CJ Agyemang announces: New Coroner to be on Island by end of Q1

By Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, January 11, 2023 – The Turks and Caicos is a few steps closer to having a full time designated coroner of its own with operations set to begin before the end of the first quarter of 2023.  The announcement comes following the highly publicised Marie Khunla case and others which have exposed the embarrassing gap.

Acknowledging the build-up of coronial cases and lack of urgency in unexplained deaths stemming from the fact that the Turks and Caicos is without a designated on-island coroner newly re-appointed Chief Justice Mabel Agyemang said, “It was recognised that in the circumstance of an unexplained death, persons impacted by the event and indeed society as a whole, deserved answers provided with some urgency, but that this had been lacking for some years. Thus was a decision made to give to a full-time Coroner, rather than the Chief Magistrate, the responsibility of dealing with coronial matters.”  She was speaking at the Legal Year Opening on January 4th.

With approval granted from Cabinet last year, Her Ladyship Agyemang said the Judiciary is now making arrangements to secure office space to be used as a court for the Coroner together with an office for them and an office for their support staff.

Following the provision of the physical spaces, a person possessing the qualifications of a Magistrate will be appointed to exercise the jurisdiction set out in the Coroner’s Ordinance.

While this is yet another commendable stride, shepherded by the Chief Justice, it still leaves the islands without a Medical Examiner to perform autopsies on behalf of the State.