News
Historic day in Parliament as Constitutional Bills pass in the Lower House
Nassau, 07 Mar 2016 – History was made in The Bahamas today, Wednesday 2nd March, as Parliament passed four amendments to the country’s 1973 independence constitution, effectively removing the remaining vestiges of discrimination against all Bahamians from the country’s Supreme Law.
On hand for the vote were 37 of 38 parliamentarians as the Honourable member for Saint Anne’s Hubert Chipman remains ill.
A short description of the bills and the results of the parliamentary vote are as follow:
Bill #1:
This bill seeks the grant the legal right to a Bahamian woman to automatically pass on her Bahamian citizenship to her child born in a foreign country with her non Bahamian spouse just as a Bahamian male married to a non Bahamian woman currently has the legal right and privilege of doing under the current constitution. The results on the vote were 37 yes and 1 absent.
Bill #2:
This bill seeks to enable a Bahamian woman who marries a non Bahamian man to secure for her foreign husband the same access to Bahamian citizenship that a Bahamian man married to a non Bahamian woman currently enjoys under the constitution. The results on the vote were 36 yes, 1 no and 1 absent. Marco City MP the Hon. Greg Moss voted no.
Bill #3:
This bill seeks to grant to an unmarried Bahamian man the legal right to pass on his Bahamian citizenship to his child he fathered with a non Bahamian woman. Under the constitution, only an unwed Bahamian woman enjoys that legal right and privilege. The unwed male must provide proof of paternity by any method listed under the constitution. The results of the vote were 37 yes and 1 absent.
Bill #4
This bill seeks to eliminate gender discrimination by inserting the word “sex” into article 26 of the constitution to make it unconstitutional to discriminate against anyone on the basis of them being male or female. The results of the vote were 34 yes, 2 no, 1 abstain and 1 absent. Marco City MP Greg Moss and Bamboo Town MP Renward Wells both voted no while Central Grand Bahama MP Neko Grant abstained.
Mr. Moss suggested that if passed into law, amendment four could open the door to same sex marriage, but Marathon MP Jerome Fitzgerald rebutted, explaining that under the Bahamas’ constitution that was not possible. Mr. Fitzgerald pointed out that the Bahamas constitution defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman and that the sex of an individual is determined at birth by their genetic (or chromosomal) makeup. He also cautioned House members not to confuse “sex” with “sexual orientation” as they are entirely different.
A fifth bill that addresses paternity provisions was also passed.
In his closing remarks after the passage of the bills, Prime Minister Christie rose to his feet to commend House members for their vote and to underscore the historic significance of the occasion within the context of the rights of women to vote, a franchise granted to them in 1962, more than one half century ago.
“It has been more than fifty-three years since our women won the right to vote but they still do not have constitutional protection against discrimination based on their sex. This must be seen as abhorrent to our fundamental values. It is therefore a moral imperative of the first magnitude that we seize the opportunity to usher in a new era in our civilization – an era that will proceed on the righteous and unassailable premise that we are all equal before the law irrespective of whether we are male or female and that as what is good for one is good for the other without distinction.”
In the end, the entire constitutional reform exercise was about full equality, nothing more and nothing less argued Mr. Christie.
“At its core” continued the Prime Minister, “it is for me to say that this is what the present constitutional exercise is all about – nothing less and nothing more. Let there be full equality.”
News
NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL STATEMENT REGARDING RECENT THREATS MADE AGAINST TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AIRPORTS AND SCHOOLS
May 6th, 2024 – As co-chairs of the National Security Council, Her Excellency the Governor and the Honourable Premier condemn strongly recent threats made against Turks and Caicos Islands airports and schools.
We have zero tolerance for these disruptions and the alarm that they cause. The Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force (RTCIPF) continues to work closely with partner agencies and will keep the public updated as we manage the situation.
The National Security Council wishes to reassure residents, travellers and parents that the safety and security of our Islands is its highest priority.
All appropriate measures are being taken to address these threats and all required security protocols are being followed.
The Airports Authority and the Ministry of Education, with school principals are collaborating with the RTCIPF investigations.
We encourage the public to be extra vigilant against phishing and malicious emails and report any suspicious activity to the authorities.
We appreciate the understanding of the public as we work to ensure the safety and well-being of our airports, schools and communities.
Press Release
PROVIDENCIALES, TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS (May 3rd, 2024) The Turks and Caicos Islands’ Grace Bay Beach has once again been recognised among the top beaches in the world.
The World’s 50 Best Beaches has listed Grace Bay Beach among the top beaches in the world.
Grace Bay Beach, located on the island of Providenciales was listed at number 17 on the annual list.
