93, 89 and 97.
Please proceed, Minister.

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
This programme further strengthens through a
strategic partnership with the Rocky Mountain Institute
(RMI) a globally recognised energy innovation and
implementation partner. RMI has provided technical
assistance, policy guidance and energy modelling ex-pertise that support Bermuda's broader integrated resource plan and energy resilience objectives. Their
involvement ensures the G overnment's efforts are
aligned with global best practi ces and grounded in
sound, economic and environmental analysis. Together, the deployment of solar infrastructure across
Government buildings and the partnership with the
Rocky Mountain Institute exemplify a whole of G overnment approach to reducing fossil fuel dependence,
cutting emissions, and fostering a more sustainable
and self -reliant energy future. These actions not only
contribute to Bermuda's national climate goals but also demonstrate the Government's leadership and
commitment to driving the I sland's energy transition
forward.
Mr. Chairman, in alignment with the G overnment's commitment to transparency and the reduction
of cost -of-living pressures, the Ministry will strengthen
oversight of regulated sectors by issuing directives to
the Regulatory Authority, regarding governance and
transparency, capacity building, electric sector review ,
consumer protection and oversight. This in support of
the Regulatory's remit to ensure high quality affordable services and its internal priorities to reinforce its
role in driving innovation, competition and responsible
investments across regulated sectors in the year ahead.
Mr. Chairman, turning to communications and
broadcasting policy, the department recognises the
rapidly evolving landscape of broadcasting, driven by
434 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly digital conversions and new media consumption habits. Bermudians are increasingly accessing content
through online platforms , mobile applications and I nternet -based streaming services challenging the relevance of traditional regulatory frameworks. To address this, the G overnment has introduced a new draft
broadcasting policy entitled the C onverged Policy for
Electric Communication and this forward- looking
framework seeks to unify the regulation of traditional
broadcasting and Internet -based audiovisual media
services under a single modern infrastructure. The
policy aims to ensure regulation keeps pace with
technological advancements while upholding public
service obligations, quality standards and accessibility.
Mr. Chairman, a central element of the new
policy is the promotion of local content. Proposed
measures include financial incentives to support local
media content creators, content requirements to maintain visibility of Bermudian stories and the establishment of a national broadcaster dedicated to local programming. These initiatives will protect Bermuda's
cultural identity and support vibrant, sustainable local
media industry. Affordability and public access remain
high priorities. The policy contemplates the introduction of a universal service package, ensuring all residents have access to basic range of television and radio services at regulated fare prices. The Government will also engage stakeholders to consider infrastructure sharing among broadcasters and Internet
service providers to reduce duplication, enhance efficiency and lower consumer cost.
To uphold content standards, the d epartment
will establish a content review panel under the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Board responsible
for setting content guidelines, reviewing programming and address public concerns. This panel will ensure content across all platforms remains accurate , appropriate and aligns with Bermuda social and cultural values.
Mr. Chairman, in support of these objectives,
the licencing regime will be modernised to include
new categories for I nternet -based broadcasters and
other emerging digital media platforms. These licences will require compliance with local content obligations, technical standards and adhere to public interest principles, ensuring fair and consistent oversight
and pricing.
Mr. Chairman, collectively, these broadcasting
reforms represent a bold and forward- thinking strategy, modernising outdated legislation, empowering local voices, ensuring public access to quality content
and creating a more responsive and inclusive media
ecosystem that serves all Bermudians affordably.
Mr. Chairman, the Energy Policy Steering
Committee remains a key advisory body to the Ministry, strategically positioned to guide Bermuda's transition towards a more sustainable and resilient energy
future. The committee's ongoing mandate includes the development and refinement of both electricity policy
and the fuels policy, with the sharp focus on three
core priorities : reducing Bermuda’ s dependence on
fossil fuels, addressing the high cost of electricity and ensuring grid stability as the adoption of renewable energy continues to grow.
Through meaningful stakeholder engagement,
international benchmarking and scenario- based planning, the committee is aligning its policy with practical
forward- looking solutions. These efforts will support
the Ministry in advancing its policies to ensure that
they respond to today's challenges while shaping a
secure, affordable and sustainable energy system for
the future.
Mr. Chairman, as highlighted in the recent
Throne Speech, the Government is advancing targeted amendments to the Regulatory Authority Act to
streamline its adjudication process. These changes
are designed to create a more agile, responsive regulatory framework, one that is better equipped to address the complexities of Bermuda's rapidly evolving
sectors. The proposed revisions will enhance the R egulatory Authorit y’s ability to uphold compliance, resolve disputes sufficiently and enforce clear, consistent standards. By empowering the Regulatory Authority to act decisively, these reforms will promote greater accountability and reinforce public trust in the governance of Bermuda's regulated industries.
Mr. Chairman, in response to the department ’s expanding mandate, a strategic restructuring is
underway to better align its organisational structure
with its evolving responsibilities. The existing title “ Department of Energy ” no longer fully captures the scope
of its work, particularly with the integration of electron-ic communications and emerging regulatory obligations surrounding space and satellite operations. The
department is transitioning into a multidisciplinary policy department and is tasked with managing the complex intersections of terrestrial and extraterrestrial infrastructure, spectrum allocation and data governance.
At this time, it is leading efforts to promote
energy efficiency across G overnment operations and
to accelerate the public sector shift towards renewable
energy ensuring that the Government sets the standard in emissions reduction and optimi sation. This restructuring represents a timely and necessary step in
modernising Bermuda's institutional capacity and ensuring that it remains fit for purpose in an increasingly
digital and interconnected world, while aligning with
the long- term sustainability objectives of the Island.
Mr. Chairman, in closing, I extend my sincere
appreciation to the dedicated team within the Department of Energy, now led by newly confirmed director ,
Mr. Adrian Dill. Their efforts continue to strengthen
Bermuda ’s reputation as a clean, innovative and forward- thinking jurisdiction across the fields of energy,
telecommunications, satellite and emerging technologies.


Bermuda House of Assembly Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Thank you.
For the benefit of the listening public, we are
now in Committee of Supply f or the consideration of
the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the
year 2025/26. Home Affairs Minister Alexa Lightbourne has completed Head 89, the Department of
Energy. She shall move on to Head 97, Land Title and
Registration [Department].
Please proceed, Minister.

HEAD 97 —LAND TITLE AND REGISTRATION
DEPARTMENT

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I am pleased to present the budget estimates
for Head 97, the L and Title and Registration Office
[LTRO], which may be found on pages B -316 through
B-318 and C -16 of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the fiscal year 2025/ 26.
Mr. Chairman, the mission of the L and Title
Registration Office is to maintain a secure, transparent and accessible register of land ownership and interest that reinforces public trust, supports legal cer-tainty and contributes to sustainable land management in Bermuda. The Land Title Registration Office is
a cornerstone institution of property governance, playing a vital role in both the moderni sation of land administration and the economic development of our jurisdiction.
Mr. Chairman, the L and Title Registry Office is
tasked with administering Bermuda ’s transition from a
deeds -based system of property transfer to a title -
based registration model , an approach that offers
greater legal certainty, facilitates efficient property transactions and reduces land disputes . At the heart
of this system lies a centralised and authoritative land
register which records and guarantees ownership and
legal interest in land under the protection of G overnment . The key objective and responsibilities of the
Land Title Registry O ffice include:
1. Land title registration and maintenance—
processing fresh registration, as well as appli-cations for property transfer leases, mortgages and easements ensuring the Land T itle
Register remains current, accurate and reliable by promptly reflecting any change in own-ership or registered interests , supporting the
formalisation of ownership in areas with historically undocumented land occupation or
fragmented title records .
2. Land title index map and boundary management —in maintaining the land title index map,
which identifies the boundaries, parcels, extents, and unique title references of all regis-tered land, this register underpins the legal
recognition of boundaries and is integral to surveyors, legal practitioners and land own-ers.
3. Dispute resolution and adjudication—offering
adjudication and administrative pathways for resolving disputes related to ownership,
boundary alignment or foreshore claims ,
strengthening public confidence by providing
clarity and legal remedies for competing land
interest .
4. Dual registration oversight , title register and
deed registry —while advancing title registration, the L and Title Registry Office continues
to manage the Deeds Registry, ensuring that
transfer notices for transactions falling outside
of title triggers are properly logged and main-tained. This dual registry model preserves
both historical records and ensures continuity
as Bermuda fully transitions to a title- based
system.
Facilitating public and professional access to
land information is also facilitated by the Land Title
Registry Office, including official searches, inquiries
and certified registry extracts , responding to increased
public demand for clarity, especially in relation to fami-ly land, inherited property and mortgage parcels.
Digital transformation and AI integration is
supporting the d epartment in advancing the modernisation of land administration through the rollout of
electronic systems, digitised maps and AI assisted
document processing. These tools are intended to
reduce backlogs, expedite decision- making and improve data accuracy.
Mr. Chairman, the LTRO's operational efforts
in the upcoming fiscal year s will focus on five priorities:
1. completion of priority registrations ;
2. implement ation of legislative triggers ;
3. expansion of public awareness ;
4. safeguarding historical records ; and
5. supporting economic development and investment.
The LTRO will advance completion of priority
registers through mortgages and secured transaction
processing which are essential to supporting Bermuda's credit system and lender confidence.
1. Registrations in unregistered areas with the
particular focus on resolving historically undocumented parcels.
2. Implementation of legislative triggers with improved system efficiency through AI and digitisation, the Ministry will review and potentially
activate additional legislative triggers under
the Land Title Registration Act [2011], broadening the pool of properties subject to title
registration.
3. Expansion of public awareness . The Office
remains committed to stakeholder education
through guidance materials for the public,
training for attorneys and surveyors, commu436 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly nity outreach to demystify title registration and
reduced public apprehension. This is particularly important for resolving land issues rooted in intergenerational family land, where the absence of documentation often deters formal registration.
The department aims to safeguard historical
records by maintaining the Deeds Registry and
through the LTRO will provide archival quality, preservation of Bermuda ’s historical land instruments , a robust public search service to assist researchers, legal professionals and historians and safely net during the
transition from deeds to title systems, especially
where registrations are pending.
The department will also support economic
development and investment through a modern legally
sound land title system that facilitates secure land -
based investments, enables more efficient land valuation and taxation, reduces transaction costs, and increases Bermuda’ s competitiveness in real estate,
construction and international finance sectors. The
ability to confirm ownership quickly and confidentially is vital to developers, lenders and residents alike.
I will j ust take a quick break, Mr. Chairman.

