AG Attends Overseas Territories Conference
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Senator Kim Wilkerson attended the 2026 Overseas Territories Attorneys General Conference in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
A Government spokesperson said, “The conference, which took place from 13 to 17 April, brought together Attorneys General and senior law officers from the United Kingdom, the Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies to discuss issues of direct relevance to their jurisdictions, including legislative developments, governance, maritime, border enforcement, and financial crime and regulation.
“For Bermuda, the conference provided an important opportunity to exchange legal and policy perspectives with jurisdictions facing many of the same modern challenges, particularly in areas such as cross-border crime, sanctions implementation, disaster preparedness, digital justice, and maritime security.
David Edwards, British Indian Ocean Territory, Andrew Duncan, Saint Helena, Samuel Bulgin KC, Cayman Islands, Rachel Spearing KC, Anguilla, Dawn J Smith, British Virgin Islands, Minister Wilkerson, Sheree Jemmotte-Rodney, Montserrat, Rondalee Braithwaite-Knowles KC, Turks and Caicos Islands and Hilary Pullum KC, Guernsey.
“As a small island jurisdiction with significant maritime interests, Bermuda has a clear interest in discussions on legal frameworks for maritime enforcement, joint operations, interdictions, search and rescue, and cooperation between agencies operating across territorial boundaries.
“The conference also provided a useful setting to consider how legal systems in Overseas Territories can continue to respond to increasingly complex threats while maintaining fairness, accountability and public confidence.”
Minister Wilkerson stated, “It is an honour to represent Bermuda at this important conference of Overseas Territories Attorneys General and senior law officers.
“Bermuda is a jurisdiction that takes its human rights obligations seriously and that reality requires legal and policy frameworks that are responsive to emerging challenges, consistent in their application and capable of upholding the rights of all within our community.”
The Attorney-General emphasised the importance of Overseas Territories benefitting from one another’s experience.
“No territory operates in isolation,” she noted. “Although each jurisdiction has its own constitutional, legal and operational context, there is much to be gained from candid discussion on issues such as justice delivery, the use of technology in legal systems, sanctions enforcement, disaster response, safeguarding and the handling of serious and organised criminal activity.
“Cooperation across the Overseas Territories can improve decision-making, inform legislative development and support better outcomes for the communities we serve.”
The Government spokesperson said, “The conference agenda included sessions on constitutional reform, human rights, governance and integrity, sanctions implementation, disaster preparedness and recovery, judicial modernisation and digital justice systems, safeguarding and child protection in the digital age, migration and cross-border crime and maritime security cooperation.”
