Premier David Burt says a proposed five-phase reform process will update Bermuda’s constitutional framework after decades without major change
Work to modernise Bermuda’s Constitution is underway, according to Premier and Finance Minister David Burt.
Speaking in the House of Assembly, the Premier said it has been more than twenty years since substantial reforms were last pursued, adding that the island’s governing framework must evolve to reflect modern times.
He also said draft recommendations outlining a five-phase reform process have been shared with key stakeholders and further consultation will later involve the public.
Addressing concerns over broader constitutional change, Premier Burt insisted the process is focused on modernisation.
“Mr Speaker, the mention of Constitutional reform can understandably give rise to concern that intended change of this nature is a pretext for something larger, something more fundamental – that has not been put to the people. Let me be clear: what we are embarking upon is a process of modernisation – the kind of careful, considered maintenance that any living constitutional document requires after six decades.
“I would note that this is not a process Bermuda is undertaking alone: the United Kingdom has itself committed, most recently at the 2025 Joint Ministerial Council, to engage closely and proactively with each Overseas Territory whose democratic will is to revise its constitution. That commitment reflects a shared understanding that modernisation of this kind is both reasonable and overdue.”
Read Premier Burt’s full remarks below.