Yes.
For the benefit of the listening audience, we
are no w in C ommittee of Supply for further consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for
the year 2025/26 . Ministry of Home Affairs. Minister
Alexa Lightbourne is presenting.

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The LTRO's ongoing investment in technology
and innovation reflects the broader G overnment -wide
commitment to digitising public services and reducing
administrative burdens. Planned IT initiatives include
full integration of the Land Registry and C ase Management system, integrating the cadastral mapping tools, development of public -facing search portal and
strengthening data security and encryption and com-pliance with the P ersonal Information Protection Act
[2016] .
Mr. Chairman, the Land Title Registration Office stands at the intersection of legal certainty, economic growth and public service reform. This is fundamental to public trust, investor confidence and everyday lives of Bermudians who depend on the clear,
reliable and accessible record of their most valuable asset —land. In the year ahead, the LTRO will continue to expand their coverage of title registration, improve these turnaround times through digital reform ,
educate the public on their rights and responsibilities ,
preserve Bermuda's historical deeds and promote
fairness, transparency and certainty in every land
transaction. This budget supports not only the mod-ernisation of land records, but the moderni sation of
how we protect what matters most .
Expenditure Overview
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, I am
pleased to rise and present the expenditure estimates
and strategic priorities for Head 97 for the LTRO Of-fice 2025/ 26. This vital office continues to play an increasingly central role in modernising the land administration , recognising the importance of digital transformation for G overnment.
The LTRO are dedicated to ensuring accountability to individuals whose losses due to errors
or omissions in the Land Title Registry will have avenues to seek compensation. Through collaboration in
the development of innovative land information systems within Bermuda, we aim to enhance accessibility
and efficiency. Finally, the LTRO provides expert advice to the Minister of Home Affairs in all land -related
matters, and diligently prepares reports highlighting
the achievements of the activities of the Office.
Head 97, the Land Title and Registration Office as outlined on pages B -316 through B -318 of the
approved Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure and
page C -16 of the Capital Estimates. The total allocation for the Land Title Registry Office for the fiscal
year 2025/ 26 is $1,657,000, representing a 5 per cent
increase or $82,000 compared to the original esti-mates for 2024 /25. This allocation support s strengthened staff, will continue to support software and systems implementation, improved public access to land
information, dispute resolution, accurate mapping,
lease and operational maintenance, and professional
services to address legal and technical complexities in
land title registration.
A detailed breakdown of the current account
estimates is found on page B -317 as follows:
• Salaries on line 1, which is the largest budgetary line item and reflects human resources
required to manage increasingly complex and
high volume applications. The $142,000 increase covers an additional two temporary
staff posts : one to support administrative processing and one mapping officer to respond to
the increased application flow and accelerate
digitis ation efforts.
• Line 7 P rofessional Services covers the cost
of an engaging a consultant with deep expertise in title examination and application authorisation whose role is pivotal to maintaining
processing standards and quality assurance
while mentoring junior officers. This consultant
will continue to support the LTRO until April
2026.
• Line 8 rentals covers the annual lease of the
LTRO’s premises at Milner Place, ensuring
continued accessibility and proper housing of
technological systems .
• Line 9 repairs and maintenance—$62,000 includes the cleaning contract of $15,000, office
equipment maintenance at $1, 000, software

B ermuda House of Assembly licencing and maintenance of the Landfolio
system , $47,000 which ensures the continuity
and operability of the core electric land registration system.
Revenue O verview
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, the estimated revenue for the LTR O in financial year 2025/ 26 is
$412,000. As noted on page B -317 an increase of
$10,000 over 2024/25 projections. This increase re-flects activity in the property market, particularly in
single family homes and mortgage registrations. Revenue is derived primarily from fresh registrations and title conversion fees. Official search fees, certified document fees, voluntary title registration, transaction-related filings for mortgage leases and conveyances. The LTRO will continue to balance accessibility and
affordability, with cost recovery, ensuring that land
information remains accessible while the system is sustainable.
Capital Expenditure
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, the LTRO's
capital allocation appears on [page] C -16 and totals
$500,000, which has been earmarked for the acquisi-tion of a proof of concept to modernise the Land Man-agement and Title Registration system. This initiative
forms part of the Government's broader digitisation
efforts and is focused on replacing or significantly en-hanced the Landfolio system supporting its integration with the artificial intelligence tools, improving customer interface, reducing bottlenecks and advancing appli-cation turnaround time. Proposals for the proof of
concept have been solicited from FluentData, Medici
Land and Innola Solutions, with implementation antic-ipated in the upcoming year.
Mr. Chairman, the expected outcomes for the
Land Title Registry Office are listed as follows:
•Secure and transparent land ownership to ensure that owners’ rights are clearly documented, protected by law and publicly accessible,fostering trust and legal certainty in property
transactions.
•Efficient land administration to improve the
speed and accuracy of land registration processes through digital systems and standardised processes, enhancing timely service anddelivery.
•Reduce land disputes to minimise conflicts
through reliable records and accessible dispute resolution mechanisms, including adjudi-cation services, increased voluntary registra-tion, encourage property owners to registertheir land under the title system, increase theproportion of land based under secure registration.•Enhance public access to land information,provide the public and professionals with fast,
easy and accessible access to land infor-mation and services.
•Support for sustainable land use and development to enable better planning and lan
d
mana
gement through accurate records and
infrastructure developments.
Staffing
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, staffing details for the Land Title Registry Office are outlined on
page B -317. The Land Title Registry Office is currently
staffed by nine full time employees and has four va-cancies: Office Manager, temporary Administrative Officer, temporary Junior Mapping Officer and Land Title Officer.
Additionally, the long vacant Land Title Legal
Officer training post has been filled by a member of
staff who has supported the department since 2007.
The LTRO also plans to create a new senior Land Title Officer role which will handle quality control and authorisation duties, thus reducing the reliance on consultants.
These staffing initiatives reflect the M inistry’s
commitment to growing internal capacity, nurturing institutional knowledge and aligning skill sets with technology. Additionally, a new O ffice Manager position has been introduced to support financial account-ability and payment tracking. Recruitment is also underway for a temporary A dministrative Officer to receive applications and assist with scanning docu-ments for the AI initiative and a temporary Junior
Mapping Officer to assist with the additional mapping
demands generated because of faster application turnover.
The AI mapping initiative will not only increase
the speed in which land parcels are digitised and the remaining process will rely heavily on the M apping
Officer. In addition, there are currently five L and Title
Officers and only one Mapping Officer. These temporary posts are for a period of nine months and will
prove critical to meeting operational targets and delivering quality public service.
Performance Measures
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, the department's performance indicators are detailed on page B -
318 and reflects both public value and operational accountability. Highlights include
•Land Title Registry adoption—90 per cent of
all incoming applications are now process
ed
t
hrough the Land Title Registry system,
demonstrating the momentum in transitionin g
f
rom the Deeds Registry.
•Application acknowledgement —100 per cent
of all first registration applications areacknowledged and received within five work438 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly ing days of submission. Triggers include sale
of conveyances, long- term leases, mortgages
and court -ordered conveyances. Voluntary
registrations are also accepted.
• Customer service—100 per cent of registered
information queries are responded to within a
48-hour time frame. Maintaining high service
standards within the department.
• Dispute resolutions —95 per cent of land disputes are resolved within the statutory timelines exceeding the target of 90 per cent ,
which reaffirms the LT RO's commitment to
fair and efficient adjudication.
The LTR O continues to prioritise innovation,
including the application of artificial intelligence and
the resolution of legacy backlogs . Back logs were experienced largely in part due to the COVID -19 pandemic and the department continues to seek ways to
strengthen the security of its systems by exploring
migration of the O ffice’s database to a cloud- based
service.

Major Achievements

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, some of the
LTRO’s achievements for the previous year show that
90 per cent of applications are now processed to the
system and will continue to do so and be acknowl-edged within five days of submission.

