News

Speech By the Hon. Attorney General on the Opening of the Supreme Court of the Turks and Caicos Islands for the 2015 Session

Published

11 years ago

January 6, 2015

My Lady Chief Justice, Judges of the Supreme Court, distinguished guests, President of the Bar Council and Colleagues at the Bar, Ladies and Gentlemen.
I am pleased to rise to move a motion for the opening of the Supreme Court for the 2015 session after a long abeyance in this practice. On this ceremonial occasion, it is perhaps timely to recall the origins of this event in the Middle Ages in the United Kingdom. For the legal fraternity, this traditional gathering commemorates the principles of defending access to justice and the rule of law. I commend My Lady Chief Justice for reintroducing the practice as such events “… reminds all of those actively involved within the legal system of the need to uphold these principles internationally, as well as at home, for the benefit of society.”
With your Ladyship’s leave I propose in moving the motion, to make a few observations by way of a brief retrospective on 2014 as well as a look at some of the work before us.
2014 can only be described as another daunting year for the legal profession in the Turks and Caicos Islands. A year in which there was more than the usual share of challenges. Fortunately we were more than able to rise to each challenge and to dispassionately and calmly meet matters head on.
My Ladies, 2014 was characterized by continued good work, co-operation and endeavour in a number of areas by stakeholders in the legal arena and significant further progress towards systemic improvements.
Access to Law – Work is almost completed on the current Law Revision which has a revision date of 31st December 2014 and is intended to be issued before the end of the first quarter of 2015. In this regard, the question of greater access to the laws of the Turks and Caicos Islands is being explored to provide a solution that would allow more ready access through the use of modern technology whilst at the same time maintain the integrity of the authorized versions of the Law which would be used in the Court room setting.
Legislation – I am pleased to report in a bid to give effect to the Government’s Legislative Agenda, that the Legislative Drafting division had another very active year and with the cooperation and involvement of members of the legal profession, associations and the general public a number of important pieces of legislation were progressed. We are grateful for the assistance of all those who participated in the consultation process with respect to the very many pieces of legislation which were considered throughout the year, including legislation dealing with the better regulation of Not For Profit organizations.
The hardworking staff of the Legislative Drafting division consists of three drafters and one legislative systems administrator with a vacancy in one of the drafting positions. That small team produced 24 Ordinances and some 50 pieces of subsidiary legislation.
Of note:
1. The Abolition of Bearer Shares which was done by a December 2013 Ordinance which took effect in the first half of 2014.
2. Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance 2014 which provides for the implementation of the United Nations Convention respecting the suppression of the financing of terrorism and the United Nations Security Council resolution on terrorism and generally to make provision for preventing and combating terrorism. The Ordinance is modelled after the UK Terrorism Act 2000 and the Terrorism (Jersey) Law 2002.
3. Rehabilitation of Offenders Ordinance 2014 – provides for the rehabilitation of offenders who have not been reconvicted within the specified rehabilitation period. This is to ensure that people do not have lifelong blots on their records because of relatively minor offences in their past, which may impact negatively in such persons acquiring employment or other services. The intention of the Ordinance is to exclude any prejudice which may occur because of disclosures of person’s relatively minor past convictions or offences; and to aid the reintegration and resettlement of ex-offenders into employment by not requiring them or any other person to disclose or answer questions regarding their spent convictions.

4. Financial Intelligence Agency Ordinance 2014 – established an independent agency to assist in the detection, prevention and control of financial crimes; by receiving reports of suspicious transactions from financial institutions and other persons; analysing that information and disseminating it to law enforcement authorities and relevant bodies.

5. Invest Turks and Caicos Islands Agency 2014 – established the Invest Turks and Caicos Agency as a corporate body with legal personality to assist the Government in encouraging business and commercial development in the Islands.

