AG Touts Milestones of the International Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers

Turks and Caicos, January 26, 2025 – (Excerpt from Hon Rhondalee Braithwaite-Knowles, KC – Turks & Caicos Attorney General at the Opening of the 2025 Legal Year)

My Lady, permit me to thank the International Division of Chambers which continued their work to improve the TCI’s compliance with its international obligations and to assist Law Enforcement Agencies with mutual legal assistance requests to and from other jurisdictions.

Working closely with the Anti-Money Laundering Committee Secretariat, the Division’s ongoing work to improve TCI’s compliance to its obligations under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (the Merida Convention), the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Terrorist Financing Convention, in line with the FATF Methodology resulted in key improvements to six pieces of legislation –

• Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance

• Anti-Gang Ordinance

• Criminal Law Ordinance

• Witnesses Ordinance

• Integrity Commission Ordinance

• Proceeds of Crime Ordinance

These amendments also improved the effectiveness of the RTCIPF’s response to violent crime.

Along with its ongoing sanctions work with the Governor’s Office, the Division provided invaluable assistance to the Anti-Money Laundering Committee and its Secretariat to secure the TCI’s exit from the 4th round follow up process of the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and continues its work other key stakeholders, including the Judiciary, to ensure that TCI is ready for the 5th Round AML/CFT Mutual Evaluations which will commence in 2027.

The Division has members who sit on various Committees or Working Groups.

These include Groups which focus on Maritime issues, Cyber-Security, a Group focused on establishing a legal framework for Virtual Assets and Virtual Assets Service Providers, and the Principal of the Division Chairs a sub-Focus Group of the AMLC focused on strengthening the framework to effectively Counter Terrorism and Proliferation Financing in the TCI.

The Maritime Oversight Committee to aid in preparing the TCI for its recent Maritime Proxy Audit, which was held December 2nd-6th, 2024.