Speakers Conference 2023 

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, April 6, 2023 – Gordon Burton, TCI Speaker of the House has left the country for Anguila to participate in the House of Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ 2023 Conference.

Burton will join seven other speakers at the Anguillan House of Assembly from the 3rd to the 5th of April 2023, as they discuss the theme “Deepening Parliamentary Democracy in the British Overseas Territories – A Roadmap to 2030.”

The conference opens Tuesday, April 4^th, with a special sitting of the House of Assembly chaired by Barbara Webster-Bourne, the Anguillan Speaker according to updates from the TCIG Press Office.

The Sessions will address: Deepening Parliamentary Democracy; Separation of Powers in the Overseas Territories; The constitutional relationship between the Overseas Territories and the UK Parliament; Parliamentary Independence and Governance; Parliamentary Independence and Budgetary Management; Administration of Parliamentary Services; The Parliamentary Building and Precincts and Security.

The topics reflect the growing demand for more autonomy by OTs. Increased democratic powers and processes in the Overseas Territories have been a hot-button topic in recent years, with even the Turks and Caicos now seeking a constitutional review.

The speakers are seeking a dedicated parliament building for all OTs.  It’s part of the group’s mandate and one which TCI could benefit from as the House of Assembly currently meets at HJ Robinson High School in Grand Turk.

“At this year’s Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference 2023, the Speakers, alongside Parliamentary clerks and constitutional experts, will examine key tenets of strong legislatures and effective Parliamentary Democracy. Over a series of sessions, deliberations will culminate in a roadmap to deepen Parliamentary Democracy and support Good Governance in each Overseas Territory,” the TCIG press release read.

Speakers in Attendance will be:

• Barbara Webster-Bourne Speaker of the House of Assembly – Anguilla
• Dennis P. Lister, JP, MP Speaker of the House of Assembly – Bermuda
• Katherine Wilks, LLB, MP Speaker of the Cayman Islands Parliament – Cayman Islands
• Keith Biles, JP, B.Sc., ACIB. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly – Falkland Islands
• Charliena White Speaker of the Legislative Assembly – Montserrat
• Cyril Gunnell Speaker of the Legislative Council – Saint Helena
• Gordon Burton Speaker of the House of Assembly – Turks and Caicos Islands
• Rt Hon. Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP Speaker of the House of Commons – United Kingdom