Last month, the Hon. Dennis Lister JP MP, Speaker of the House of Assembly, joined fellow Speakers and senior officials at the 5th Commons-Overseas Territories Speakers Conference (COTSC), hosted by the Parliament of the Cayman Islands and chaired by the Hon. Isaac Miller. He was supported by Clerk to the Legislature Clark Somner, UK Representative Kimberley Durrant, and Deputy UK Representative Brandon Sousa.

COTSC is the highest parliamentary forum bringing together Speakers, Clerks, and senior officials from across the UK Overseas Territories and UK Parliament. This year’s conference welcomed delegations from Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United Kingdom.

Delegates tackled some of the biggest questions facing legislatures today, including:

🔹 The impact of artificial intelligence on the future of parliaments

🔹 The evolving role of parliamentary commissions across the Overseas Territories

🔹 Supporting effective opposition as a cornerstone of democracy

🔹 The role of Speakers and parliaments in constitutional reform

🔹 Law-making and scrutiny in times of crisis

Speaker Lister’s participation reinforces Bermuda’s standing as a mature parliamentary democracy – and the Legislature’s commitment to remain an active and constructive voice in shaping the future of governance.