The British Government plans to go ahead with an Order in Council to change Bermuda's Constitution in two weeks, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

The Association for Due Process - an interest group fighting the proposed changes - released a press statement saying that its lawyers had been informed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) that the Order will be considered by the Privy Council two weeks from today on July 18 and come into force on August 21.

The news brings added urgency to the Association's plans to support legal action which would prevent the British Government from changing the Constitution without first holding a constitutional conference.

"In view of these developments, the Association today announces its intention to press on with its support for the individual citizens who will be joined in a lawsuit against the Foreign Secretary" Jack Straw.

The Association opposes the proposed constitutional changes without a constitutional conference, saying to do so amounts to a breach of promise made by the British Government.

"The British tactic to defeat Bermudians' expectations was spelled out in a letter sent to Lovells (law firm) who had demanded to be kept informed of activity regarding constitutional change," the press release stated.

"The FCO have supplied Lovells with a copy of the draft Order in Council, which splits the process into two parts. The British are claiming the first part - step one - is "minor" and that therefore they are not bound to call a constitutional conference. They say the second step will be the more important aspect, and "might" require a conference, when the FCO come to consider the Boundaries Commission report empowered under step one."

Association secretary Warren Cabral said: "Step one is intended to limit the questions to the Boundaries Commission. The result will be that the second step will be gutted of any real meaning."

He claimed the two step process was flawed because "the draft Order sets strict parameters on what the Boundaries Commission may consider and is therefore guaranteed to produce the result promoted by the Bermuda Government, regardless of whether Bermudians would like to consider more options."

The draft order, he added, assumes that Bermudians are agreed on Government's proposals for redesigning the electoral system - by replacing dual-seat constituencies with single-seat constituencies and reducing the number of seats in the House of Assembly - "and proceeds to empower the Boundaries Commission to prepare a report on the subject" within those guidelines.