Plans for the U pcoming Year

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Mr. Chairman, the d epartment will complete phase one of the AI partnership
and the LTR O is launching phase two, focused on the
mapping automation . The LTR O has already commenced phase two of its mapping initiative, which involves the automated process of scanning survey
plans . As previously mentioned, it is anticipated that
the digitis ation of scanned survey plans will be reduced to 5 to 10 minutes per application. The final
output will be reviewed and validated by a qualified
Land Title Mapping Officer to ensure accuracy and
integrity.
DocDash will prov ide the LTRO with a fast, efficient method of extracting data from the documents
and populate it into the registry. However, this does
not complete the registration process. The LTR O still
requires officers to quality control the data extracted
and populated before sending the application to the
next workflow queues that involve mapping and final
authori sation. The LTRO will still require a full complement of staff ; however their r oles under the new AI
system are subject to change pending review of those workflows.
In short, the DocDash platform AI is used to
read and extract data from property documents, pre-populate fields in Landfolio within 5 to 10 minutes per
application. Routine applications for human verifica-tion, mapping and final authori sation will still be required. This blended approach combining AI -driven
efficiency with professional oversight will significantly
expand the LTRO’s capacity to digitise mapping data,
accelerate moderni sation and enhance service delivery for the public. As a result, the LTRO’s capacity to
manage growing volumes will improve significantly.
In the upcoming year they will complete the
POC for registration systems and modernisation, launch phase 2 of the mapping, advance training new
staff to reduce dependency on consultants and ex-plore cloud migration to ensure data integrity, business continuity and enhanced systems security.
Mr. Chairman, the LTRO continues to support
other Government departments through data collaboration, including Land Valuation Department for appraisals and tax law development; Office of the Tax Commissioner for the land tax collection; Department
of Land and Surveys for public property registration;
the Bermuda Monetary Authority for housing market
monitoring; and the Cabinet Office for multi -agency
research and infrastructure planning.
These partnerships demonstrate the LTRO’s
growing value as a national data asset, supporting both physical operations and long- range policy -
making. Currently the LTRO is proceeding with the final quality control and testing for integration between its systems before going live.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, the Land Title
Registration Office continues to transform not only how we manage land but how we deliver certainty,
security and service to the people of Bermuda. The
LTRO team has risen to meet the increased demand, and under the leadership Ms. Debbie Reid while embracing innovation across its remit. This budget supports the work of the office and protects our past but
secures our present and prepares our land governance systems for a more transparent, equitable and
digital future. I extend my sincere appreciation to all of
the members and staff at the Land Title Registry Office. Thank you, Madam Chairman.

[Mrs. Renee Ming, Chairman]

Thank you, Minister Lightbourne, for
your delivery.
At this time we welcome any Member to reply.
I see Minister. . . I’m sorry, MP Fahy, from constituency 20.
And just so you know, we have one hour and
30 minutes remaining.

Hon. Michael Fahy : Thank you, Madam Chairman.
You were confused maybe a little bit because once
upon a time I was a Minister of Home Affairs, but this
is a very different Ministry compared to what it was 10
years ago. Very different indeed. As you can see certainly from the brief, it is largely a policy -making Ministry.


Bermuda House of Assembly If I can begin . . . and thank you to the Minister
for her brief and giving time today for questions and
debate. Like my colleague, MP Pearman, I am going
to do my best to follow each Head through almost, I
hope, in the order of the Honourable Minister’s brief. So, we have got Head 93, Head 89, and then the final
head, Head 97.
Madam Chairman, let me begin, if I may, with
page B-309 which are the department’s objectives.
Bear with me because I have to keep switching glasses here unfortunately. [There are] a number of objec-tives within that Ministry but I am going to begin, I
think, with objective number five. Which one of the
roles of the roles of the Ministry’s headquarters is to
complete a comprehensive consultation on CARICOM
membership, engage stakeholders in the public and
deliver a White Paper for decision.
Now, I think, based on the brief that the Minister read, she made reference in the brief to a Green
Paper. So, I am going to make the assumption that in
fact it is a misprint in the actual Budget Book. And I think the Honourable Minister is recognising that that
should say Green Paper. And the reason that is important is because that then will align with the performance measures on page B -312 where the target is
to complete a CARICOM process and Green Paper.
So, that makes a little bit more sense to me. For the
listening public, the usual process, if I may, Madam Chairman, is to begin with the Green Paper and then
move on to White Paper with the anticipation of legislation thereafter. That brings me to an important point based on
the brief that we heard this evening. And that is that if . . . obviously, there is the anticipation of the Bermuda
Government going for a Green Paper on CARICOM
membership. There are a number of things that I quickly wrote down as the Honourable Minister spoke and that is that there is already (and I can stand to be
corrected on a point of clarification if I didn’t get this
correct) a draft membership agreement in place or
has at least been exchanged as between the Bermuda Government and CARICOM. Which would certainly
suggest that a Green Paper is kind of a fait accompli
in terms of what the Government’s desires are. A
Green Paper is to get opinions to get input but if in
fact there is already a draft membership agreement
for CARICOM, it seems a bit strange. Nevertheless, I
presume there would be an agreement for associate
membership and if there is a draft agreement that
would be for full membership. So maybe we can get some clarification on that.
(Just give me one second.)
[Crosstalk]
Hon. Michael Fahy : One second, Madam Chairman.
Just a technical point here.

[Crosstalk] The Chairman: Take your time.

Hon. Michael Fahy: Thank you.

Okay.
Hon. Michael Fahy: I was just pausing to get my
computer plugged in with my notes.
So, in relation to CARICOM specifically, that
is a question in respect of any CARICOM draft agreements or thereabouts. And if there were, when
were those drafts exchanged? I think the people of
Bermuda would like to know that. The performance measures, again sticking
with the issue of CARICOM, if you look at page B -312,
Madam Chairman, it says complete CARICOM process and Green Paper. Perhaps the Minister could
shed light on what it means by CARICOM process. Is
that negotiations? Is that preparation of the Green
Paper? Maybe we can have some light shed on that.
In terms of a timeline for the publication of a
Green Paper, it would be useful to know as to the
specific timeline of the publication of the Green Paper.
Normally again, Madam Chairman, for the listening
public, Green Papers do involve public consultation.
And perhaps the Minister could give some further details on what the specific public consultation will look
like if given the fact that the target outcome is 100 per
cent for the completion of the Green Paper which
means that it would be done and completed presumably by or before 31 March 2026. And as well, in terms
of that I don’t see any specific line item necessarily for
the costs that would be involved in both the Green
Paper and eventual White Paper procedures. Again,
that does not necessarily come cheaply.
Madam Chairman, in terms of staffing relating
to the Ministry of Home Affairs HQ. Again, this is on
page B -311. We have eight members of staff and administration and then we have eight members that come within the line item 103010 for Consumer Affairs. But for administration when you are looking at 103000, I would like to know if there are any staff within the number of eight who are dedicated to pushing
forward the CARICOM agenda that appears to be part
of the objectives within the Ministry. In relation to the next piece, when we have a
look, again continuing with CARICOM, the Home Af-fairs travel budget, if you look at page B -310, is
$109,000 and the other session, I think the most re-cent session, the Minister had given a presentation
about, I think, CREF [Caribbean Renewable Energy
Forum]. And what I am more interested in with this particular line item, travel, CARICOM obviously requires a lot of travel. Are all line items related to travel,
is this about CARICOM, specifically? Because certain440 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly ly other Heads where travel is zero or close to zero,
so one has to presume that the Minister has the responsibility for CARICOM affairs and will be attending
CARICOM events.
Assuming that that is at least a good portion
of the travel budget, perhaps the Minister can outline
for the listening public the number of trips that she
intends to take to attend CARICOM affairs from within
that budget line item. Assuming that given the portfolio
of CARICOM affairs now comes under the Ministry of
Home Affairs, one has to presume that the Minister will be responsible for traveling to various CARICOM
events and acting on behalf of the people of Bermuda,
presumably instead of the Premier (or perhaps both).
Again, let’s just get some clarification on that.
Madam Chairman, in terms of the overall staff
in the Ministry, we have in total, I have calculated be-tween the various departments, I think we have 33
staff. And again, it is a little bit across the various departments, but I am not quite following the way in
which the staffing has panned out here.
During the Minister’s brief, we again see a
number of increases. But what I am not quite following
is in relation to Consumer Affairs. It would appear that
on that line item which came from another Ministry, I think it was Legal Affairs one year and another year it
was another Ministry. But I believe in the last Budget
Book there were seven members of staff. So, let’s just make that clear. It looks to be an increase of one in
that department overall from where it laid in a previous
Budget Book. And maybe the Minister can confirm that.
So, we have eight for admin in Home Affairs
and eight for Consumer Affairs, four in Energy and thirteen in Land Registry. So, I will get to that in due
course about the Land Registry. What I would like to know in respect of the Ministry of Home Affairs HQ, and again forgive me if I missed it because the Minister had a comprehensive brief, is how those eight staff
in the HQ are broken down by PS code. So, we can
understand the tasks that are really being assigned to
each person within that HQ.
So, for example, given that within the Ministry
HQ we see under the department objectives that, and if I can read, Madam Chairman, to ensure that landlords and tenants receive fair and equitable treatment
through reform the Landlord and Tenant [Act 1974] and the [Rent Increases] (Domestic Premises) [Control] Act [1978] transparent policies and effective regulation one has to presume that there are dedicated
staff within the Ministry HQ who deal with some of
these objectives exclusively. Or is it split down across
individuals? Because these obviously are very important areas and they are all policy -making areas, for
the most part. So, again, one would presume that there are policy individuals within the headquarters dealing with those comprehensive objectives.
One of the items generally that I . . . there
wasn’t a lot about. And I will get to that under the head of Energy. [It] is the issue of expanding the satellite
business. There was some mention but certainly not
within, from what I could tell, the realms of the plan
that was put out in 2020. That was a five- year plan in
respect of trying to boost Bermuda’s satellite technology. And I will get to that and try to align the objectives within that plan as to whether they have been
successful in the Ministry and the department in dealing with that particular portion.
Madam Chairman, in terms of specifically
lowering the cost for Bermudians which is one of the main budget items. Again, it would be useful to know
how many staff are working on that particular project.
Are there individual staff members dealing with, for
example, price controls (which was mentioned in the
Throne Speech).
Under page B -312, Madam Chairman, I just
want to have a look at some of the performance
measures and then bring those back to the objectives
and the sums of monies that appear within the Ministry itself. The Minister made mention specifically if we
look at page B -312 under business unit 103010, Consumer Affairs, it says the number of valid complaints
investigations is a targeted outcome of 2,000. Now,
the Minister said, Look. Now this is something that we
can do and there will be investigations, et cetera.
Now looking at the performance measures
from the previous year they do not appear in this par-ticular chart because the Department of Consumer
Affairs, or the head of Consumer Affairs came under
another Ministry. But last time, or last year, there were
428 investigations under that particular line item of
performance outcomes with seven staff. There are now going to be eight staff, and we are jumping to
2,000. I just don’t see how that is physically possible.
And if it is, then I would like to understand how many
investigations each member of staff is going to be responsible for and how those output measures match
up. I think it is a pie- in-the-sky figure, frankly. I just
don’t see how investigations of 2,000 can be reached
with eight staff members. And of those eight staff
members, I do not believe that all of them are investigators. So, maybe the Minister might clarify how that
number was actually reached.
And, Madam Chairman, again, if you look
within the performance measures the number of rent
inspections is listed as 2,500 for the course of the
year. That . . . listen, if we have investigators who are
that efficient, I would be absolutely thrilled. But 2,500
seems like an unachievable number. If we can get
there, brilliant. I would be the first to praise the department and to praise the Minister, but 2,500 just . . .
I don’t know. Maybe there is a different terminology that is being used for the number of rent inspections.
If you just break it out, how many rent officers are
there conducting inspections? Maybe the Honourable
Minister could share that with us and then we can at
least have an opportunity to break down how many
rent inspections each rent inspector is required to do