6. Dormant Accounts Ordinance 2014 – makes provision for financial institutions to report dormant accounts to the Permanent Secretary, Finance and to transfer monies in accounts that have not been used for more than 7 years, called “dormant accounts” to the Government, subject to claims for repayment by the owners of the dormant accounts. Prior to the enactment of that Ordinance, all inactive accounts were managed by banks. The Ordinance was based largely on the Cayman Islands Dormant Accounts Law 2010 but consideration was also given to the BVI Dormant Accounts Act 2011 and the Republic of Ireland Dormant Accounts Act 2001.
Additionally, a heavy legislative drafting programme is being prepared for the year 2015 in order to give effect to the Government’s Legislative Agenda.
Some of the proposals to be implemented by legislative measures include-
1. New Domestic Insurance provisions
2. Trust law reform
3. Immigration law reform
4. Important criminal law and procedure reforms
5. An Employment Bill to repeal and replace the current law with substantial reforms
6. Small Medium Enterprise proposals to encourage local business
7. An Attorney General’s Reference Bill to enable questions to be referred to the court
8. New and substantial anti Domestic Violence provisions
9. More elaborate provision to provide for the Maintenance of Children
10. Detailed Family Guardianship Custody and Access to Children provisions
11. Better provision for Child (Care and Adoption)
12. New provisions relating to Child and Juvenile Justice
As well as the completion of work on the long consulted new Legal Profession provisions to reform the law in this area to provide for better accountability and effectiveness in areas such as the training of local attorneys and continuous education generally, handling client accounts, requirements relating to good practice for insurance coverage, solvency and discipline.
International obligations – As for international obligations, during 2014 the Turks and Caicos Islands completed negotiations and signed a FATCA agreement with the United States of America, was a member of the early adopters group along with all of the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies following recent developments in the new international Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters. We saw the beginning of the National Risk Assessment of our financial services industry using the World Bank tool, which is a self-assessment ahead of the next round of peer assessments by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force. I wish to personally thank the members of the Bar and the private sector generally for their participation and ongoing commitment.
Crime – On the crime front, we note the continued extensive work of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Police in meeting the many challenging situations over the past year. In so doing I take this opportunity to thank the outgoing DPP JoAnn Meloche who has served the Islands with energy and determination during her tenure and has seen the progressive development of the Office of the DPP which may be her enduring legacy. Additionally, I wish to offer our sincere gratitude to the outgoing Commissioner of Police Colin Farquhar who has led the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force through the numerous challenges faced by them and the Islands during his tenure. At the same time, I welcome the incoming Commissioner James Smith to the post and extend to him our good wishes for a smooth transition.
I also take this opportunity to commend the DPP and the Commissioner and their respective teams of Officers for their strenuous efforts in fighting crime and overseeing law and order.
Administration of Justice – Turning now to the administration of justice, our gratitude goes out to the former Chief Justice Edwin Goldsbrough for his competent service to the Islands as head of the Judiciary. With the appointment of My Lady Chief Justice we have already begun to see the fruits of some of the energy referred to by His Excellency Governor Beckingham in his speech at the swearing in. Noting that a new Judge of the Supreme is shortly to arrive and other efforts at reforming the administration of the judiciary are already underway with plans to promote important law reforms, many of which coincide with areas of law reform already being considered. Other areas of welcome reform which are being considered include the publication of statistics and better financial management.

On the issue of facilities, we saw the opening of an additional and much needed courtroom on Providenciales, however, it is noted that the increasing reliance on video-conference or remote testimony, in both domestic as well as mutual assistance in criminal matters cases, would be greatly hampered if these facilities were not of an acceptable standard or were not well maintained. My Lady, the Government is committed to ensuring the proper resourcing of the courts and it is hoped that improvements in this area will shortly be realized.

