Cayman Islands Country Profile - Treaties

Bilateral Treaties

The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (United State of America Law), 1986.

In 1986, the first Treaty was signed between the Cayman Islands and the United States known as The Mutual Legal Assistance (United States of America) Law 1986. This law formally governs the procedure for which assistance is granted for all US based requests for assistance. The Cayman Mutual Legal Assistance Authority under this law is the Honourable Chief Justice. Requests are transmitted through the Central Authority for the United States. The treaty, agreed between the parties as long ago as 1986, was one of the very first in the world.

Since the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty with the U.S. was signed in 1986, the two governments have cooperated in some 230 requests for assistance under the Treaty, resulting in successful law enforcement actions. Assets seized under such actions have been both shared by the U.S. and the Cayman Islands under an asset-sharing agreement as well as returned to the U.S. for restitution to victms of fraud and other crimes.

International Treaties

UNCAC (Whether signatory, ratified or both)

The Cayman Islands Government have enacted legislation (The Anti-Corruption Bill 2008) that enables the UK to extend their ratification of both the UN and OECD Conventions to the Islands. It comes into force 1 January 2010. This Anti-Corruption Bill 2008 gives effect to the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Busines Transactions.