Bermuda House of Assembly through the course of 365 days, less holidays, sick
time and the like. So again, it sounds good. I am just
not sure in any way that that number is achievable.
Again, the number of rent commission appeals that number of a target outcome for 2025/26 is three. That . . . I can’t believe it is that low. Maybe it is.
Is that concluded appeals? Started appeals? Dismissed appeals? The reason that is important . . . if
you are having 2,500 rent inspections that means a determination is being made by someone within the
department as to what a relative rent is, and I am pre-suming that is under the Landlord [and] Tenant [Act
1974] and the [ Rent Increases (Domestic Premises)
Control Act 1978] for rent control. Maybe there can be
light shed on that. Is it just related to rent control,
those inspections? I think it must be. Again, with the
adjudications there are only three appeals? Sorry, again, I find that sum difficult to really come to terms
with.
Again, when we look at the number of product
recalls removed from sale. We say there is going to
be 20 products. Again, I would like to know how these
numbers are calculated. Especially given that the Minister’s brief certainly made it known that there is going
to be enforcement powers and investigations taken against products and presumably sellers of products
and we have 20 items removed . . . sorry, 20 product
recalls removed from sales. Again, maybe that number can be clarified in some way.
Let me just turn, if I may, to some of the notes
that I had taken from the Minister’s brief. Ah yes, in terms of the consultants in respect of the professional
services, and this is page B -310, professional services. It represents $1,420,000. I just note that that is
getting fairly close in terms of numbers to salaries of
the individuals within that department. And that to me suggests that the department obviously does not have the requisite expertise to take on all of the projects
that this Ministry has been given in terms of policy. It
is now having to spend a significant amount of money
on professional services. It has jumped from
$590[,000] (and the Minister said it in her brief) to
$1,420,000.
Perhaps the Minister can share some further
details on whether that money is made up of specific projects with particular consultancy companies and if
so which ones. Or is it staff who are sitting within the
Ministry acting as consultants. And if so, from where?
And what are the tasks that they have been allocated
to in respect of the Ministry Headquarters depart-mental objections? Again, is it to deal with the Landlord [and] Tenant Act? Is it to deal with consumer protection? Is it to deal with CARICOM? Or is it to deal
with increasing the transparency of the Regulatory
Authority? (Bear with me for one moment, if you will,
Madam Chairman.)
Ah yes, in terms again of the consumer protection, I was interested to hear that there apparently
must be major concerns with food labelling and the like within Bermuda given that there appears to be
some requirements for further investigations. And
what I am interested in is if there is any data that the
Minister can share and if she has it, it would be interesting for her to share it as to how many complaints have been received in the last fiscal year as to the
number of items that were made reference to in her
brief. So, she made specific reference to looking at
issues to do with electrical appliances, toys, [and]
second- hand cars.
I certainly was not aware that this had become a major problem in Bermuda that enforcement
needed to be done with labels. I am making an assumption that labelling must relate to perhaps locally
produced goods because obviously if we are importing most of what we utilise in Bermuda from overseas
where they have very stringent labelling requirements, are they somehow different here that the Department
of Consumer Affairs needs to get involved? Or is this
something that maybe we are overthinking?
So again, just for clarity, if the Minister would
give some information as to why it is seen as necessary with electrical appliances and toys and secondhand cars that there is this major requirement for inspections and inspections on goods and on labelling.
And in respect of the number of investigations that the
Department of Consumer Affairs intends to carry out
in the forthcoming fiscal year would also be helpful.
I noted that much has been put on the Ministry of Home Affairs HQ and across the entire Ministry to do with digitisation which presumably increases
efficiency. And that there is going to be a new purpose- built digital platform built for Consumer Affairs
delivery by March 2026. Given that it is internal, I am
not sure where we would find that on the line items as
to the overall costs. Maybe the Minister could give
some details. Maybe it falls within the budget of the IT
Department.
I will take a moment here and maybe pause
and allow the Minister to answer those questions and
then I can . . . I may nip back but I will then spend
some other times on those other heads, Madam
Chairman.

Minister, before I ask you Minister,
does anybody else wish to speak to Head 93?
Minister, you can respond.
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
I am still waiting for a few technical responses, but I will get through the Honourable Member’s
questions as best as I can.
Relating to Head 93 and the CARICOM, not
any performance measures, but also the consultation
process. In the first instance, yes it is an error, so to
formally clarify that it will be a Green Paper with a
view to solicit the information from the CARICOM secretariat which is now still outstanding but will also in442 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly clude the draft membership agreement which is a
standardised document that the CARICOM secretariat
provides to all who intend to seek CARICOM membership. Additionally, the performance measure that
you also noted on page B -312, it should say complete
CARICOM consultation process and Green Paper.
So, I thank the Honourable Member for that clarification.
In terms of the timeline, we are actually at the
behest of the secretariat and while we have made
best efforts to engage with the office of the secretariat and express our desire to have better understanding
of both the cost and the associated provisions that will
be required of membership. We have not yet received
that and so it is our intention to continue to seek the
secretariat for a response. Also noting that they have
substantive member states that they are currently ser-vicing and the CARICOM head rotates every six
months, that is currently a priority for them and so we
are seeking to get that information from them as best
we can and at which time it will form the further con-sultation and the Green Paper thereafter.
Relating to the dedicated staff of the section
of Consumer Affairs, the Honourable Member noted that there was an increase from seven to eight of the Consumer Affairs staff and that correctly relates to the
Education Officer who has been . . . was noted in my
brief will . . . business liaison officer who will support
education and community -related engagements, promoting awareness and overall consumer protection
practices.
Regarding the dedicated staff member who
would be associated with any CARICOM- related consultation and Green Paper, there is one dedicated staff member and will also be supporting any public
consultation and public awareness efforts relating to membership with the Honourable Attorney General’s Chambers.
Regarding the Ministry Headquarters’ PS
grades. They range from PS14 to [PS] 39 for the eight
persons currently retained at the Ministry Headquar-ters. And relating to the satellite business strategy, the
progress of the satellite and space strategy was initial-ly developed in 2020. And due to the COVID -19 pandemic it has significantly impacted the momentum and
implementation of the strategy at this time. However,
the Ministry has since which renewed its focus and is
actively advancing this initiative as part of our current
efforts and in process of establishing the space advisory panel which is currently comprised of key stake-holders and experts. The panel will be focused and
tasked with supporting business development opportunities in this sector and contributing to the finalisation of the earth station regulations , which will be essentially crucial to enabling the growth and attracting investment in Bermuda’s space economy.
Relating to the Consumer Affairs digital platform, this will be handled internally by the IDT department. It will not incur additional costs, and it will not be reflected in the line items in our subsequent
budget pages.
Regarding the professional services from
Headquarters, I think the Shadow Minister does rightly
note that there is a change of remit of the Ministry of Home Affairs to focus on both consumer protection,
cost of living measures, and at present we have engaged with . . . or we are seeking to engage with persons to support any sort of legal or legislative reform efforts following the Cost of Living Summit and the
findings that result there[from]. To be able to both generate and implement these cost -saving measures
swiftly, recognising that there are a number of other
conflicting projects that are also underway with other
substantive ministries and Attorney General’s Chambers, we would seek to have support from those who
have expertise to streamline and advance these re-form efforts.
Additionally, the professional services breakdown includes local consultants, overseas consult-ants, legal consultants, government membership fees,
board and committee fees. So, it is not just personnel
alone but it actually supports this array of consultant
and professional services.
The Honourable Member also asked [about]
the number of trips that are intended. At present there
is no known travel schedule, but this allotment is to support any technical support or further persons who
would need to support these travels and it does not
relate specifically to CARICOM membership. It also
ranges across the other areas and most notably . . .
you rightfully noted my most recent trip to, CREF [Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum]. And so, I don’t have a number of intended trips to allot to that line
item. But it will also expand to technical support.
And I will yield to further questions and if I get
some further replies I will come back.
Hon. Michael Fahy : Thank you for that. I mean, if . . .
if—

