Bahamas News

BAHAHAS: Garvin Gaskin Sworn In as Country’s First ‘Constitutionally Appointed’ Independent DPP

Published

8 years ago

June 13, 2018

#Nassau, June 13, 2018 – Bahamas – The former Director of Public Prosecutions in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, Mr. Garvin E. Gaskin, was sworn in Monday (June 11, 2018) as the country’s first Constitutionally Appointed Independent Director of Public Prosecutions. The ceremony was performed by Her Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling, DCMG, Governor General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, at Government House, Mount FitzWilliam.

A graduate of the University of the West Indies (Bachelor of Laws, 1993) and the Norman Manley Law School (Certificate of Legal Education, 1995) Mr. Gaskin was admitted to the Legal Bar of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in 1995.

The Office of an Independent Director of Public Prosecutions was established through A Bill for An Act to Amend the Constitution of The Bahamas to provide for the Establishment of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and For Matters Connected Thereto (Long Title) that was tabled in the House of Assembly on Wednesday October 18, 2017. (Short Title The Bahamas Constitution (Amendment) Act, 2017.)

Article 78 A of The Bahamas’ Constitution Amendment Act, 2017, which established the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions states in Paragraph 3 that: ”The Director of Public Prosecutions shall have power in any case in which he considers it desirable so to do, to institute and undertake criminal proceedings against any person before any court in respect of any offence against the law of The Bahamas; to take over and continue any such criminal proceedings that may have been instituted by any other person or authority; and to discontinue, at any stage before judgment is delivered, any such criminal proceedings instituted or undertaken by himself or any other person or authority.”

“The Office of the DPP’s mission is to serve the public by providing prompt, impartial and integrity-based prosecutorial services, built on the foundation of the values and principles enshrined in the Constitution of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas,” DPP Gaskin said. “The core functions of the Office of the DPP, includes the prosecution of those charged by the police and other investigative agencies with criminal offences while upholding, protecting and promoting human and constitutional rights.”

Specifically, those functions are: Undertaking public prosecution of cases forwarded by investigative agencies including cases taken over from private prosecutors; Representing the Crown in all criminal trials, criminal applications and appeals; Advising the police and other criminal investigative and prosecutorial agencies on the institution of criminal charges; Reviewing prosecutions to ensure that accused persons are prosecuted on the right charges before the appropriate court, and, in collaboration with the Office of the Attorney-General, effecting matters relating to international relations including extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA).

Other functions include advising Government Ministries, Departments and State Corporations on matters pertaining to the application and development of the criminal law; The formulation, review and dissemination of Prosecution Policy; Monitoring, training, and advising on the appointment and Gazettement of public prosecutors; Addressing parliamentary questions relating to the administration of prosecution services; Addressing complaints raised by members of the public, watchdog bodies/civil society and other institutions; Providing support for victims and witnesses of offences, and undertaking other administrative roles, as required, relating to the efficient and effective administration of the criminal law.

DPP Gaskin brings a wealth of experience to the new post. As Director of Public Prosecutions in the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Legal Affairs, he was responsible for prosecuting all Criminal Matters in the Courts up to the Privy Council; overseeing and conducting prosecutorial matters relating to compliance (or lack thereof) with the Financial Legislation of December 2000, particularly the Proceeds of Crime Act (Money Laundering), Financial Transactions Reporting Act, Financial Intelligence Unit Act, and the Criminal Justice (International Cooperation) Act and also matters of Fraud, Dangerous Drugs and Extradition.

Mr. Gaskin served as the Acting Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, during fixed periods within April through August 2004. He was a Representative Delegate of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas at the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Plenary Meetings from 2012-2014 accompanying the Attorney General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas at all of the said meetings as the Chief Technical Expert.

He also served as Representative Delegate of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas at the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF)Plenary Meetings from 2008-2018, accompanying or representing the Attorney – General of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas at all of the said meetings as the Chief Technical Expert. Mr. Gaskin accompanied the Attorney General, at the Ministers of Justice or Attorneys General of the Americas (REMJA) Meeting, Washington, D.C. – April 2008; the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Inter-American Committee on Terrorism of the Organization of American States (CICTE/OAS) – Ministerial Conference on International Cooperation Against Terrorism and Transnational Organized Crime, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- March 2007.

