London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 02, 2025

VI Gov’t retains Withers law firm & UK MP C. Geoffrey Cox QC for CoI

VI Gov’t retains Withers law firm & UK MP C. Geoffrey Cox QC for CoI

Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said in an effort to ‘merely ensure transparency,’ his administration has retained international law firm Withers in the Virgin Islands (VI) and London, together with leading counsel, the Right Honourable Sir Charles Geoffrey Cox QC MP for the Upcoming Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

The CoI was announced by outgoing Governor Augustus J.U. Jaspert, as a parting gift to the ruling administration, after years of alleged political interference into the affairs of local government and now new accusations of questionable governance practices and victimisation in the Fahie Government.

A statement from the Government said that the law firm, together with Hon Cox; a recent former Attorney General of England and Wales, will “ensure a transparent process and to advise upon issues arising from this decision by the Governor in this matter and upon all matters relating to the Commission of Inquiry.”


The CoI was announced by outgoing Governor Augustus J.U. Jasper, as a parting gift to the Fahie administration, after years of alleged political interference into the affairs of local government and now new accusations of questionable governance practices and victimisation in the Fahie Government.

"Pleased with Legal representation" - Hon Fahie


Premier Fahie said Hon Cox was retained because “he is Lawyer of great experience.”

“I am pleased that the Government of the Virgin Islands will have Withers to advise Government - in particular the expertise of Rt Honourable Sir Geoffrey Cox, MP with his extensive legal knowledge and professional experience regarding Overseas Territories,” the Premier said in the release.

A statement on the legal representation noted that Section 12 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1880, as amended, provides that persons or entities that have a concern in the inquiry or who are the subject of the inquiry, shall be entitled to have legal representation in the proceedings.

The new announcement comes as news surfaced that Governor Jaspert 'directed' that the meetings of CoI be held in private and away from public scrutiny, in stark contrast to government's bid of having the inquiry broadcasted live in its entirety across media platforms and the internet to ensure transparency since the VI's reputation is on the line.


In 2014, Mr Charles Geoffrey Cox, QC (in photo) successfully defended the former Premier and current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands, William McKeeva Bush, on charges of corruption and misuse of office.

Who is Charles Geoffrey Cox, QC?


Mr Charles Geoffrey Cox, according to Wikipedia, is a British Conservative Party politician and barrister serving as Member of Parliament (MP) for Torridge and West Devon since the 2005 general election. Cox worked as a barrister from 1982 onwards and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2003, two years before his election to Parliament.

On 9 July 2018, he was appointed Attorney General by then Prime Minister Theresa M. May; however, he was dismissed by current UK PM Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson in February 2020.

Mr Cox was knighted in the 2021 New Year Honours for parliamentary and political service.

Notably, in 2014, Cox successfully defended the former Premier and current Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands, William McKeeva Bush, on charges of corruption and misuse of office.

Mr Bush had described the charges against him at the time as part of a "political witch hunt" led by then Governor Duncan J. R. Taylor and Members of the Opposition.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
Nvidia and Abu Dhabi’s TII Launch First AI-&-Robotics Lab in the Middle East
Vietnam Faces Up to $25 Billion Export Loss as U.S. Tariffs Bite
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Indonesia Court Upholds Military Law Amid Concerns Over Expanded Civilian Role
Larry Ellison, Michael Dell and Rupert Murdoch Join Trump-Backed Bid to Take Over TikTok
Trump and Musk Reunite Publicly for First Time Since Fallout at Kirk Memorial
Vietnam Closes 86 Million Untouched Bank Accounts Over Biometric ID Rules
×