Minister . . . MP Fahy, one second.
You need to be acknowledged by the Chair.
So, I will thank the Minister for her response
and I will now recognise the Member from constituency 20, MP Fahy.

Hon. Michael Fahy: Thank you. I was getting very
excited, ready to stand up a little early. Thank you,
Madam Chairman.
And thank you to the Minister for those answers. As she has rightly noted there are outstanding
questions and I will allow her to get [that] information
and I will continue to ask questions for the next while.
Just in follow -up to a couple of statements
made in relation to what we heard. I think I heard
there was not really a travel schedule there. And there
was note made of this Cost of Living Summit, which a
lot has been put on it. I query that because I do note


Bermuda House of Assembly that there was one major question missing from that
survey as I looked at it. I am just curious as to why no
question was asked, at least from my review, as to
whether or not those being asked thought it was important to grow Bermuda’s population. I leave that there because I don’t remember seeing that in the
survey and maybe the Minister can clarify that.
Either way it would appear then that we have
$1.4 million put aside for professional services, and as
yet unengaged consultants, depending on the outcome of the Cost of Living Summit in June. Perhaps, if
it is this Ministry that is likely to be dealing with price
controls pursuant to the Throne Speech, the Minister
might shed light on whether it is this Ministry that
would be dealing with . . . I believe there has been talk
of a Government -sponsored grocery store. Again,
maybe that falls within here, maybe not. But I would be curious to know.
If I may, I will turn more specifically to Head
89 and that is Energy and that is found in the Budget Book beginning on page B -313. I will just have a quick
look again at the mission statement which this particular department has four members of staff and that is
found on page B -314, line item 99000, under administration. Four members of staff for a whole department. I just flag that up. I wonder if that could be
merged with another department to save some costs.
With that said, we see that the mission statement is to development and advocate for policy legislation and regulatory frameworks and enhance sustainability, stabilise pricing and ensure affordability and build a resilient future for Bermuda’s energy, telecom space and satellite industries. Two of those,
space and satellite industries, seem to have taken a
pause because of COVID -19 four years ago. I think
we can do better than that, frankly.
I will turn in a minute to the five- year plan that,
from what I can tell, has not made much progress. I
think the people of Bermuda need to know what progress has in fact been made within that plan rather
than simply making a broad sweeping statement of
COVID -19 given that this Ministry is responsible for
satellite and space technology. Again, we have the creation of another committee that advises the Gov-ernment which seems to be par for the course.
With that said, we have again four members
of staff. I think the Minister did share with us the breakdown of what that was in total as to the individuals. But in terms of the integrated resource plan, that
comes within the remit of the Department of Energy, I believe, who is following and making sure that the integrated resource plan is being followed? I know the
Regulatory Authority [RA] obviously has a role to play
in that, a major role to play.
But, again, department objections on page B -
313 say that one of the objectives is to provide educa-tion, advice and guidance on policy and regulation for
the energy and telecommunication sector. As well as
ensuring reduction of fossil fuel imports, balancing security sustainability and affordability of energy in Bermuda. That seems to be the agreement of the RA.
So there has to be some overlap, presumably some-one within that Ministry has some oversight of that
integrated resource plan. I would like to know when that integrated resource plan would be in final form
because I believe it is late. Maybe the Minister can
clarify. The last one was 2019. It is supposed to be
published every five years. So perhaps the Minister
can clarify in the timing of the next instalment of the
integrated resource plan.
One of the items that is within the Budget
Book is performance measures, [page] B -315. And it
is useful to look at these as you have heard from my previous remarks, because this is a large policy -
making Ministry, rather than lots of other measures that you might otherwise find in other much larger ministries. So, again, if you look at the output we have
some new measures listed there. This is page B -315,
Madam Chairman. It says a number of policy recommendations to be submitted to the Minister in the year
is five.
How are these targets met if we don’t have final integrated resource plan, if we are still working
through a space plan? I am not sure how those variables are calculated. For the number of legislative
amendments tabled, is says three. Where does that
number come from? These are new measures. One
has to presume if they are new measures we already
know what those amendments are likely to be. I did
hear some presentation as to what is likely to come
but maybe the Minister can clarify or perhaps repeat if
I missed it. And if I did, I apologise.
Again, number of Cabinet memoranda submitted to Cabinet is five. The way it works is that you get
all kinds of different papers that can be presented to
Cabinet, from drafting papers to information papers to
decision papers. How is that broken down, number of
memoranda submitted to Cabinet? Is that related to
one initiative, or the information papers? How has this
number been calculated?
Again, number of project initiatives. A new
number of five, a target outcome of five project initiatives. Maybe the Minister can break that down as to
what those projects are likely to be. I think that would be very important.
When we look at revenue, and this is page B -
314, this is a very revenue -producing department, the
Department of Energy, from general fees. And I thank the Minister for making some clarifications in her
Statement as to what some of those fees were, because it is listed. If you look at page B -314, line item
8431, it makes reference to general fees. And I be-lieve that relates to telecoms. It relates to other fees.
And again, it is significant. [It] was 2024/25, $7.9 million. This year it is going to be estimated at $5.9 [million] because of a reduction of telecom. And I think it
was some of the mobile phone carrier fees so that
reduces some of the amount.
444 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly But what strikes me with some of this is the
amount of money here in revenue is a lot. And it is
tax. So, when you talk about cost of living, I would
certainly hope that these fees would be looked at
again in furtherance to reduce the overall cost of living for Bermudians. When you look at the amount of revenue, this is all tax that Mr. and Mrs. Bermuda eventually pay through the Department of Energy.
In addition to that, when you look at electricity
fees, one of the questions that people have always
asked is, Well, how . . . People forget about how the
Regulatory Authority is funded. And that is funded
through their own fee that is attached to some of
these providers. And I think their budget in the last
year was $6 million or something close to it. It may be
just over that. And again, perhaps the Minister could
clarify.
The budget I think for the RA is $6.5 [million]. I
know that . . . and I am bringing this up, Madam
Chairman, if I can get a bit of leeway on it, because there is a requirement (from what I can recall) that the Regulatory Authority gets the Minister’s approval for
that budget. Is it anticipated that next year that budget
is going to increase or decrease? And when is it anticipated that for the Regulatory Authority there will be audited financials? At the moment the last set of financial statements that I could find online were the
unaudited financial statements from March 2025 [sic].
So again, I would be interested to know about those
being audited.

[Inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael Fahy: So, I put that there and I think
that is useful to note . . . sorry, 2024. Yes. Thank you
for the clarification.

Thank you.

