The Turks and Caicos Islands’ first Coroner’s Court of the Judiciary of will officially be opened on November 20th, 2023.
Her Ladyship Chief Justice Mabel Agyemang in a press release from her office said the establishment of a court dedicated to coronial matters is in response to a growing need to deal with the increasing number of unexplained deaths in the islands.
“The resultant backlog requires the focused, urgent attention of a magistrate dedicated to the performance of this very important jurisdiction of the court,” the press release stated.
“The function of the Coroner includes the making of orders for postmortem examinations, the holding of inquests to determine the causes of, and circumstances surrounding unexplained deaths, matters related to streamlining procedures in relation to sudden or unexplained deaths, and ancillary matters.”
The release added: “The work of the Coroner assists in providing answers to grieving families regarding the cause of death of their loved ones, giving them closure. The exercise of the coronial jurisdiction also ensures the safety of the country, as the Coroner may provide recommendations to relevant institutions and to the Government for measures that may prevent reoccurrence of accidents that lead to death.”
Her Honour Ms. Mickia Mills was appointed the first Coroner of the Turks and Caicos Islands on August 18th, 2023. She will assume office on November 15th, 2023, and the work of the court will commence on the 20th of November 2023.
