News
Fr. Mark Kendall calls on all Actors in the Judicial System to Do Better
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, January 20, 2024 – “I say to you— as a representative of the people of the Turks and Caicos, for those who may not have a voice and those who are in prison on remand. Court dates ought not to be postponed over and over and cases dragged out by the whim and fancies of counsel,” was the serious warning from Father Mark Kendall as he spoke during the January 4 2024 Legal Year Opening church service held at the St. Monica’s Anglican church in Providenciales.
Fr. Kendall encouraged the gathered judicial officers to address the length of time suspects were spending on
remand and several other issues.
“In the book of Ecclesiastes we read in chapter 8 and vs 11 because defense against an evil deed is not executed speedily the human heart is fully set to the evil,” he continued, “ In visiting the prison in the past the inmates invariably complained about their cases taking interminable time to progress.”
“Even worse,” Kendall lamented, “are the incidents of attorneys taking payments but not pressing the matters for which clients have paid,” he said.
Kendall stressed too that the conviction rate was too low locally.
“The correlation between the occurrence of crimes and convictions is lopsided,” he continued “I dare say that national progress in the Turks and Caicos islands is stymied by nepotism, cronyism, and island insularity.”
Both defense lawyers and the prosecution were held responsible for this failing by the church rector.
“It is annoying when defendants get off scot-free because of technicalities in the law or defense attorneys capitalizing on— the law, we see the manipulation of the law making it malleable and docile as necessary to confound the prosecution,” he claimed.
It must be noted that all defendants under TCI law are innocent until proven guilty and defense attorneys, many of whom offer their services to legal aid, have the overarching responsibility to protect their clients.
The prosecution did not escape unscathed, as Kendall criticized the “insipidness of their preparation,” as part of the low conviction rate.
Fr. Mark Kendall also expressed dismay at the gap operations in the past resulting from inadequate staff.
“Never again must the Turks and Caicos have only two functioning judges,” he said.
Yet, despite these strong warnings, Fr. Kendall, commended the increased number of judicial personnel.
The issues are longtime complaints of residents in relation to the judiciary and were also addressed by Angela Brooks, Acting DPP, who promised fixes for them in the current legal year.
The clergyman also said the government should consider reassessing the monetary allocations given to the judiciary to make sure they are properly funded.
“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 arms and departments 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.” 
Kendall 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.
He warned of the possible financial ramifications that could occur because of the lack of security regarding members of the bench.
Fr. Kendall’s 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 Magistrate’s court and Supreme Court have to alternate for a shift system which slows down the judicial process.
Citizens of the Turks and Caicos were also called on by Fr. Kendall to stop ‘hiding out’ from jury duty when they were called; he urged citizens to play their part in the execution of Justice.
May 11, 2024 – Mother’s Day has a rich history that dates back to ancient times when Greeks and Romans held festivals to honor mother goddesses. However, the modern Mother’s Day as we know it originated in the early 20th century.
The official Mother’s Day holiday in the United States was first proposed by Anna Jarvis in 1905, as a way to honor her own mother
who had passed away.
Her efforts led to the first Mother’s Day celebration in 1908, organized by her at a church in West Virginia. The holiday gained popularity quickly, and in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, a national holiday to honor mothers.
Since then, Mother’s Day has become a widely celebrated occasion around the world, with people expressing their love and appreciation for their mothers and mother figures through gifts, cards, and special gestures.
Mother’s Day is celebrated in various countries around the world, although the dates and traditions may differ. Among the many marking the celebration of mothers is the United States, Nigeria and United Kingdom (which had Mother’s Day in March), Canada, Australia, India, Mexico (marked Friday May 10), Brazil, Japan, South Africa and France (later this month May 26). These are just a few examples, as Mother’s Day is observed in many other countries as well, each with its own customs and traditions for honoring mothers and motherhood.
In the Caribbean, Mother’s Day is also marked with vim and vigor and reverence.
When you talk about island nations like Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Turks and Caicos Islands and The Bahamas, among others, all observe Mother’s Day with celebrations that often include special church services, family gatherings, and the giving of gifts and cards to honor mothers and mother figures.
Traditional foods and music may also be part of the festivities staged in the neighbourhood or huge family groups will flock to their favourite dining spots for brunch.
It is not unusual to see Mother’s Day concerts, national awards ceremonies and luncheons making it a striking and joyous occasion for families eager to show appreciation for the important women in their lives.
Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Correspondent
#TurksandCaicos, May 11, 2024 – A former FedEx employee and now fireman, TRISTON NEWBOLD is on trial for allegedly illegally attempting to import 14 vials of “liquid marijuana vapes” into the Turks and Caicos from Canada.
