Caribbean News
Fulford says TCI’s Judiciary will be Established as a Regional Leader under CJ Agyeman
#TurksandCaicos, January 15, 2022 – The Legal Year 2022 opened on January 4th 2022 in a hybrid fashion, where the Chief Justice, Court of Appeal Judges, Supreme Court Judges, Magistrates and other Official participants hosted the ceremony at the Supreme Court building in person and where Attorneys and other dignitaries attended remotely via zoom link.
The ceremony today marked a welcomed improvement from last year, where covid19 numbers caused the 2021 opening ceremony to be in a strictly virtual fashion for all attendees.
This year’s ceremony saw a cadre of achievements listed by the Chief Justice in her short tenure such as:
- New Legal Aid Rules
- Establishment of a new Legal Aid Panel
- Establishment of a Legal Aid Roster for Civil and Criminal Matters
- Implementation of an 18 Month end date for Legal Aid Matters
- Establishment of a complaint mechanism for grievances against attorneys
- Establishment of Interim Payments
- Establishment of Legal Aid for Civil Cases
- Waiver of Supreme Court Fees for Civil Cases conducted under legal aid
- Establishment of Early Legal Aid from the investigative process.
- Establishment of Duty Counsels – where Legal Aid will allow those arrested on suspicion of crimes to have an attorney before charge;
- Legal Aid will extend to constitutional rights, habeus corpus, judicial review, domestic violence, contentions probate matters, welfare of Children matters, landlord dispute matters;
- Court Connected Mediation Rules
- Court to now promote ADR
- Establishment of Court mandated Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Creation of a Mediation Committee
- 42 Mediators are Trained
- Creation of a Roster of Mediators -11 are presently on the Roster
- Consultation has begun on restorative justice to pay reparation for Offences to promote reconciliation
- Establishment of Queens Counsel Selection Panel
- Establishment of Alternative Sentencing Guidelines
- Establishment of the first ever Bail Ordinance
- Establishment of a Sentencing Deadline Committee
- Establishment of a Magistrate Rules Committee
- Establishment of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee
- Establishment of Hybrid Hearings to allow Jury Trials to take place.
- Establishment of a Court/Legal Library;
- Continuous population of TCILII with judgements
- Re-Constitution of the Judicial Education Committee JEI
- JEI three workshops held for Court Staff
- JEI programs to equip Court Clerks with Paralegal training
- JEI trained the Bailiffs on Self Defence
- JEI armed Bailiffs with body cameras
- Establishment of Registrar of Magistrate Courts
- Onboarding of two Judicial Research Assistants
- Establishment of Code of Conduct for the Judiciary
- The House of Assembly have voted to provide 3 million dollars toward a state-of-the-art court building for The Judiciary.
- Two Buildings have been located and will be retrofitted to be used as Magistrate Courts in South Caicos and North Caicos.
Chief Justice Agyeman laid out other initiatives of the Judiciary and other Strategic priorities are as follows for 2022:
- The E-Judiciary initiatives will continue, that will provide paperless access to the digital platform.
- A dedicated space for ADR, being a center for parties to undertake mediation
- Legislation to bring clarity to Judicial officers is underway.
- Ethics and Integrity Training for Court Staff.
- Extensive electronic infrastructure is being implemented to improve virtual proceedings
- Ongoing work addressing gaps in treatment of Mental Health Issues and Juveniles in criminal justice
- A CJSG which is a collaboration of all stakeholders of justice that serves the public and is striving to provide a multi-level approach to provide access to quality criminal justice.
- The CJSG will also be publishing a calendar of community initiatives it will undertake to bring its work to the people they exist to serve.
Fulford views Chief Justice Mabel Agyeman in her role as Head of the Judiciary, as a Judge who sets goals and achieves them despite arduous challenges. The way in which the Chief Justice relentlessly pursues the Judiciary’s goals bodes well for the jurisdiction and no doubt her record of achievement in her short tenue will cause the TCI Judiciary to become known as a regional leader.
