USVI Constitutional Draft Due In February
Delegates from the Sixth Constitutional Convention in the United States Virgin Islands are advancing work on a new founding document ahead of a February 28 deadline. Lawmakers in the neighbouring territory received an update on the progress as the USVI seeks to replace the Revised Organic Act of 1954 after five previous unsuccessful attempts.
Delegates representing the Sixth Constitutional Convention in the United States Virgin Islands are working to finalise a proposed draft constitution before their official February 28 deadline, according to an update delivered to lawmakers this week. During a legislative briefing, representatives of the convention updated territorial senators on the ongoing drafting process.
The initiative marks the latest effort by the neighbouring territory to establish its own locally adopted constitution, having previously mounted five separate conventions over several decades without successfully enacting a final governing document. Virgin Islands remains governed under the Revised Organic Act of 1954, a United States federal statute that established the structure of the territory's local government.
Unlike many jurisdictions across the Caribbean, the territory has operated without a home-grown constitution despite recurring efforts to define local self-governance frameworks. For residents in the British Virgin Islands, developments across the border in the USVI offer a notable perspective on regional governance and self-determination.
While the BVI operates under its own constitutional order established through the Virgin Islands Constitution Order, both territories share close cultural, familial, and economic ties while navigating complex constitutional relationships with their respective administering powers.
Once the Sixth Constitutional Convention completes the draft document by late February, it will be formally submitted to the USVI Governor. The proposed constitution will then undergo a multi-step review process involving the territorial executive, the United States Congress, and the White House, before ultimately being placed before USVI voters in a territory-wide referendum for final ratification.
Primary source: Virgin Islands Daily News (Website)