The Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007

Speaker and Deputy Speaker

69.—(1) When the House of Assembly first meets after any general election and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business it shall elect a person to be the Speaker of the House.

(2) If the office of Speaker falls vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of the House of Assembly, the House shall as soon as practicable elect another person to that office.

(3) The Speaker shall be elected from among the elected members of the House of Assembly or from persons qualified to be elected members of the House, other than Ministers, and no person shall be elected as Speaker if he or she is a person disqualified for election as a member of the House by virtue of any provision of section 66(1) other than paragraph (f).

(4) When the House of Assembly first meets after any general election and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business except the election of the Speaker, it shall elect a member of the House who is not a member of the Cabinet to be Deputy Speaker of the House.

(5) If the office of Deputy Speaker falls vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of the House of Assembly, the House shall as soon as convenient elect to that office another member of the House who is not a member of the Cabinet.

(6) A person shall vacate the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker—

(a) on dissolution of the House of Assembly;

(b) if he or she announces the resignation of his or her office to the House of Assembly or if by writing under his or her hand addressed to the House and received by the Clerk of the House he or she resigns that office;

(c) if a motion on the Order Paper for his or her removal is carried by the votes of a majority of all the elected members of the House; or

(d) if he or she is appointed to be a member of the Cabinet.

(7) A person shall also vacate the office of Speaker—

(a) if he or she ceases to be a person qualified for election as a member of the House of Assembly;

(b) if any circumstances arise that would cause him or her to be disqualified for election as an elected member of the House by virtue of any provision of section 66(1) other than paragraph (f);

(c) on the expiration of a period of thirty days from the date of his or her election if he or she was at that date a party to, or a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to, any contract with the Government of the Virgin Islands for or on account of the public service and if, before the expiration of that period, he or she has not disclosed to the House of Assembly the nature of such contract and his or her interest, or the interest of such firm or company, in it and the House has not exempted him or her from vacating his or her office under this paragraph; or

(d) if any circumstances arise that, if he or she were an elected member of the House of Assembly, would cause him or her to vacate his or her seat under section 67(3)(d).

(8) A person shall also vacate the office of Deputy Speaker if—

(a) he or she ceases to be a member of the House of Assembly for any reason other than a dissolution of the House; or

(b) by virtue of section 67(4), he or she is required to cease to perform his or her functions as a member of the House.