Fulford noted that the Turks and Caicos Islands’ Judiciary continues to grow from strength to strength because of the Chief Justice’s resourcefulness, perseverance and commitment to modernization and improvement.
Chief Justice Agyeman thanked the DPP personally and his office for assisting in the many Judiciary reforms. Further thanks were given to the Attorney General and the Bar Association through its President who was on hand to give and receive the remarks. Many thanks were Given to the Governor, Deputy Governor, Premier, Cabinet and Parliament for the support to the Judiciary.
Chief Justice Agyeman specially thanked the Acting Court Administrator Mrs Barbara Jervis, Her Registrar Ms Renee McLean and her Judicial Assistant Ms. Aisha DeFour.
In closing, The Hon. Chief Justice renewed her commitment and that of the entire Judiciary to continue to improve access to quality justice for all in TCI and to be untiring in their efforts to follow through on the plans outlined for 2022, and continue to strive to position the Judiciary to attain the stature of a resilient, and accountable institution.
Fulford indicated, it’s an opportune time to be serving the public in the legal profession.
Caribbean News
Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts celebrate a night of wins, and take home a total of 16 titles at the 32nd Annual World Travel Awards
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (October 6th, 2025) – CaribCon, the Caribbean conference celebrating culture, innovation, and creativity, will welcome some of the region’s most influential voices to its inaugural edition in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The event, set to be a dynamic gathering of thought leaders and cultural icons, will feature impactful panel discussions, inspiring and intimate fireside chats and a flow of knowledge from some of the Caribbean’s brightest and best in the creative sector.
Elizabeth “Lady” Montano
Jamaica’s own Dr. Terri-Karelle Johnson, celebrated communications specialist, media personality, and global keynote speaker, will headline CaribCon as the official keynote speaker. Known for her ability to connect authentically and inspire audiences worldwide, Dr. Reid will share her insights on Caribbean identity, storytelling, and the power of representation in shaping global narratives. Another highlight of CaribCon will be the presence of Elizabeth “Lady” Montano, mother and former manager of soca superstar Machel Montano. Lady will launch her award-winning book, King of Soca, in which she is positioned as the ultimate insider, chronicling the evolution of one of the Caribbean’s most iconic entertainers. She will also share her invaluable experiences on nurturing talent, building a brand, and sustaining longevity in the competitive music industry in an intimate fireside chat. Adding further star power to the event is Simon Baptiste, CEO of Question Mark Entertainment, co-founder of ODOS, a global collective network spanning over 1000 professionals in 35 countries, film director, talent manager and creative strategist. Baptiste will bring his expertise to conversations on shaping the region’s creative sector and talent.
Simon Baptiste
“CaribCon is where the Caribbean’s voices, ideas, and creativity converge,” says Omega Simmons, founder of CaribCon and CEO of SOS Media. “Having leaders like Terri Karelle, Lady Montano, and Simon Baptiste share their stories and expertise truly embodies the spirit of this event. Their presence reinforces the power of Caribbean culture to inspire and influence on the world stage.” CaribCon will take place at the Shore Club in Providenciales, the Turks and Caicos Islands, from October 23rd to 26th. Attendees can look forward to networking opportunities, panel discussions, and meaningful dialogue to foster an ecosystem that develops the region’s creative sector and propels it onto the global stage.
Sponsors are:
Signature Experience Partners: Ministry of Tourism, Experience Turks and Caicos, and The Shore Club.
Other sponsors: PPID, Invest TCI, InterCaribbean Airways, Subtronic Sounds, Spotlight Communications.
Hotel partners: Ocean Club Resorts, Waterloo Hotel Management, The Somerset on Grace Bay and Ports of Call Resort.
For more information, tickets, and updates, visit www.caribcon.co or follow @caribconhq on all social media platforms.
For more information please email: contact@caribcon.co
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