Give Judiciary more money, says Fr. Mark Kendall at Legal Year Opening

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, January 19, 2024 – The Government should consider reassessing the monetary allocations given to the Judiciary to ensure there is no lack in funding for this critical, constitutional arm; Fr Mark Kendall brought direct remarks during his time to address the country leaders and legal fraternity assembled customarily at the St Monica Anglican Church for the Legal Year Opening church service.

In a pointed speech encompassing what he considered the various failures and successes regarding the judiciary, he maintained that local institutions should reflect the economic health of the country.

“There must be correlation with regard to the institutions of the country.  We are happy individuals can benefit from the economic boom but the institutions must also reflect that they are benefiting,”

Reflecting on the government’s system of allocation to various government arms and bodies he said, “Perhaps it is that some of the agencies that the departments or sectors of the judiciary, and the court system in the Turks and Caicos islands need more.”

The clergyman also gave his opinion on the current privately owned buildings that house the various courts stressing that they should be publicly owned and their security handled by the Office of the Chief Justice.

Kendall warned of  the possible financial ramifications that could occur because of the lack of security regarding members of the bench.

His speech came mere hours before the Chief Justice of the country would make an unprecedented call for more funding and better accommodations for the country’s courts.

Currently in the Turks and Caicos, there is not enough space for all the courts to sit simultaneously without displacing each other.  In some cases like Grand Turk, the magistrates courts, and supreme courts have to sit in shifts, slowing down the judicial process.

Citizens of the Turks and Caicos were also called on to stop ‘hiding out’ from jury duty when they were called to play their part in the justice system of the Turks and Caicos.