United Kingdom receives proposal for Turks and Caicos Islands constitutional advancement

A new proposal for the constitutional advancement of the Turks and Caicos Islands has been submitted to the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for consideration. Premier Hon Charles Washington Misick said the new proposal which garnered bipartisan consensus was submitted one week ahead of his visit to the UK for the King’s coronation and the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC). [...] [Constitutional expert Sir Jeffrey Jowell KC] explained that the umbrella focus of the constitutional changes aims at enhancing democratic governance, facilitating the integrity, fairness, and efficiency of public administration, and promoting and securing human rights and obligations. Coupled with this, the proposed changes seek to further solidify a cooperative relationship with the UK "which recognises the TCI’s autonomous capacity in matters of domestic affairs, in the light of the progress it has recently made towards responsible governance and its future commitment to the rule of law”, the Premier stressed. [...] A number of important issues affecting the territory’s socioeconomic development were outlined in the constitutional proposal. This includes discussions about getting banking to all communities in TCI in one form or another. One of the big-ticket items that will be raised with the United Kingdom is the management, demarcation, and settlement of TCI’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as the Government looks to diversify the economy through offshore fishing. Another main proposal is the "return to trial by jury as a fundamental right” with the defendant having the option to elect to trial by judge alone. Other proposals relate to whether the Attorney General should be a political appointee or run in the elections as an independent, or be jointly appointed by the premier and the leader of the Opposition. While others suggest changes to the parliamentary term, with regards to increasing the period from four years to five years. Proposals were also made about the legislature, as it relates to the revision of qualifications to be elected as a member of the House of Assembly.
Read the full article here: Turks and Caicos Weekly News