DPP Gaskin has served as a Member of the Organization of American States’ Working Group on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and Extradition and is an IMF/WORLD BANK/ CFATF Certified Legal Expert in Financial Action Task Force Mutual Evaluations Methodology. He was the Legal Expert and Examiner in the CFATF Mutual Evaluation of Jamaica (2005), and the Legal Expert and Examiner in the CFATF Mutual Evaluation of Cayman Islands (2007), and the Legal Expert Examiner in the CFATF Mutual Evaluation of Anguilla (2009).

Mr. Gaskin has been trained in Asset Forfeiture and related Financial Investigations by the United States of America’s Department of Justice (U.S. Justice Department) at the Federal Training Centre, South Carolina; Trained in Prevention of Environmental Crimes at the Caribbean Regional Conference, Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis; Trained in Money Laundering, the Challenges of Cyber Crime, Terrorism and Mutual Legal Assistance at the Changing Face of International Cooperation in Criminal Matters in the 21st Century Conference, Oxford University, United Kingdom, and Trained in Capacity Building in Combating Terrorism at the Commonwealth Secretariat Training of Specialists and Trainers Programme, in Kingston, Jamaica.

“My experiences cover every aspect of the criminal law practice from the Magistrate’s Court to the Privy Council,” Mr. Gaskin said. “I have prosecuted over one thousand matters, in one way or the other, and so I am not afraid of work; from the complex and/or high profile, to the simple and low profile.”

During his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions, the Department experienced a “significant increase” in the number of guilty pleas – particularly during the period January, 2017, to April, 2018 during which time there were 110 guilty pleas. Mr. Gaskin was confirmed in the post of Director of Public Prosecutions in the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs in December 2016 after being appointed Acting DPP in 2015.

“I am particularly pleased, among other things, with the significant increase in guilty pleas. In times past, guilty pleas were few and far apart,” Mr. Gaskin continued, “from January 2017 to April 2018, we have had over 110 guilty pleas. Note that there are 52 weeks in a year, and one full trial averages about 2 weeks, versus a guilty plea, which takes less than a day. Thus, we have dealt with over 2 years worth of trials, by guilty pleas, in the aforementioned period. This results to a significant boost in the effective use of judicial time, which is precious.

“In addition, our consultative relationship with the Royal Bahamas Police Force has been greatly enhanced by a system of review, before charging, of all cases destined for the Supreme Court, by the DPP or his delegates. This leads to tighter and more cogent cases; but we acknowledge that we have more heavy lifting to do.”

In addition to Mr. Gaskin as the Independent DPP, the structure of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Office is expected to consist of a maximum of two Deputy Directors of Public Prosecutions, Assistant Directors of Public Prosecutions, Chief Counsel, Senior Counsel, Counsel, Assistant Counsel and Pupils.

DPP Gaskin said the facilitation of “specialized units” to combat new and emerging criminal trends and typologies will also be key.

“We need more human resources to increase and buttress our prosecutorial effectiveness. More bodies (suitably qualified) are required to facilitate specialized units to combat emerging criminal trends and typologies, such as trafficking in persons, cybercrime, money laundering, and the financing of terrorism, to name a few. In addition, generally more human resource are needed to effectively service the 10 courts sitting at the Supreme Court level, and the two panels sitting at the level of the Court of Appeal.

“The requirement of more resources is also tied to the fact that the Office of the DPP must establish a greater presence in the direct supervision of prosecutions in the Magistrate’s Courts. This is particularly critical, as the majority of cases tried in the criminal justice system of The Commonwealth of The Bahamas, are proceeded with in the Magistrate’s Court.

“We are grateful to the Government for its formal commitment to appropriately resourcing the Office of the DPP; to ensure that the Country’s law firm, on the criminal side of the administration of justice, stands pre-eminent,” DPP Gaskins added.