The volume of civil and commercial litigation has markedly increased and important work on establishing an accessible repository of judicial decisions which would be greatly assist civil and commercial litigators needs the support of the bar to succeed. All levels of the Courts have been incredibly busy and notwithstanding some challenges, it is obvious that the judiciary has worked assiduously during 2014 and has accomplished much.
Personnel side – My Ladies, I am pleased to say that two additional civil/commercial attorneys and one additional drafter are due to be hired within my Chambers in the first quarter of 2015. I am equally pleased to announce that Mrs. Wynante Adrien-Roberts has today taken up her position as Deputy Attorney General following the February 2014 vacancy. Mrs. Adrien-Roberts is a thoroughly qualified and experienced attorney having been solicitor general in Dominica for many years before moving to the private bar. Mrs. Adrien-Roberts will focus on training and development within my Chambers and will undoubtedly be an asset to my already stellar team.
We recognize that while change is underway in some areas, there are still steps which need to be taken towards full implementation of others in 2015. The challenges of dispensing justice are numerous and supporting each other is our strength. Together we ought to stand up in our various roles as the judiciary, the legal service and the private bar and make a difference.

My Ladies there remains only for me to reiterate the continued commitment of the Government in ensuring the required resources for the smooth administration of Justice, and of my Chambers to providing quality service and our assistance in whatever way we can to facilitate the efficient conduct of the business of these Courts, valuing the independence of the Judiciary as a corner stone to the rule of law and in moving the motion for the opening of the Supreme Court 2015 to wish for your Ladyships, Magistrates, Court Staff, and all here present, a prosperous and productive New Year.
I now formally move the motion for the opening of the Turks and Caicos Islands Supreme Court for the year 2015. May it so please you my Ladies.
Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles, OBE
Hon. Attorney General
5th January 2015

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Bahamas News

Over a Week Later, Bahamians Still Waiting on Full Election Numbers

Published

1 day ago

May 22, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

The Bahamas, May 22, 2026 – More than a week after Bahamians voted in the country’s 2026 General Election, complete official constituency voting figures still have not been publicly released by the Parliamentary Registration Department.

While winners have been declared across the country’s expanded 41-seat Parliament, no centralized official breakdown showing constituency vote totals, turnout percentages, rejected ballots or margins of victory appears to have been published publicly.

The Progressive Liberal Party is widely reported to have secured 33 seats, while the Free National Movement won eight seats, according to tallies carried by several media houses, including the Nassau Guardian’s election tracker and other regional reports.

Still missing, however, are the underlying numbers which would allow the public to independently assess voter participation levels across the country’s 41 constituencies.

That absence is drawing increasing attention following an election already marked by concerns over long lines, advanced polling confusion, voter register complaints and questions about election administration.

Unofficial turnout estimates circulating in local media place national voter participation near 58 percent. If confirmed, that would represent the lowest voter turnout in modern Bahamian general election history.

Historically, The Bahamas has recorded strong election participation rates, with turnout often exceeding 80 percent in previous decades. But participation declined sharply in 2021, when official turnout fell to roughly 65 percent — at the time considered historically low.

Now, the Coalition of Independents says it plans to challenge aspects of the election process in Election Court and is escalating its criticism of the handling of the vote.

In a sharply worded statement issued to media, Coalition Leader Lincoln Bain announced the party will boycott the opening of Parliament, insisting the election was “flawed from start to finish.”

The Coalition claims the country cannot “celebrate ceremony while justice is ignored,” arguing that unresolved election concerns continue to hang over the legitimacy of the process.

Among the concerns raised by the COI are:

allegations of voter register irregularities;
claims that the voters register remained open after Parliament was dissolved;
accusations of vote buying;
concerns tied to the Pinewood constituency race;
alleged constitutional breaches involving undeclared government contracts;
and alleged conflicts of interest involving gaming operators serving in Cabinet.

The Coalition also referenced allegations surrounding criminal influence and drug-related claims connected to political operations, while calling for what it describes as a “serious local investigation.”

In its statement, the COI said there has been “no proper public accounting, no local investigation announced, and no Commission of Inquiry launched into these matters.”

The group is now demanding a formal Commission of Inquiry into the conduct of the election and related allegations.

