PROSECUTION POLICY
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Turks and Caicos Islands.
Formulated and published by the Director of Public Prosecutions, TCI with effect from
1st December 2019.
Foreword
In furtherance of the effective and efficient discharge of the demanding role and duty of the Prosecutor, I am pleased to formulate and publish this Prosecution Policy (the Policy) under section 100(6) of the TCI Constitution. This Policy is an over-arching and important document that sets out the principles that will guide and be applied by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Office of the DPP (ODPP) in their approach to prosecutions. It also stipulates the standards expected of all Prosecutors employed in the ODPP or instructed by the DPP. The ODPP is a prosecutorial agency and a constitutional institution protecting good governance in the Turks and Caicos Islands. By this policy, the public we serve, will also hold us accountable in the discharge of these dual constitutional mandates.
This Policy has two unique features. First, although not a constitutional requirement, it was nevertheless subjected to consultations among the TCI criminal justice stakeholders including the Judicial Administration, the Bar Association, the Police, and the Attorney General’s Chambers, among others. I am very grateful to these stakeholders for their invaluable feedback which, in part, informed this Policy. The second feature of this Policy is that it incorporates the international professional standards and benchmarks for Prosecutors adopted by the International Association of Prosecutors (IAP) in 1999.
By its very nature, this Policy will remain a living document. Consequently, it will be subject to periodic reviews and supplemented from time to time by relevant guidance notes and directives by the DPP.
I remain profoundly grateful to the Criminal Justice Adviser, Hilary Ryan of the UK Crown Prosecution Service for her key role in the formulation of this Policy. She also facilitated the requisite training on it for the ODPP Prosecutors who, in turn, have commendably taken ownership of the Policy and committed to abide by its letter and spirit.
Eugene Otuonye, Q.C.
Director Public Prosecutions