By: Matt Maura (BIS)

Photo Caption: Garvin E. Gaskin was sworn in Monday, June 11, 2018 as the country’s first Constitutionally Appointed Independent Director of Public Prosecutions. Pictured at the ceremony at Government House are from left: Prime Minister, Dr. the Hon. Hubert Minnis, Governor General Her Excellency Dame Marguerite Pindling, Garvin Gaskin, Mrs. Odia Gaskin, and Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, the Hon. Carl Bethel, QC.

(BIS Photo/Yontalay Bowe)

Bahamas News

Where to Draw the Line? TCI and Bahamas Advance Maritime Boundary Talks

Published

2 days ago

June 16, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

June 16, 2026 – Thirty-four years after formal negotiations began, Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas are still working to define an agreed maritime boundary between the neighbouring archipelagos, a revelation emerging from a recent Turks and Caicos Cabinet summary which has brought renewed attention to a largely overlooked diplomatic and security issue.

A May 2026 Turks and Caicos Cabinet update suggests the long-running negotiations are continuing to advance. In August 2023, Bahamas Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell said efforts to draw an exact maritime boundary had been slowed by the challenge of gathering the mapping and locational data required for the exercise. The United Kingdom, which represents Turks and Caicos in the negotiations, has offered few details beyond confirming that both sides remain committed to maritime boundary delimitation talks.

The negotiations are not centred on a territorial dispute but rather on establishing a legally recognized maritime boundary under international law. Such agreements help determine jurisdiction over fisheries, maritime resources, law enforcement activities, environmental protection and migration control in the waters between neighbouring countries.

While the discussions focus on the boundary between The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, the exercise is part of a wider maritime delimitation effort — the process of formally marking and agreeing upon where one country’s waters end and another’s begin. In comments to The Tribune in August 2023, Mitchell referenced similar boundary considerations involving the United States and Haiti, underscoring the broader regional importance of defining maritime jurisdictions in accordance with international law.

According to public statements from The Bahamas, formal negotiations between the two sides began in 1992 and were followed by technical discussions in 1996. After years of little public activity, talks resumed in 2023 and have continued through a series of engagements involving legal, maritime, security and geographic information specialists.

The importance of maritime boundaries was underscored by former Bahamas Foreign Affairs Minister Brent Symonette during maritime boundary discussions between The Bahamas and the United States in 2009. At the time, Symonette described clearly defined maritime borders as essential to national sovereignty, law enforcement, fisheries management, environmental protection and efforts to combat illegal migration. He also argued that agreed boundaries provide legal certainty and strengthen cooperation between neighbouring countries.

The United Kingdom, which represents Turks and Caicos in the negotiations, has offered few public details beyond confirming its commitment to the process. However, officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office participated alongside TCI representatives during talks held in Nassau in August 2023. The Turks and Caicos delegation included then Permanent Secretary Wesley Clerveaux, whose responsibilities included Marine Affairs.

At this stage, the TCI Cabinet has only publicly identified the area under discussion as being south of “Point 1.” Information released by The Bahamas following a 2023 meeting indicates the negotiations concern waters between the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands. While no map has been made public, the available information places the discussions south of Bahamian islands including Mayaguana and Great Inagua. Exactly where the proposed boundary would meet the Turks and Caicos archipelago remains unclear from public records.

The latest Cabinet update offers no indication of when the negotiations may conclude. However, after more than three decades of intermittent discussions, recent references by both governments suggest efforts to finally draw the line between the two jurisdictions are continuing.

Bahamas News

CDB Leadership Passes to Belize as Region Eyes New Financing Partnerships

Published

1 week ago

June 9, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

By Deandrea Hamilton

The Bahamas, June 9, 2026 – The Caribbean Development Bank’s annual gathering may have concluded in The Bahamas, but attention is already turning to Belize as leadership of the institution’s Board of Governors officially changed hands.

At the close of the 56th Annual Meeting in Nassau, outgoing Chairman and CDB Governor for The Bahamas, Michael Halkitis, formally transferred the chairmanship to Belize’s Dr. Hon. Osmond Martinez, continuing the Bank’s tradition of rotating leadership among its regional shareholders.

The handover capped a week of discussions focused on financing development in an increasingly uncertain global environment and strengthening the Caribbean’s ability to withstand economic and climate-related shocks.