Bain said the boycott of Parliament is “not a boycott of democracy” but instead “a stand in defence of democracy.”

The statement further argues that Parliament itself must be protected from “corruption, conflicts of interest, criminal influence, and electoral fraud.”

So far, election authorities have not publicly indicated when complete certified constituency voting figures will be formally released.

And that delay is becoming increasingly significant because the missing data includes the very numbers needed to understand whether Bahamians truly disengaged from the electoral process in record numbers.

If unofficial turnout estimates are accurate, it would mean voter participation in 2026 either matched or fell below the historically low 2021 election turnout — despite The Bahamas recording one of its largest voter registration totals ever, with more than 209,000 people listed to vote.

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News

Academy Eagles FC crowned Beaches Turks & Caicos sponsored Provo Men’s Premier League champions 2026

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — The Academy Eagles FC were crowned champions of the Beaches sponsored Men’s Provo Premier League after securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over defending champions, SWA Sharks, at the Venetian Road football field.

In a match that featured a mix of youth and experienced players, the Academy Eagles eventually broke through late in the game when Jean Innocent found the back of the net in the 77th minute. Innocent doubled the lead in the 95th minute from the penalty spot to clinch the championship.

Academy Eagles head coach Aaron Lawrence expressed immense pride in his squad’s performance. “I applaud the team for their discipline throughout the season and their ability to stick to the plan heading into this game,” Lawrence shared, adding special praise for team captain Myherwens Varis for “following tactical instructions throughout the game.”

“This victory would not have been possible without the thoughtful support from our main sponsor, Beaches Turks and Caicos resort. This is the second year running with this relationship. This has provided exposure for the semi-professional players and the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association,” Lawrence noted.

On the opposing sideline, SWA Sharks coach Jack Watson was modest in defeat. While he noted that his team executed their strategy well, he recognized the Eagles’ determination. “I congratulate the Eagles team for wanting the win more,” Watson said. “We played to the game plan, but I fault a lapse in judgment that gave up two goals.”

Beaches Turks and Caicos, returning for a second year of sponsoring the competition, expressed ongoing dedication to youth football in the islands. General Manager Deryk Meany shared his enthusiasm, “I am satisfied with the impact that the league is having on youth development throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands and our resort’s involvement in fielding a team for the competition.” The final phase of the tournament now transitions to a knockout format among the eight participating clubs.

League executives also weighed in on the success of the season. Provo Premier League President, Phillip Baptiste, expressed his satisfaction with the league format and highlighted the significant progress made by the Turks and Caicos Islands Football Association (TCIFA) over the course of the tournament.

“This is what true success looks like as corporate partners like Beaches Turks and Caicos resort joins forces with the TCIFA in providing an avenue for youth development and sports. While we are happy for the continued sponsorship, we are anticipating more support from other entities. This is not only a win for sports, it is a win for development here in the TCI,” Baptiste shared.

TCIFA Technical Director Dane Ritchie echoed these positive sentiments, pointing to the league’s development as an avenue for showcasing local talent on a broader stage. “Our team continues to learn as they work on developing talents with the youth players, as well as providing a broader marketing avenue for the league to be seen internationally with FIFA+ streaming,” Ritchie said.

He added, “the TCIFA commends the growth of the coaching staff involved in the league and looks forward to further enhancing the competition to make them more competitive in the Caribbean leagues.”

Beaches FC and Cheshire Hall FC have both punched their tickets for the first two spots in the semifinals with a 2-0 win over Teachers’ Young Strikers and 5-0 thrashing of Provo United respectively in the first two quarter finals.

News

Beaches Turks & Caicos celebrates Stars at its Annual Prestige Awards

Published

1 week ago

May 13, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks & Caicos Islands: — The French Village main stage at Beaches Turks and Caicos resort was transformed into a dazzling beacon of green and gold as the resort celebrated its highest achievers. Under the inspiring banner of “One Team, One Vision, Endless Achievements,” the annual Prestige Awards recently closed the chapter on an exceptional 2025.

