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The Constitution of the Turks and Caicos Islands, in its present form, was passed in 2011.


1962

When
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of Hispanio ...
became independent in 1962, the Turks and Caicos Islands, formerly under Jamaican administration, became a
Crown colony A Crown colony or royal colony was a colony administered by The Crown within the British Empire. There was usually a Governor, appointed by the British monarch on the advice of the UK Government, with or without the assistance of a local Council ...
in its own right. To this end, an
Order in Council An Order-in-Council is a type of legislation in many countries, especially the Commonwealth realms. In the United Kingdom this legislation is formally made in the name of the monarch by and with the advice and consent of the Privy Council ('' K ...
was made giving the Turks and Caicos Islands its own constitution appropriate to that status. This was done under the provisions of the West Indies Act 1962. However, as
Secretary of State for the Colonies The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies. History The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increasi ...
Anthony Greenwood Arthur William James Anthony Greenwood, Baron Greenwood of Rossendale, (14 September 1911 – 12 April 1982) was a prominent British Labour Party politician in the 1950s and 1960s. Background and education The son of Arthur Greenwood ( Depu ...
later stated, due to an error the Order (as well as a similar order for the
Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the s ...
) was not laid before both Houses of Parliament as required. He stated this did not prevent the orders from coming into effect in 1962, but thought it prudent that they be laid before Parliament as required. The Constitution was then amended twice in 1967 and once each in 1968 and 1969.


1976

A new constitution was passed in 1976. 30 August, the date of its passage, is celebrated as a public holiday, Constitution Day. This constitution was suspended in 1986 in response to allegations of malpractice and criminality among both the Government and the Opposition.


1988

A new constitution was passed in 1988. It was first amended in 1993, and again in 2002. The September 2002 report of the Constitutional Modernisation Review Body which led to those latest amendments is available online.


2006

A new constitution was passed in 2006. It was criticised for giving too much discretion to
Cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...
Ministers. The constitution was suspended again in August 2009 when the United Kingdom resumed direct rule over the island in response to allegations of government corruption.


2011

The current constitution was passed in 2011. It makes various changes to the 2006 constitution, such as vesting the
Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
's powers over criminal prosecutions in a new
Director of Public Prosecutions The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is the office or official charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world. The title is used mainly in jurisdictions that are or have been members o ...
. It came into force on 15 October 2012.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Americas topic, Constitution of, title=Constitutions of states and dependencies in the Americas
Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and nor ...
Politics of the Turks and Caicos Islands Turks and Caicos Islands law
Turks and Caicos Islands The Turks and Caicos Islands (abbreviated TCI; and ) are a British Overseas Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean and nor ...