Hon. Michael Fahy: So, let me just look at this.
Oh, yes, also we have heard mention of the
Rocky Mountain Institute [RMI] which the Bermuda Government signed a memorandum of understanding
in 2019 (I think), and there were two major tenets of that. One was to do with electric buses and transport
and the other pieces (from what I could gather) were
to prioritise renewable energy projects and look for ways to build a more resilient grid. Perhaps given that
that is also something that falls under this Ministry, I
would be interested to know if there are any key performance indicators within that MOU. And I don’t believe that MOU has ever been tabled before the House. I would be curious, if it hasn’t been, if the Minister would be prepared to table that MOU for the
House to understand the contents and what obligations . . . suite of obligations I say because it is an
MOU, as to where we are with that relationship with RMI.
Is it anticipated as well that that relationship
will continue past whatever the end date is. I don’t
know what the end date is. There was a signing ceremony in 2019, and I could not find any information as
to how long that was to last. So again, perhaps the
Minister can clarify that.
In relation to further work from the Department
of Energy . . . and again, I just want people to understand why I am asking some of these questions and how I am relating them in. Under [page B -313] again,
is the department objectives. [It is] to reduce reliance
on fossil fuel imports while balancing security sustainability and affordability of energy in Bermuda. Today
we were given a treat of the tabling of the City of
Hamilton Plan 2025. And a quick read through that I
didn’t see anything in there that was an absolute re-quirement to have renewable energy on new builds
and things like that. And I am just wondering if the
Honourable Minister could [shed] a light on whether or
not the Department of Energy had given comprehensive feedback in relation to the City of Hamilton Plan.
Is there any intent to perhaps give further feedback given that there didn’t seem to be anything in that City
of Hamilton Plan that required new builds absolutely
to have renewable energy?
They have to have energy statements. They
have to have renewable statements. But does the
Minister think it useful, given that we are trying to lower energy costs, to have new builds with some form of
renewable energy component? And I would be curious to know what the Department of Energy’s stance
is on that.
Of course, the Minister also made mention of
the ongoing projects to ensure that Government build-ings do have renewable energy as part of those buildings, so solar panels, et cetera. And perhaps the Minister could give further details since again it is part of
the Department of Energy brief. Not necessarily something you are going to find immediately line by
line, but I am going to tie that to the objectives rather
broadly. Again, because I think this Ministry is more or
less a policy -making Ministry. How many Government
buildings now have some form of solar or renewable
power attached to it? How many are still to go? And
what has been the anticipated . . . or what is the cost
savings so far given that this is a major project for the Bermuda Government?


Bermuda House of Assembly In addition, Madam Chairman, the Minister in
her brief said that . . . or reminded us of this plan for
there to be fully fleeted electric vehicles. I think
2020. . . I want to say 2026 but maybe it was 2028,
that all bikes are supposed . . . motorbikes —2028.
Banning of motorcycles, gas motorcycles I think by
2028. I can only write so quickly. I think 2035 was cars
and then we went into trucks and different vehicles.
But the first year I heard was 2028.
Perhaps the Minister can give further details
on how that project is ongoing in terms of requiring Bermudians to have all electric bikes by 2028. And
that seems way off to me. I can imagine the outrage
on that particularly given I don’t see any real progress
in infrastructure to allow for fully electrified vehicles
through Bermuda. I don’t see it. Maybe we will blame
COVID -19 for that. But I am sure that will come and
that things are slow because of something from five
years ago. If we are going to progress these then I
think we need, again, the key performance indicators
for every single one of those categories from bikes to cars to heavy goods vehicles.
Oh! And . . . and an electric ferry fleet I heard.
That is fantastic! Again, these are wonderful ideas —
[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Michael Fahy: I tell you . . . I tell you; I won’t
hear it either. I won’t be able to run for the ferry in the
morning.

[Laughter]
Hon. Michael Fahy: It will be so quiet.

[Inaudible interjection]
Hon. Michael Fahy: Yes. I tell you.
So, there goes the Corona , and there goes
the other ferries. But again, the cost of that. I would
like to know if the Minister could point within the
Budget Book as to where those line items are, because it is being mentioned in this debate, in this particular Committee- of-Supply conversation. Therefore, I
think we should be told where that is and has it been
budgeted for to align with these plans. I think that is
important. If we are talking about [it], then show me
where it is. Show us where those funds are coming
from, how they are being spent and when. Okay?
How many ferries?
Is it for the short routes? The long routes?
Are we going to spend the money on batteries? I mean, the questions can go on and on and on
and on. But those are the things that matter to the
travelling public. And if the department is putting out
these edicts as policy, is it just make work and fanciful ideas that will never be implemented? Or will they? Or
is it a case of, Well, we have to prioritise the things.
We have to lower cost, because, make no mistake, the infrastructure for something like this would be enormous.
And is that then relying on the private sector
to do? And how does that number add up? And the
question that I then have is: The Minister said in a previous Statement in this House that she is aware, of
course, that the more solar and renewable energy that
you install does in fact potentially increase the cost to
those that do not have the ability to use solar and
wind and the like. Right? So, how does all of this add
up when we have one provider that is responsible for the grid? And that’s BELCO.
Everybody loves to criticise, but they are the
only provider. And we are also aware that you are still pretty much going to need two spinning engines in
case it goes dark. Right? If you have solar, the clouds
come . . . these are facts. So again, we have these
lovely pronouncements from this particular department, but how does it translate into practice? I am
sure that we will be told that it is a committee that is
going to give advice, and that further information will
be forthcoming in respect of that.
The Minister also made mention in her brief of
the draft broadcasting policy and financial incentives
for local programmes. Okay? I think that is grand but
where is that line item? When is that going to happen?
Who is going to pay?
[Inaudible interjections]

Hon. Michael Fahy : Sorry. So . . . so . . . this . . . so,
at the moment, for the listening public —

MP . . . MP . . . yes. But I was not
giving you permission to speak. I was just saying that I would allow MP Fahy to tell you where he referred it.
Because what he has been doing is that he has been
referring to the places that he is asking the questions.
He is either referring to it from the Budget Book and
he has given us the section and, if not, he will let us
know that he is referring to it from the brief. And then I
will ask if someone else wishes to speak. And you can
definitely get up and speak.
446 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly Mr. Hubert (Kim) E. Swan: Yes, it would be helpful
so that I can also relate to it if I decide to make a contribution. Thank you.

No problem. Thank you very much.
MP Fahy.

Hon. Michael Fahy: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Madam Chairman, specifically for the Member
from constituency 2 (I didn’t want to say number one
and get it wrong; that is the Chair.) I am making specific reference to the Energy Mission Statement which
says that the Department of Energy is responsible for
Bermuda’s energy telecoms, et cetera, and the ministerial brief that the Minister kindly read that made
mention of specifically the electric ferries.
More specifically, in relation to . . . again, the
broadcasting policy that I am going to ask questions
about . . . again, I am making reference here to the
Minister’s brief and also to the point about telecommunications within the mission statement for which the Department of Energy is responsible.
Madam Chairman, the Minister, as I said,
made reference to this broadcasting policy and its fi-nancial incentives. And the Minister, I hope, will shed light on what those incentives are likely to look like,
the types of fees that will . . . or the types of funds that
will be given and under which line item this may fall, or
which Ministry or department this potentially will fall.
Because, again, I don’t see any specific reference in
any budgeted line item for these payments. And, again, presumably it is going to come under Culture
and Sport. I don’t know. But it is interesting that it is
mentioned from within this particular Ministry and this Head.
As well, there is an Energy Policy Steering
Committee. We did hear a ministerial Statement on this particular . . . yet another committee, I might add.
Another committee to give the Government advice. This Ministry has a lot of [advisors]: policy, steering
committees, consultants, free—I guess . . . I don’t
think anyone is getting paid on the Energy Policy
Steering Committee. But given that this committee is
going to begin work in earnest, perhaps the Minister can share who is on this committee now that it has
been announced by ministerial Statement and reference was made to it in a ministerial brief.
When was the committee . . . when did the
committee first meet? Who are the members of that
committee? Is anybody getting paid on that commit-tee? How many times do they intend to meet? What
are their key performance indicators? We can make
announcements that sound amazing, but we need
details as to what this actually means in practice, given that one of the roles of that committee, from what I
recall, is to give advice to the Ministry on ensuring the Integrated Resource Plan is followed. That is what the
Ministry should be doing already. I am a little confused [by] that. Again, what is the cost if any to the depart-ment for that?
What I am going to do is . . . I think we have
another 30 minutes. But I am keen to ask a number of
questions on Land Title and Registration, and I think, if I may continue, Madam Chairman, I would prefer to
do it that way and get answers at the end.

Thank you, Madam Chairman.
On page [B -]313 regarding the department
objectives the first objective, reliance on fossil fuels
and so forth, we know that the RA is putting out some
kind of request for proposals on wind energy. Could the Minister characterise if this Department of Energy
has any involvement and to what extent in that initiative?
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

Thank you, Member.
Does any other Member wish to speak to
Head 89, Energy?
I recognise the Member from constituency 20,
MP Fahy.
Hon. Michael Fahy: Thank you. I had one more point
to make. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
I did promise to the listening public, who I am
sure is finding this invigorating, that there was a space strategy paper published in 2020, a five- year plan.
There were strategic goals. I think the listening public would like to know what the strategic goals are since not much has been achieved, given that this was a
major part of a plan for revenue in building Bermuda’s
reputation.
1. Build Bermuda’s reputation as a responsible,
leading jurisdiction for space and satelliterelated business. (I am not sure that is successful.)
2. Enhance domestic space and satellite- related
capabilities. (I don’t think so.)
3. Further integrate Bermuda with the interna-tional space community.
4. Generate revenue—

Yes, okay. Thank you.
Hon. Michael Fahy: Yes.
There are numerous pieces that come under
that. There are a number of strategic goals. There are dozens of them, really, that are pages and pages long.
I think what would be very helpful is if the Minister, given this is a policy -making Ministry, could give
a comprehensive update as to whether or not that strategic plan has in fact even come close to being filled. I did hear that other things have taken priorities. But given that clearly a lot of work was put into a five-year plan, perhaps the Minister would undertake to
give a comprehensive update at some point by way of
a ministerial Statement or otherwise so that the public is aware of what has or has not happened.
I don’t have any other questions in that particular . . . at this moment in time, Madam Chairman, so I
sit for you in relation to others.