More than 120 nominees across twelve distinct categories walked the red carpet, greeted by flashing cameras and the cheering of their peers. The evening was laced with vibrant entertainment that kept the energy high between award presentations. Attendees were also treated to an exquisite five-course menu, carefully curated to match the prestige of the occasion and celebrate the rich culinary talent present at the resort.

The event served as a powerful reminder of the dedication required to operate one of the premier family resorts in the Caribbean. General Manager Deryk Meany took the stage to address the audience while reflecting on a year of resilience, innovation and unparalleled guest service.

“This is a celebratory milestone that as leaders we are happy to share with the stars of the hospitality industry,” Meany shared. “You have shown the world the true mettle of leadership and commitment here at Beaches Turks and Caicos.”

To further recognize unique contributions to the resort’s operational success, Meany personally distributed the General Manager’s Special Awards. These honours were bestowed upon Eric ‘Cookie’ Johnson from the kitchen, Harriet Beeput from administration, and Javier Sarita from the entertainment department for their exceptional behind-the-scenes dedication.

The climax of the evening featured the announcement of the resort’s most prestigious overarching awards. Felipe Luzardo Neira from the kitchen took home the MVP of the Year (Manager of the Year) award, while Chad Peterkin from engineering and maintenance was named All-Rounder of the Year (Supervisor of the Year). The loyalty & travel department proved their collective strength by securing the A-Team of the Year title.

Individual team members were also recognized for their ultimate service standards. Deandra Astwood from the front office earned the Platinum Team Member of the Year award. The highest individual honour, Diamond Team Member of the Year, was awarded to Javain Campbell from the restaurant department. Campbell used his moment in the spotlight to highlight the importance of cross-departmental collaboration and community outreach.

“This accolade is a testament to the commitment and teamwork within all the departments of the resort,” Campbell noted after receiving his award. “The opportunity to volunteer at different Sandals Foundation activities as well as be a mentor to other team members means the world to me. This achievement will allow me to do more in leadership as I have been tasked with representing the entire team here at the resort.”

The Prestige Awards ensured that every facet of the resort’s operations received proper recognition. From environmental sustainability to guest entertainment, the specific category winners showcased a wide array of talents:

Movers & Shakers was awarded to Katherine ‘Tinkerbell’ Jiminez from the entertainment department
Legendary Team Member was secured by Kadian Smith from the restaurant
Circle of Joy went to Emanie Jocelyn Seide from security and loss prevention
Earth Guardian was claimed by Bernard Florvil from engineering and maintenance
Sandals Foundation Sentinel was awarded to Tanya Swann from administration
Standing Ovation Award was proudly accepted by Richard Myers from the laundry team
Money Maker Award went to Teesha McCallum-Hamilton from the resort shop
Heart of the House Hotel Manager’s Award was presented to Carlton Biggs from stewarding department
People’s Choice Award was won by Claire Ann Balones from the off site department
Pacesetter Award was given to Kassandra Henry from accounts & cost control
Founder’s Circle Award was claimed by Susan Outten from the restaurant

As the night drew to a close, the focus shifted to the rigorous selection process that led to the evening’s celebrations. The Prestige Awards do not merely look at a single moment of excellence, but rather evaluate a full twelve months of unwavering dedication to the guest experience. Human Resources Manager Owenta Coleby highlighted the rewarding journey these team members took to reach the main stage.

“This event is a culmination of a number of activities for the resort’s leadership and the team members who have been exemplary and consistent throughout the year,” Coleby shared. “Congratulations are in order for each nominee as they have been crowned winners for the different months of 2025.”

With the trophies distributed and the 2025 season officially wrapped, the staff at Beaches Turks and Caicos now look forward. Fueled by the “One Team, One Vision” mantra, these award winners are already setting the standard for another year of endless achievements.