One of the meeting’s most closely watched conversations centered on how multilateral development banks can better support vulnerable Small Island Developing States.

During the President’s Chat, titled Financing the Future: MDB Strategies for Uncertain Times, CDB President Daniel Best joined leaders from the OPEC Fund, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage to discuss expanding development finance and building resilience.

OPEC Fund President Dr. Abdulhamid Alkhalifa emphasized that development institutions must move beyond responding to crises and instead help countries prepare for them.

“The real test is whether we can help countries move from strategy to implementation, and from implementation to results,” Alkhalifa said.

The discussions reflected a growing regional push for innovative financing solutions as Caribbean nations continue to confront climate vulnerability, infrastructure demands and economic uncertainty.

Beyond discussions on financing and resilience, the Annual Meeting also featured youth engagement activities, including the Youth FIRE Forum, where young Caribbean leaders participated in conversations about innovation, entrepreneurship, leadership and the future of regional development. Senior government officials, development professionals and youth delegates exchanged ideas on the challenges and opportunities facing the next generation, reinforcing a recurring message throughout the conference: that investments made today must ultimately improve opportunities for Caribbean youth tomorrow.

That theme was echoed by Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis, who used the opening ceremony to challenge regional leaders to invest in future generations.

“We must invest in the one asset that no agency can ever downgrade, and that no storm can ever wash away: the mind of a Caribbean child,” Davis told delegates.

With Belize now assuming the chairmanship, regional leaders say the focus remains on transforming ideas discussed in Nassau into tangible results for Caribbean people.

Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.

Bahamas News

New GPS Evidence Prompts Fresh Search for Missing American Woman in Abaco

Published

2 weeks ago

June 1, 2026

Deandrea Hamilton

ABACO, BAHAMAS — Nearly two months after American sailor Lynette Hooker vanished in waters off Abaco, investigators are preparing to conduct a new search based on GPS and navigation data that reportedly challenges the account originally provided by her husband.

The case, which first drew international attention in early April, began when Brian Hooker told authorities that his wife was swept away after falling from an inflatable dinghy during rough conditions in waters near Elbow Cay.

Initial search efforts involving Bahamian and U.S. authorities covered extensive areas of the Sea of Abaco but failed to locate the missing Michigan woman.

Now, according to multiple U.S. media reports, investigators have obtained electronic navigation and GPS data that appears to place the couple’s dinghy in a different location from where searchers initially concentrated their efforts.

The new information has prompted authorities to reopen search operations and seek permission for divers to examine a more targeted area of the Sea of Abaco.

Unlike the broad search that followed Hooker’s disappearance, the renewed effort is expected to focus on a relatively shallow section of water, reportedly about 25 feet deep. Investigators believe the location may offer a better opportunity to recover evidence and potentially answer lingering questions surrounding the disappearance.

The latest development marks a significant shift in the investigation.

What began as a maritime search-and-rescue operation has evolved into a complex multinational investigation involving Bahamian authorities, the United States Coast Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Brian Hooker was detained and questioned by Bahamian authorities following his wife’s disappearance but was later released without charges. While investigators have never publicly accused him of a crime, reports indicate he remains a person of interest as authorities continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the case.

Hooker has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that his wife accidentally fell overboard.

The investigation has intensified in recent weeks. U.S. authorities have reportedly seized the couple’s sailboat, Soulmate, transporting the vessel to Florida for forensic examination. Investigators are said to be reviewing onboard electronics, digital records and other potential evidence as part of the ongoing inquiry.

The case has also attracted attention from Lynette Hooker’s family, who have continued to press for answers and support efforts to locate her.

The renewed search comes after Brian Hooker returned to the United States following the disappearance. Reports indicate he cited family reasons, including concerns about his mother’s health, for leaving The Bahamas.

For investigators, however, the focus now appears fixed on the newly identified search area and the electronic evidence that led them there.

Whether the latest operation produces answers remains to be seen. But nearly eight weeks after Lynette Hooker disappeared in the waters of Abaco, authorities believe new technology and new information may finally provide a clearer picture of what happened that night.