You are welcome.
Hon. Michael Fahy: Madam Chairman, you are quite
right. I am going to speak now to Head 97, Land Title and Registration. And there are a number of items
here where I think clarity is required based on the ministerial brief and some of the numbers.
Again, I will just take us to [page] B -317 which
is the employee numbers (full -time equivalents) and
again 2024 was revised numbers of nine members and that is going to jump to 13. I did hear the Minister
say there are a couple of unfilled posts and there were
going to be a couple of temporary posts and there is someone who is going to be involved in making sure that documents are scanned to try and improve effi-ciency.
What I am not following here is in relation to
some of these numbers. So, Madam Chairman, if we have a look at the performance measures to begin with on page B -318, and it says on that page under
performance measures, To maintain the registering of
mortgages alien register, land transfer notices to within 10 days of receipt of notice in the office. [There is] a 100 per cent target outcome. Increase digital data pertaining to land ownership. [There is] a 100 per cent
target outcome, up from 95 [per cent] and 90 per cent,
respectively. And increase public stakeholder meetings, 100 per cent. It sounds like things have gone
pretty well in the Land Registry. But the numbers are a little bit different.
If we look at [page] B -317, on Land Title Registry fees, that is under the revenue summary, line item 8294. You will see that the revised estimate of revenue was $724,000, in 2024/25. The estimate for
2025/26 is $402,000. It is estimated to go down which
aligns, quite neatly I might add, with the original esti-mate from 2024/25 of $402,000. That is remarkable that it is the same. I find it interesting that if we are using digital technologies things should get better. We
are going to increase to 13 staff. But the revenue is
going to go down.
Now, I hope the Minister can explain why they
believe that is going to happen. Is it because of less transactions? Is it indicative of the housing market? I think it could be. It is a very funny number that we are
going to increase staff, increase digitisation, which
apparently is so efficient, but we are increasing staff. I don’t follow. Then again, the revenue is going to de-crease.
Again, we see professional services. You will
see year over year, Madam Chairman, on [page] B317 that professional services, 2023/24, the actual
number is [$]324,000. The original estimate in 2024/25 was [$]70,000. The revised estimate is more than double that. [$]160,000. Now it has gone down to [$]54,000. Again, perhaps the Minister would . . . I
think that’s relating to an individual who is continuing
to provide professional services for the purposes of
448 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly ensuring training and what -not for Bermudians to become familiar with the systems.
The difficulty that we have with this department [is that] it is not doing its job fast enough. I can
tell you that it is not going well. And I say that because of the number of property attorneys who have complained to me over the years about the Land Title
Registry not completing what it is supposed to complete in a timely fashion. As the Minister said in her
brief this particular department is in correspondence
with the Office of the Tax Commissioner for the purposes of land tax and the like. And [it is also in correspondence] with the section that is responsible for
doing land registry assessments . . . sorry, assessments on property value, the Land Valuation Depart-ment. The knock -on effect, Madam Chairman, that I
need to share is the amount of time that it seems to
take from the time that papers are lodged with this
particular department from the time that you actually
then eventually get a bill for land tax on [the] property
transaction. People are putting money aside to pay for a land tax bill that is taking forever to come to them
once a property transaction is complete.
So, rather than have these very interesting,
not-really -telling -me-much performance indicators,
why not tell us exactly how many of each type of transaction registered has in fact been done year on
year so we can have a proper measure of the effec-tiveness of this department? How many property sale
transactions have been registered properly with this
department? How many mortgages have been done? How many alien registers have been done? How
many land transfer notices have been done? That is a
far better way to measure effectiveness so that the public knows where the backlogs are in this department.
We know it is a problem. Hopefully the increase of staff will help. So will digitisation we are told
which has not always been the case when we look at
other departments, like immigration, for example. It
doesn’t always come to fruition with what we are told
in briefs and in ministerial Statements.
Madam Chairman, we understand that this
system, I think it is [page] C -16, I think that . . . if I recall [page] C -16 is the amount of money in relation to
land registry . . . no, that’s gone. Okay. I’ve got that
wrong. Excuse me, Madam Chairman.
So, overall, I think, Madam Chairman, what
we see here is what appears to be lots of wonderful
promises on policy. It is very difficult to get a measure of a lot of these policies through a Budget Book. We
have had to really listen carefully to the ministerial
brief on this. Thirty -three staff; small -ish budget and
an awful lot of policy work to do across every single
one of these heads. I suspect a lot of it is unachievable. But anyway, I will take my moment to give others to ask questions and for the Minister to give some answers. And if I have any further questions I will certainly seek to be recognised. Thank you.

Thank you, Member.
Does any other Member wish to speak to
Head 97, Land Title and Registration?
No. Minister, you have 23 minutes left in your
debate.
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
If I may just . . . In regard to the Honourable
Member’s questions regarding the RA's budget,
Members would know particularly that the RA is a
quango under the department and the Ministry’s remit.
Therefore, the audited financials are annually produced. I will seek to get an update in terms of when
they expect to publish it. Their annual budgets.
I note the Honourable Member’s question
around when it will be released or the numbers associated with it and if it was under the department and
Ministry’s remit. No, it is not. It is actually approved by
the Ministry of Finance. However, the Ministry does
work to define and share its priorities. And you may
have noted in my ministerial brief where I spoke of the
ministerial directives that will be forthcoming alongside
the principles in which we are seeking for enhanced
regulations as well as awareness of information, in-cluding their annual budgets as well as their annual
progress to implementing their various strategic pillars.
In relation to the next IRP, that too is under
the arraignment of the Regulatory Authority, and it is
expected that it will be finalised soon. The IRP is ac-tually written by the utility and reviewed and approved
by the regulator. And so, we have requested that we
receive an update relating to that and we anticipate
that it will be approved in short order soon. And we
will seek to update this Honourable House once that
has been completed.
Regarding the performance measures in the
Department of Energy’s Budget Book items. They relate specifically to the regulatory reforms that I spoke
of, namely, the Electricity Act, the Regulatory Authority Act, Electronic Communications Act and the possible broadcasting communication policy as well. And so, I do trust that that will be sufficient.
Relating to the Rocky Mountain Institute, yes,
the Ministry and department, Madam Chairman, have
been working to have support where we have policy for the Government solar initiative which had identified
36 government buildings that would be eligible for solar installation to lower the government’s annual electricity cost. They are still in phase 1 of 2. It was
paused due to COVID -19. And you can appreciate
that I am getting caught up with the initiatives that are
under my remit over the past two months; however,
the solar initiative has been supported by the Rocky
Mountain Institute. Additionally, they have successfulBermuda House of Assembly ly supported the electrification of the bus fleet. And so,
this is another project that they are seeking to support.
The question relating to price controls and if it
does fall under the Ministry’s remit, yes, mainly the Cost of Living Act and the subsequent essential goods that are included in the Essential Goods Act. Sorry.
Additionally the Government grocery that you refer to
is actually not within the remit. I am not particularly
aware of all of the provisions, therefore, I cannot
speak to it specifically.
Additionally, the Department of Energy does
provide policy advice and support to the Ministry of
Tourism and Transport, namely their EVolve policy
and so they would be suited to speak to all of the different ferry and other initiatives that you referenced in
terms of the specifics. The department provides that
cohesion.
You mentioned the recently announced City of
Hamilton Plan. To support and enhance collaboration
and unified messaging as well as unified policy across
government, the Ministry of Transport is one area where we successfully had enhanced collaboration.
And we seek to do the same across the other government ministries and departments including Planning and the other associated departments and sec-tions.
The EPSC, the Energy Policy Steering Committee. Notably, a recent ministerial Statement includ-ed the fact that they were newly formed to support the
department and the Ministry in updating its fuel and
energy policy. This is recognising that there are a number of energy stakeholders in our Bermuda environment and accordingly these various stakeholders
provide different feedback and different perspectives of which the department can use to enhance its policy.
The members at present are Mr. Adrian Dill who is the chair as well as the newly appointed Director of Ener-gy. Additionally, Mr. Simon Clinton, also from the Department of Energy, he also has a background in support and has supported some private renewable energy firms. Mr. Dennis Pimentel who is the former utility
sector employee and now providing consultancy service in this sector, in this space; Mr. Denton Williams,
former Regulatory Authority expert and executive; Mr. Craig Simmons who is an economist; Ms. Regina
Ferguson who is from Public Works; Mr. Geoff Smith
from DENR; Mr. Stuart Kriendler who is from the renewable energy industry; Mr. Francios Rogers from
Blue Planet Alliance; and Mr. Kneyone Murrary also
from Blue Plant Alliance.
And to your question about if they will be paid,
the answer is no. But, recognising that the energy
transition and our energy policy is quite complex and it
does interact with various stakeholders, namely the
Regulatory Authority, the Utility Renewable Energy
and its technologies, Public Works as well as Envi-ronment, this steering committee is seeking to ensure
that we have the most updated policy that is in step
and aligned both with our country’s objectives as de-fined in the current IRP and any of the proposed provisions in the proposed IRP that is soon to be confirmed.
The question relating to the wind study which
was recently announced by the Regulatory Authority.
In short, no, we will not be managing or involved in the
procurement process. All expressions of interest are
being run through the Regulatory Authority.
Relating to the City of Hamilton Plan, energy
efficiency and conservation items have been incorpo-rated into the proposed building code which has also taken into consideration climate resilience. And you
may have noted in my brief where I talked about the
Project GO. And so, this is closely aligned to the success of that programme as well.
The question on Bermuda government buildings and the number that do have solar, at present
TCD [Transport Control Department], DPT [Department of Public Transportation], GPO (our Post Office)
and the National Sports [Centre] are all buildings that
currently have solar installed. And they have just
completed the purchase by which they could confirm
the lands and the properties that will be eligible for
solar installation for use.
Your question relating to the Cost of Living
Survey and the population increase. This is a question
that may be better suited for the Minister responsible
for Economy and Labour. But the survey means and
purposes were defined as the lived experiences of
cost for those living in Bermuda and the business cost
and the experiences of those who have businesses.
So, I would not necessarily project that they would
speak to solutions, but they could talk about their lived experiences with cost of living both from a business/entrepreneurial perspective as well as residence
in the community. But I appreciate the Member’s contribution relating to that.
What else . . . I am just turning to Land Title
Registry. We spoke of the increase in staff and registrations. I am actually awaiting a technical reply relating to the numbers and the line items. Notably the professional services do relate to the temporary engagement of consultants who are no longer there but there
is a senior consultant who actually has been there
since the creation of the Land Title Registry and has
provided advisory services over time with a view to
transition. Most notably, the legal officer [which] is
now the legal officer trainee post is now being filled
with the view that we will be able to increase the internal capacity in the section department to enhance
those registrations.
Relating the 2024 original estimate of
$402[,000], revenue revised from $724[,000]. The reason is associated with the decreased projection
[which] was lower as not many high valued properties
were being registered, and the late application fees
due to attorneys now being trained in this application
process. Additionally, the difference in professional
fees is because of . . . relating to the Land Title Regis450 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly tration Office. It is due to an office manager who was
in this post before and it was a temporary position and
now we have put in a consultant to support this until
the recruitment has concluded.