It is alleged that on Wednesday January 8, 2024 at Cairsea Services transit shed on Providenciales, he did improperly import a quantity of suspected THC vapes cartridges, packages in a manner appearing as intended to deceive Customs officials.
The trial is underway part-heard before his honor, the Chief Magistrate Mr. Jolyon Hatmin.
It commenced in the Magistrate’s court on Tuesday April16th.
Senior Customs officer of 18 years, Alton Scott was the first witness called by the public prosecutor, Ms. Alima Alexis, for the Crown. 
Scott testified that he was called to Cairsea Services concerning a package that arrived from Toronto, Canada bearing the accused’s name.
The Senior Customs officer said when he arrived, around 11:35 a.m. and sent for the accused man he returned. Newbold was reportedly asked if that was his name on the package, at which time he acknowledged that it was. He was then asked, if the package was his, again he said yes it was his.
Senior defense counsel, Mrs. Lara Maroof-Misick challenged that testimony, however officer Scott did not alter his account of the events of that day; adamant that the accused man ‘told me the package was his.’
Other items besides the suspected cannabis vapes oils were in the package, including two small stuffed animals, two small toy balls and other unsuspicious items.
The senior customs official told the court that they tried to rectify this within their powers under the Customs Ordinances by charging TRISTON NEWBOLD a fine of $1,500.00, and that would be the end of the matter, and they had also given him some time to pay the fine, however, the accused refused to pay within the time frame offered and was subsequently arrested and charged to appear before the court.
Mrs. Lara Maroof Misick questioned the senior officer about interviewing or recording statements from her client whilst the investigation interviews were ongoing, after which the trial was adjourned.
The trial continues on May 30th 2024.
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
May 11, 2024 – Using AI in journalism and the Caribbean context was the focus of the 2024 Caribbean Media Summit when regional professionals met from May 8 – 10 in Kingston, Jamaica.
Dana Malcolm, Journalist and News Anchor
Now in its 3rd year, but 1st in-person session following COVID-19, the summit gathered panelists and presenters from the BBC, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica, Reuters Institute and more. Championed by the Media Institute of the Caribbean, US Embassy, and Press Association of Jamaica, it focused on introducing journalists to safe and ethical AI use.
Stakeholders from all areas of media were involved, both in person and virtually including dozens of Journalists, regulators (Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica) policy makers (UNESCO) and the creators of AI themselves, including Neil Sanota BM Master Inventor.
Also shown at the event was a new iteration of the UNESCO AI Roadmap for the Caribbean which used needs assessments to create a four pillar AI strategy for the Caribbean. The roadmap focuses on AI for use in Culture and Creativity, Governance and Transformation, Upskilling and Education, and Resiliency and Sustainability.
A particular point shared by panelists was that the digital divide that exists regionally, currently, would only worsen with AI
introduction and in order to keep up with the world and manipulate AI as a tool for good Caribbean residents would need to be sensitized and trained in is use
Presenters at the summit included, Petra Abbam, Principal Responsible Al Manager at the British Broadcasting Corporation (ВВС); Brant Houston, Co-Founder of the Global Investigative Journalism Network; Wesley Gibbings Co-Founder of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers; Marcellus Alexander. Director at the Scripps Network; Nic Newman, Senior Research Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Oxford University; and Canute James, award winning International Journalist and Lecturer at the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC).
Attending were more than 200 journalists and media professionals from over 50 countries including Magnetic Media representatives: Deandrea Hamilton, CEO; Rashaed Esson, Journalist and Caribbean News Anchor; Sherrica Thompson, Journalist and Production Lead; Dana Malcolm, Journalist and News Anchor and Shanieka Smith, Journalist and Social Media Co-ordinator.
-
Health5 days agoAstraZeneca withdraws COVID vaccines after millions took their jabs
-
TCI News1 week agoBomb Threat No 6. In TEN days
-
TCI News2 days agoEquity in Energy says Bahamas Energy & Transport Minister in legislative roll out
-
Caribbean News2 days agoBelize, Jamaica and St. Vincent and the Grenadines eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and Syphilis
-
TCI News2 days agoFamily of 16 tourist claims negligence in Grand Turk jet ski death; Coroner’s Court hearing evidence
-
world news3 days agoElectricity Access for 600 Million a goal of UN Sustainability Week
-
Caribbean News2 days agoMagnetic Media attends Caribbean Media Summit, in focus AI in Journalism
-
Bahamas News2 days agoThe Bahamas Successfully Hosts Its Fourth World Athletics Relays