Two government ministers have stepped down from their positions, the Premier announced yesterday.

Kathy-Lynn Simmons, the Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Reform, and Vance Campbell, the Minister of the Cabinet Office, were said to have tendered their resignations last week.

David Burt said: “Both Vance and Kathy have been valued members of the Cabinet, bringing to bear their thoughtful advice and counsel to the complex issues that confront Bermuda and which we in government have a responsibility to address.”

He added: “Seven years after returning to Government and four years into this term, I fully understand and accept when individuals make decisions regarding their continued public service.

“This journey is not easy and takes a toll on not just the individual but on families as well.

“I respect Vance and Kathy's decisions at this time and cannot thank them enough for offering themselves for service and wish them both the very best for the future.”

The Premier will make an announcement later in the week on other changes to ministerial responsibilities.

Ms Simmons became the Attorney-General, Minister of Legal Affairs and Senate Leader in 2017 during the Progressive Labour Party’s election sweep that July.

She held her seat in 2020 when she faced off against Marc Bean, a former PLP leader, who ran for Sandys North under the Free Democratic Movement.

Ms Simmons helped bring child protective services in line with the Lanzarote Convention, an international gold standard for protecting children against sex-based crimes.

She enacted the Child Safeguarding (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2019, which would see people who committed sex assaults against Bermudian children overseas face prosecution on the island.

She also extended the legal definition of a child to include anyone under the age of 18, removed a statute of limitations around sexual offences and allowed for child witnesses in court trials to pre-record evidence.

Ms Simmons created the Cannabis Licensing Act 2022, which would have established a licensing authority to give people permission to grow, harvest and export the drug.

The legislation received considerable approval in the House of Assembly, but the Governor, Rena Lalgie, was instructed to refuse the Bill’s assent because it violated drug laws shared between Bermuda and the UK.

Ms Simmons went on to commission a $50,000 report on Bermuda’s ability to self-govern, which found that the island suffered a “democratic deficiency” and middling self-governance capabilities.

She told the House of Assembly that British control was “neutering” Bermuda’s decision-making and proposed a relationship with the UK based on “equality, rather than subordination”.

Mr Campbell ran for the constituency of Smith’s West for the PLP in 2012, but lost to the One Bermuda Alliance’s Trevor Moniz.

He was appointed to the Senate in 2017 and became the MP for Smith’s West in 2020 after running against Vic Ball, of the OBA.

He was appointed Minister of Tourism in April 2022 and then took control of the Cabinet Office during a ministerial shake-up in October that year.

Mr Campbell assumed oversight of the Department of Planning during a shuffle of ministerial responsibilities last November but was no longer responsible for tourism.

Mr Campbell admitted that the law, enacted in 2018 to crack down on unauthorised development, had turned out to be inefficient and frustrating for applicants.

He recently gave the planning department the ability to approve retroactive applications, cutting down on the need to appeal to the Minister of Home Affairs.

Jarion Richardson, the Opposition leader, said that the “sudden” resignation of two Cabinet ministers added to a “growing anxiety in the community”.

He added: “We’ve already been told of multiple government Members of Parliament not returning to run in the next General Election, including the Deputy Premier and Minister of Public Works.

“The sudden loss of an attorney-general, even one mired in controversy, increases the concerns of instability.

“The position of Attorney-General is key to combating the rise in violent crime and abysmal road behaviour.”

Mr Richardson highlighted Ms Simmons’s husband being given a nearly $14,000 a month contract from her ministry while his former government position was being filled.

The Government later provided “clarification” on the Opposition leader’s comments.

A spokeswoman said: “While it is noted that, the role of the Attorney-General is a significant appointment, it should be clarified that contrary to Mr Richardson's assertions, the Attorney-General’s responsibilities primarily involve providing legal advice to the Government not law enforcement, which is with the police and the Director of Public Prosecutions.”

Mr Richardson said that Mr Campbell, appointed Minister of the Cabinet Office less than a year ago, had served “such a short period” in the role.

He added: “That said, while we in the Opposition strongly disagreed with some of his policies, he was always professional, considered and clear.

“His departure from Cabinet will further weaken the already unstable, outgoing Government.“

The departure comes amid the announced retirements of several ministers, including Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minster of Public Works, and Walter Roban, the Deputy Premier.

Rumours have circulated of the possible departures of Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, and backbencher Lovitta Foggo.

• UPDATE: this article has been updated to include a point of clarification from the Government