The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory governed through the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011, amended in 2024, that provides for a Governor, an elected Government consisting of a Ministerial Cabinet and an elected Parliament.
The Governor is appointed by the British monarch, to be his representative and to carry out key duties to support the people of the Islands, such as chairing Cabinet and ensuring the good governance of the Territory. The Constitution also reserves to the Governor responsibility for defence, external affairs, the regulation of international financial services; and internal security, including the police force. The Monarch also has the power to legislate for the Islands by Order in Council and to instruct the Governor through the British Government's Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs.
Following elections, the Governor appoints the Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands and on the Premier's advice, Government Ministers. The Governor chooses to appoint the Deputy Governor and Attorney General, who both sit in Cabinet and, on advice, senior officials such as the Commissioner of the Royal Turks and Caicos Islands Police Force and the Commanding Officer of the Turks and Caicos Islands Regiment. The Governor appoints the Chief Justice, Judges and other Judicial Officers on advice from the Turks and Caicos Islands Judicial Service Commission.
In August 2009, the United Kingdom suspended the islands' self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. The prerogative of the ministerial government and the then House of Assembly were vested in the Governor until self-government was restored in 2012. In March 2020 the Governor, at the request of Cabinet, used his emergency powers to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed the Governor to make laws and regulations without immediate reference to the legislature, although Cabinet consensus was maintained throughout.
The official residence of the Governor is 'Waterloo', on Grand Turk, named after the British defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the year the residence was built. The Governor has their own flag in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Union Flag with the territory's coat of arms superimposed.
History
The islands were a dependency of Jamaica until that colony received independence in 1962. Afterwards the governor of the Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973.
Governors of The Turks and Caicos Islands
Image Name Term Alexander Graham Mitchell 1973–1975 Arthur Christopher Watson 1975–1978 John Clifford Strong 1978–1982 Christopher J. Turner 1982–1987 Michael J. Bradley 1987–1993 Martin Bourke 1993–1996 John Kelly 1996–2000 Mervyn Jones 2000–2002 Cynthia Astwood (acting) 2002 Jim Poston 2002–2005 Mahala Wynns (acting) 2005 Richard Tauwhare 2005–2008 Mahala Wynns (acting) 2008 – 5 August 2008 Gordon Wetherell 5 August 2008 – 22 August 2011 Martin Stanley (acting) 22 August – 12 September 2011 Ric Todd 12 September 2011 – 15 September 2013 Anya Williams (acting) 15 September – 9 October 2013 Peter Beckingham 9 October 2013 – 10 October 2016 Anya Williams (acting) 10–17 October 2016 John Freeman 17 October 2016 – 15 July 2019 Nigel Dakin 15 July 2019 – 29 March 2023 Anya Williams (acting) 29 March 2023 – 29 June 2023 Dileeni Daniel-Selvaratnam 29 June 2023 – present
References
External links Office of the Governor Turks and Caicos Islands