Minister, just letting you know that
you have 10 minutes left.
Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you.
I believe I answered the Honourable Member’s questions. There may be a few outstanding that I am still awaiting technical replies. I think you asked for
. . . yes. You can clarify any outstanding questions,
and I will seek to see if I have updates to support a
reply. Thank you.

Does any other Member wish to any
of the heads at this time? It would be Head 93, 89 and
97. I note that we have eight minutes left.
I recognise the Member from constituency 20,
MP Fahy.

Hon. Michael Fahy : Thank you, Madam Chairman.
And thank you to the Honourable Minister for answering a number of the questions. I know there are still a number outstanding. But I note that there was nothing
more said about any key performance indicators with
the MOU with the Rocky Mountain Institute and what else is within that agreement. When does it expire? Is
it likely to be renewed? Those kinds of things. And
would the Honourable Minister table the MOU to this House?
There are a number of other items. And again,
the Minister has said she is waiting for some answers so it may be that they are on the way to the Minister,
but the Minister noted that as part of the initiative to have renewable energy on government buildings that 36 have been identified. Interestingly, we had this past
week a parliamentary question where the Shadow
Minister for Public Works received a listing of all government buildings. It is enormous. And it is only 36 out
of hundreds and hundreds. So, I would be curious to
get a listing of the 36 buildings that have in fact been
identified, and I am sure the Minister can provide, and a parliamentary question can be put for that so people
understand the full number.
And the question that then related to that you
will recall was, Will all projects for every government building be put into one project in terms of an RFP or
is it an individual building that would be subject to an RFP for the renewal energy, solar or otherwise?
In relation to, again, the Land Title Registry, I
would urge and request that we have better data points to measure the performance of this department
because no explanation has been given as to why
there is a quite significant delay between registration of properties for sale and taxes. Now, nobody ever
wants to pay taxes, but people should know how
much they are likely to pay and should not have to then be burdened with a long- time waiting for land tax,
post transaction. We know that is a problem. So, that
needs to be done. And again, the performance indicators as to how many land titles have been registered.
Again, I put it to the Minister that those types of infor-mation would be useful.
In follow -up to the answer, and forgive me if I
didn’t quite understand the response in relation to the anticipated decline in revenue. I think I heard the Minister suggest, dare I say, the lawyers didn’t get it right.
And maybe they are not trained properly in the sys-tem. I think that is what I heard. I am happy to take
clarification on that. I cannot imagine us lawyers
would get it wrong.

[Laughter and inaudible interjection]

Hon. Michael Fahy : I say that facetiously, of course.
But it would be interesting to know how that is . . . and
if in fact these lawyers are getting it wrong, then they need to be properly trained. And so again, that is part
of the remit of this department to make sure they are
properly trained. But I am not a conveyancing attorney
and neither is my friend to the left here. So at least we
do not have to take the stick on that.
But I will give the Minister an opportunity to
respond if she has further answers that maybe she can clarify in the time remaining, Madam Chairman. I
think you . . . it’s probably three minutes or so.
Thank you.

Minister, you have five minutes.

Hon. Alexa Lightbourne: Thank you, Madam Chairman.
I neglected . . . I thank the Honourable Member for his questions, the Shadow Minister. I neglected
to relate to the RMI or speak to the MOU. The RMI
were initially engaged to support two parts, namely,
the bus fleet as well as the government project. It is a
non-profit organisation . . . just by way of your information. And they support world leading energy advisor. Madam Chairman, if you don’t mind me reading
from their website. And the Government of Bermuda
signed this agreement to launch its energy transition back in 2018.
The question relating to the delay in registrations, I know namely the Land Title Registry Office upon inception sought to digitise the entire land registry process. And there are a number of triggers in law
that are currently enacted to enable such a registra-tion. The total parcels is 23,271, and currently 15 per
cent of the Island is registered under the Land Title Registry system. That does not equate to . . . it does
not speak to the number of provisions that have been either the first number of triggers that are enacted in
law as associated to the 15 per cent, but notably they
are seeking to address the backlog by way of the AI
system to support the initial part of the two- part regisBermuda House of Assembly tration process. In addition to digitising the mapping
process, which is a more technical process but notwithstanding that the goal is to be able to streamline
this process and decrease the production times.
Relating to the fees that have declined, it was
actually due to the lawyers becoming more trained so
therefore they were not receiving the late fees associ-ated with any sort of registration . . . the Land Title
Registry Office.
I think I have answered your questions, most
notably. I am happy to table the MOU once I become
more aware of the provisions. It was a 2008 MOU with
RMI, and I know that the project at present is across
both the Department of Energy and Public Works. And
so, I will seek to get more clarification on that and provide an update to this Honourable House as associated with it.
I just want to make sure . . . Yes. Relating to
the steering committee and its KPIs (key performance
indicators) or outcomes , their particular focus would
be to support the updating of both the fuel policy and
the electricity policy. So those are the two objectives.
I think the Honourable Member had also
asked me a question about . . . no. I think we have
answered most of the questions. Okay. Perfect.
Thank you, Madam Chairman.

It has been moved that Heads 93, 89
and 97 be approved.
Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
Agreed to.
[Motion carried: The Ministry of Home Affairs Heads 93, 89 and 97 were approved and stand part of the
Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 202 5/26.]
[Crosstalk]
Hon. E. David Burt: Madam Chairman, I move that
the honourable Committee of Supply do rise and report progress and ask for leave to sit again.

It has been moved that the Committee rise, report progress and ask for leave to sit again.
Is there any objection to that motion?
No objection.
Agreed to.
Thank you, Members. [Motion carried: The Committee of Supply agreed to
rise and report progress and sought leave to sit again.]

House resumed at 8:03 pm

[Ms. Lovitta F. Foggo, Deputy Speaker, in the Chair]

REPORT OF COMMITTEE

ESTIMATES OF REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE
FOR THE YEAR 2025/26

It has been reported that the
[Committee of Supply ] rose and reported progress.
Is there any objection to that?
There are none.
In that case we move into the next business
[on the Orders of the Day]. And it is my understanding that all matters under Orders of the Day will be carried over.
Before I call on the Premier, I will call on the
Minister of Cabinet Office.

STANDING ORDER 14 SUSPENDED
Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Madam Deputy Speaker, I
move that Standing Order 14 be suspended so I may
present a notice of motion.

It has been moved that Standing Order 14 be suspended.
Are there any objections?

[Motion carried: Standing Order 14 suspended. ]

NOTICE OF MOTION

CITY OF HAMILTON PLAN 2025

Hon. Diallo V. S. Rabain: Madam Deputy Speaker, I
hereby give notice that at the next day of meeting I propose to move the following motion:
BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable
House approve the City of Hamilton Plan 2025 pursuant to the provisions of section 11 of the Development
and Planning Act 1974.

Thank you, Minister.
I now call on the Premier.

ADJOURNMENT
Hon. E. David Burt: Thank you very much, Madam
Deputy Speaker.
I move that this Honourable House do now
adjourn until Wednesday, 14 May 2025.

452 12 May 2025 Official Hansard Report

Bermuda House of Assembly The Deputy Speaker: It has been moved that this
Honourable House do now adjourn.
Are there any objections to that?
There being none, so moved.

[At 8:04 pm, the House stood adjourned until
10:00 am, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. ]