Member of His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition Honourable Marlon A. Penn (R8) has placed his support in the recommendation for a bicameral system of government in the Virgin Islands. Photo: VINO/File

According to Honourable Marlon A. Penn (R8) the bicameral system does not have to be large and could comprise just 5 members, and the positions would be part-time. Photo: YouTube

In his contribution to the debate on the Constitution Review Commission (CRC) in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, Honourable Penn referred to Bermuda, which has a similar system.

"We could have a bicameral system. We have someone who might not want to run for public office, who doesn't have to be in the Senate full-time. It might be a professional who has a very specific skill set that the country needs. You put them in the Senate, they could even serve as a junior minister, even a minister, and it gives the country the opportunity to benefit from that expertise within the territory."

What is a bicameral system of government?

A bicameral system of government features a legislature divided into two separate assemblies or chambers. This structure is a fundamental aspect of many governmental frameworks worldwide, distinguishing them from unicameral systems that operate with a single legislative body. The presence of two chambers allows for a distribution of legislative power, influencing how laws are debated, formulated, and enacted.

Establishing a bicameral legislature serves several purposes in governance. One primary reason is to implement checks and balances on legislative power, preventing any single body from dominating the lawmaking process. This dual structure helps prevent the passage of hasty or ill-considered legislation by requiring agreement from both houses. Bicameral systems also aim to represent diverse interests within a society.

Not full-time positions

Hon Penn suggested that the positions in the bicameral system do not have to be full-time positions. "They don't have to be; in a lot of countries, the way they function, they are not full-time positions."

According to Hon Penn, having a bicameral system would allow for legislation to be properly ventilated.

"We have to be fair and honest about that. We sometimes come here and we rush a lot at the legislation through the House of Assembly, and we don't give it the due care that we ought to have given it under different circumstances. So, I believe an Upper House, as it would be called, would give you the opportunity to really have a senate of experienced, capable individuals, not that the house is not capable, but it's always important to have additional eyes, additional persons looking at the same thing, you might see from a different perspective."

The Opposition Member said this Upper House could be a small one. "It doesn't have to be exhaustive like a lot of the other countries. [It] could be a small five-member."