The World’s 50 Best Beaches list, sponsored by Banana Boat, is a collaboration with over 1,000 of the world’s leading travel influencers and professionals.
The World’s 50 Best Beaches 2024 is a reflection of the opinions and experiences of top travel influencers and professionals around the world. The beaches were ranked according to eight important criteria: unique characteristics, wildlife, untouched, soundtrack of nature, easy to enter the water, often calm water, not too crowded and frequency of idyllic conditions.
Grace Bay Beach also featured among the top 20 in the 2023 World’s 50 Best Beaches list.
This is the latest accolade for Grace Bay Beach this year. Known for its powdery white sand and breathtakingly turquoise blue water, the famous beach was adjudged the number one Caribbean beach in February in Tripadvisor’s® Travelers’ Choice® Awards and Best of the Best for 2024, ranking number five among the Top 25 Best of the Best Beaches in the world.
In January 2024, Grace Bay was recognised as the #9 Best Beach in the Caribbean in the 10Best Reader’s Choice with Bambarra Beach in Middle Caicos ranked at #2.
Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Josephine Connolly said she is proud of the continued recognition of the leading beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
“As a destination that prioritises sustainable development and environmental preservation, the fact that Grace Bay Beach features consistently as one of the top beaches in the world stands as a testament to our commitment to stay “Beautiful by Nature”. I urge visitors to come to the Turks and Caicos Islands to experience this and many other of our beautiful beaches across the Turks and Caicos Islands,” said the Minister.
Tine Holst, Co-Founder of The World’s 50 Best Beaches, said the list is meant to inspire travellers.
She said: “Our 2024 list is a reflection of the countless days spent by our judges, Beach Ambassadors and World’s 50 Best team discovering beaches around the world. The list will help inspire travelers to leave the beaten path behind and enjoy the most stunning and relaxing beaches on earth”.
Read World’s 50 Best Beaches description of Grace Bay Beach here.
News
Family of 16 yo Tourist claims negligence in jet ski death; TCI Coroner’s Court hearing evidence
Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, May 2, 2024 – The family of a 16-year-old who died in Grand Turk six years ago while on a Carnival Cruise into Grand Turk is a little closer to closure as the Turks and Caicos Islands Coroner’s Court has opened his case for an inquest.
“On Wednesday, May 16th, 2018, at 11:30 a.m. Police and Emergency Medical Officials responded to a two-jet-ski collision that left a 16-year-old male dead, near the Cruise Terminal in Grand Turk. Two people were involved in the collision. The second male did not receive any injuries. This incident is under Police investigation.”
That was the brief police report in the aftermath of Nicholas Twyman’s death.
In the comments dozens of residents and visitors claim to have been on the scene that day, as the boy was pulled ashore, some trying to assist while others looked on, horrified.
Coroner Mickia Mills called up the case on March 21, 2024 almost six years after the incident occurred. Mills is in charge of finding out what exactly happened that day in Grand Turk and whether there was any negligence or if it was simply a terrible accident. 
That verdict will be for the coroner and her potential jurors to decide. However, the family has shared their version of what happened that day.
A lawsuit filed in Florida Courts in October 2019 (Twyman v. Carnival Corp) detailed the heartbreaking hours that led up to the death of Nicholas. In it, the plaintiffs, listed as Gyjuanna TWYMAN and Michael Twyman, claim that they docked in Grand Turk and were curious about using the jet skis; both parents and the son were told by the Carnival team aboard the ship that there was not a formal shore excursion in Grand Turk involving jet skis, but that jet skis would be available for rent by the hour.
The family from Indiana claims three jet skis were rented, one for Nicholas, another for his father, Michael, and another for a different passenger, while their mother remained ashore. Wet Money Enterprise is listed as the jet ski company.
The family says they were given little instruction on using the Jet Skis, especially their son who was a new rider. The lawsuit maintains that Michael was not given any instructions other than being told where the kill switch was and not to ride too close to the cruise ship.
Sometime during his excursion, the young man crashed into the other jet ski. The family claims that neither Carnival Cruises nor representatives from the jet ski company responded. They say it was his father who spun around on his own jet ski, dived into the water for his son, and brought him to shore.
Once there, it was the young man’s mother, a registered nurse, who started emergency medical care.
When Turks and Caicos’s EMS did arrive after 15 minutes the family claims they were unsure how to use certain medical implements and had to be directed by the distressed mother.
The court documents list the cause of death for the young man as blunt force trauma and drowning, similar to what is listed in the TCI courts.
Coroner Mills, who took up her position in 2024, will oversee the proceedings which continued on Tuesday, April 23rd.
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