London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 28, 2026

Anti-harassment legislation promised for visitors - but they might face $500,000 penalty and 14 years in jail if they post online anything that might offend anybody

Anti-harassment legislation promised for visitors - but they might face $500,000 penalty and 14 years in jail if they post online anything that might offend anybody

Legislation to further protect persons from being harassed while visiting in the British Virgin Islands is on the horizon, Governor Augustus Jaspert has announced. But new dictatorship legislation is on it's way' risking every BVI visitor to get $500,000 fine and up to 14 years in jail if they post online a content that may offend anybody.

The Governor said the Bill entitled the Anti-Visitor Harassment and Solicitation legislation would form part of government’s legislative agenda in the coming months.

“There will be the introduction of the regulation for the Tourism Act, which will include, but not limited to the Anti-Visitor Harassment and Solicitation legislation,” Governor Jaspert said while delivering his Speech from the Throne address at the First Sitting of the Second Session of the Fourth House of Assembly on Thursday.

“The efforts will be buttressed with the National Tourism Strategic Plan to bring more legislative and regulatory structure to the territory. The structure will include the establishment of stronger linkages and involvement of all sectors within the territory to ensure [our] ‘one tourism’ mandate,” he added.

The governor further said the Andrew Fahie administration would capitalize on the opportunity to improve the linkages between tourism and other productive sectors such as fishing, agriculture, and cultural heritage.

He stated: “The Going Green, Going SMART legislative agenda of our government also includes the agricultural and fisheries sectors, which are important to the historical, economic, and cultural identity of the territory. That is why legislative reform and other measures will be put in place to increase the earning potential of fisher folks and farmers.”


Law will make visitors happy

Meanwhile, Junior Tourism Minister Shereen Flax-Charles said she is glad for the soon-to-be-introduced Anti Visitor Harassment and Solicitation legislation.

“It has been long in the works and I think it is a great thing that this is happening now, in our time. [It] will keep our visitors happy. We do not want to be in a position where our visitors feel uncomfortable when they are visiting our territory,” she told the House of Assembly.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Faces Binding Vote Challenge as Local Councillors Launch High Court Legal Battle
Housebuilding Across Scotland Falls to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Declarations of a Housing Emergency
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown Organizes National Innovation Summit in Manchester to Boost Regional Competitiveness
UK Government Faces Mounting Criticism Over Lack of Environmental Consultation During Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Talks
Greggs Announces Closure of Four Major Manufacturing Facilities Across Britain Resulting in Seven Hundred Forty Job Losses
British Retail Consortium Warns That Cumulative Employment and Regulatory Costs Threaten High Street Price Stability
Lloyds Banking Group Chief Executive Charlie Nunn Warns That Increased Bank Taxes Could Deter Long-Term Economic Investment
Ipsos Polling Reveals Seven in Ten Britons Expect Personal Tax Increases Amid Deep Public Economic Pessimism
Chancellor John Healey Delivers First Autumn Budget in Parliament Amid Tight Fiscal Constraints and Slower Growth Forecasts
United Kingdom Finance Monthly Review Highlights Rising Long-Term Borrowing Costs and Persistent Energy Price Pressures Across British Markets
Royal Marines Pioneer Rapid Autonomous Drone Operations During Major High North Exercise Involving NATO Allies
House of Commons Justice Committee Urges Chancellor to Align Prison and Courts Reform Ambitions With Concrete Budgetary Resources
Government Investigates Rapid Artificial Intelligence Datacentre Expansion Strategy Following Scrutiny Over Power Grid Demands and Planning Backlogs
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary Warns Third-Party Supplier Breaches Threaten United Kingdom Police and Fire Service Data
Number of British Businesses in Financial Distress Reaches Highest Level in Two Decades Ahead of Fiscal Announcement
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intense Market Scrutiny Over Fiscal Headroom and Spending Pressures
Education or Indoctrination? The Growing Debate Over Religious Participation in British Schools
Germany's Vanishing Shopfronts: The Silent Collapse of the Businesses That Built Its Cities
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Agreement on Public Transport Modernization and Cross-Border Rail Infrastructure Funding
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Approves New North Sea Carbon Capture and Storage Industrial Clusters
Office for National Statistics Reports Stabilization in Private Rental Growth Across Major English and Welsh Regional Cities
United Kingdom Automotive Manufacturing Output Rises Moderately as Electric Vehicle Assembly Lines Expand in the Midlands
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Cloud Computing Infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Scottish Government Finalizes Emergency Budget Adjustments Following Multi-Year Public Sector Funding Shortfalls
National Health Service England Announces Major Emergency Care Overhaul to Alleviate Severe Winter Capacity Pressures
Chancellor Rachel Reeves Prepares Autumn Budget Amid Intensifying Scrutiny Over Public Spending and Fiscal Rules
Bank of England Signals Cautious Approach to Further Interest Rate Cuts as Persistent Wage Growth and Inflation Pressures Remain
Transport for London Unveils Expanded Zero-Emission Bus Fleet to Meet Capital Air Quality Targets
Higher Education Institutions Face Deepening Financial Strain Amid Declining International Student Enrolment
Automotive Industry Leaders Criticize Government Tax Policies and Urge Action on Retail Consumer Confidence
Environment Agency Issues Flood Alerts Across Scottish and English Waterways Following Heavy Rainfall
Independent Audit Highlights Persistent Security Vulnerabilities Across Legacy Government Digital Portals
Northern Ireland Political Leaders Clash Over Westminster Funding Allocations Ahead of Autumn Budget
Ethnic Minorities in England Face Significant Disparities in Routine Breast Cancer Diagnosis Rates
National Police Chiefs Report Alarming Surge in Domestic Abuse Cases Fuelled by Expanding Illegal Cocaine Market
Government Announces Two Hundred and Twenty Million Pound Pothole Funding Boost for Local Highway Authorities
China Issues Formal Warning Over Potential United Kingdom Restrictions on Chinese Electric Vehicles
British Defence Ministers Sign E5 Pact to Enhance European Military Capabilities and Industrial Cooperation Within NATO
United Kingdom Business Activity Expands at Fastest Pace in Eight Months According to S&P Global Flash Survey
Chancellor John Healey Prepares Major Devolution Package and Bank Profit Surcharge Ahead of Upcoming Autumn Budget
National Health Service Consultants in England Announce Two-Day Strike Action Scheduled for November
Major Clean-Up Under Way Across Britain Following Destruction Caused by Consecutive Storms Austen and Boelo
KEY TRENDS TO WATCH
Declassified Intelligence Files Reveal British Security Services Monitored National Health Service Founder
British Government Launches Sweeping Regulatory Crackdown on High-Risk Cosmetic Procedures
Scottish National Party Demands Ban on Using Scottish Revenues to Fund English Nuclear Energy Projects
Mayor of London Initiates Landmark Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street to Revitalise Global Retail Hub
British Judges Granted Expanded Legal Powers to Punish Convicted Killers Who Refuse to Attend Sentencing
United Kingdom Poised to Miss Reduced International Aid Spending Targets Ahead of Fiscal Review
Surging Cocaine Consumption Drives Record Drug Fatalities and Rising Crime Rates Across Britain
×