Political status and decolonisation
Per the catalogue's own note that inclusion in this registry does not imply independence support, this bundle documents the Cayman Islands' constitutional history and the 2009 constitutional referendum, and the documented, current absence of significant independence sentiment: recent commentary describes independence as "not on the agenda" for most Caymanians despite UN decolonization pressure, and the most recent Caymanian referendum (2025) addressed unrelated policy questions, not independence.
The Cayman Islands were administered as a dependency of Jamaica from 1863; upon Jamaican independence, the Cayman Islands chose to become a direct British Crown dependency rather than an independent state, receiving their first constitution in 1959.[1] A referendum on a draft constitution was held on 20 May 2009, approved by 63% of voters and by the Privy Council on 10 June 2009, providing for internal autonomy under a governor, cabinet and Parliament, and later amended in 2020.[2] As of mid-2025, independence is reported as "not on the agenda" for most Caymanians despite UN decolonization pressure, with even pro-independence figure Roy Bodden acknowledging no great popular desire to cut ties with the UK; the most recent Caymanian referendum (30 April 2025) addressed cruise-ship infrastructure, gambling and cannabis policy, not independence.[3]
Status verified as of
The Cayman Islands remain a British Overseas Territory with substantial internal autonomy under the 2009 constitution (amended 2020). No organised independence campaign or referendum on independence is documented; recent commentary describes independence as not on the current political agenda for most Caymanians, despite ongoing UN decolonization pressure on the territory's status.[3]
History
From the 1863 Jamaican dependency period to the 2009 constitutional referendum.
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· Referendum or popular consultation
Caymanians approved a new constitution providing for internal autonomy, not independence.
Significance here: The most significant recent constitutional milestone for the Cayman Islands, establishing enhanced internal autonomy within continued British Overseas Territory status.
Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.
Claim: The Cayman Islands were administered as a dependency of Jamaica from 1863; upon Jamaican independence, the Cayman Islands chose to become a direct dependency of the British Crown rather than an independent state, having received their first constitution in 1959.
Claim: A referendum on a draft constitution was held in the Cayman Islands on 20 May 2009 alongside general elections; the new constitution was approved by 63% of voters, received Privy Council approval on 10 June 2009, came into effect providing for internal autonomy under a governor, cabinet and Parliament, and was subsequently amended in 2020.
Claim: As of mid-2025, independence is reported as "not on the agenda" for most Caymanians despite UN decolonization pressure; pro-independence figure Roy Bodden, a former politician and former president of the University College of the Cayman Islands, has acknowledged there is no great popular desire to cut the territory's ties with the UK. The most recent Caymanian referendum, held 30 April 2025, addressed cruise-ship infrastructure, gambling and cannabis policy, not independence.