Contact Us

secretary@tcibc.org
(649)-946-4650

Office

2nd floor, St Johns House,
Leeward Highway, Providenciales,
Turks and Caicos Islands

Mark A. Fulford

Mark Anthony Fulford currently serves as President of the Bar Council of the Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association, having been unanimously elected by his peers in March 2025. In this capacity, he leads the legal profession through a pivotal chapter of renewal and transformation—guided by his vision for transparency, inclusivity, accountability, and institutional advancement.

As President, Mr. Fulford is championing a series of ambitious but deliverable initiatives, including the establishment of clear rules of procedure for Bar governance; a modern digital presence for the Association; secure Practicing Licence Cards; improving communication through regular circulars; strengthening international linkages; expanding continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities; and guiding the completion of long-overdue legislative reforms, including the finalisation of the Legal Profession Ordinance. His tenure also prioritizes the establishment of a permanent Secretariat and physical headquarters for the Association—objectives that will secure the Bar’s operational future.

Professionally, Mr. Fulford is the Managing Partner of the award-winning law firm F Chambers Attorneys, based in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands. With a dynamic career spanning law, public policy, and advocacy, he is widely recognized for his expertise in inward investment, corporate structuring, real estate, immigration, development, employment law, and litigation.

He is a proud alumnus of the University of Buckingham Law School, where he served as President of the Law Society and became the first Turks and Caicos Islander to receive the prestigious Merit Prize Award.
Mr. Fulford's public service background includes senior advisory roles to successive Premiers of the Turks and Caicos Islands, as well as service as Chief of Staff to the first Premier. His deep understanding of government relations makes him a sought-after advisor on legislative matters involving business licensing, human rights, planning, and regulatory reform.

An accomplished litigator, Mr. Fulford has appeared before every level of court in the Turks and Caicos Islands, including the Magistrate’s Court, Labour Tribunal, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal. He has also appeared before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London, defending the constitutional rights of elected officials in one of the country’s most consequential constitutional cases.
His legislative experience includes chairing the Bar’s Legislative Committee and leading the Advocates Legal Group—the largest body of legal aid attorneys in the country. He is also a member of the International Bar Association, where he sits on the Law Firm Management Committee.
He has advised three successive governments in the Turks and Caicos Islands, including service as Chief of Staff to the first Premier, advisor to the second, and legal counsel to the third Premier’s TCI–Canada Trade Mission. He was also legal advisor to the Special Envoy to the House of Lords during the 2009 constitutional crisis.

In his regulatory and public service roles, Mr. Fulford chairs the National Health Appeals Tribunal, the appellate body that hears grievances by contributors to the National Health Insurance Plan against decisions of the NHIP or its CEO. He previously chaired the National Health Insurance Board, where he successfully led a comprehensive reform agenda approved for national implementation.
Mr. Fulford is the founding Chairman of United Way Turks and Caicos Islands, leading a 15-member Board focused on literacy, youth employment, crime prevention, and elder care. He also served as Vice President of the Premier’s Cup Charity Golf Tournament, which has raised nearly $500,000 for local causes.

A passionate advocate for both law and sport, Mr. Fulford is the Vice President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Golf Association where he led the National Golf Team to three consecutive championship victories at the Caribbean Classic Golf Tournament, hosted annually by the Caribbean Golf Association (CGA).

Above all, he is driven by a belief in service, justice, and national development. When not championing reform or representing clients, he is an avid golfer, devoted family man, and proud husband and father to two daughters and a son.

Kenisha L. Bacchus

Kenisha L Bacchus is a Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Gold Awardee and Leadership Awardee. She is UK Chevening Scholarship Alumni (2014/2015) with extensive legal, anti-money laundering, and financial regulatory experience spanning over twenty years. She is a lawyer and has been admitted to practice law in the Turks & Caicos Islands Bar and St. Vincent & Grenadines. Mrs. Bacchus is currently the Deputy Managing Director of the TCI Financial Services Commission. She joined the TCI Government in 2001 as Crown Counsel within the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Commission in 2004 heading AML/CFT Compliance. Kenisha regularly speaks and provides training at various local and international supervisory and industry forums. She has also served as an expert assessor for the OECD Global Forum on the Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes and the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).

Kenisha holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) specialising in International Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation. She also holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LLB Hons) and a Legal Education Certificate. She is a Fellow of the International Compliance Association (FICA).

Murray Snider

Secretary, Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association

Murray Snider was appointed Secretary of the Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association in April 2025. In this capacity, he oversees the administrative functions of the Bar Council, ensuring communication among members, record-keeping, and the execution of the Council's initiatives.

As a legal practitioner with international experience, Murray’s appointment reflects the Council’s confidence in his organizational skills, attention to detail, and strong commitment to upholding the values of professionalism and service within the Bar.

In addition to administrative duties, Murray supports committee operations and assists in implementing new initiatives to modernize systems and member engagement. Known for his collegial spirit and pragmatic outlook, Murray is a key point of contact between the Bar Association and its members.

Professionally, Murray is a Senior Associate Attorney at Griffiths & Partners Attorneys, where he maintains a broad corporate and commercial litigation practice.

SELVYN HAWKINS

Selvyn Hawkins is a proud Turks and Caicos Islander. He possesses a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science (International/Comparative Government) from Savannah State University; an LLB (Hons) from the University of Buckingham; a Diploma in Professional Legal Practice from the City Law School (London); a Masters in International Law (MIL) from the University of Sydney, Australia (focus on Int. Human Rights/ Int. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution / Law, Justice and Development); and a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Alphacrucis College via Hillsong College (Australia). He is currently converting his Master of Arts degree to a Master of Divinity (MDiv) with Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, with specific focus on church planting and growth, missiology, black and contemporary theology. He is also a certified Court Assisted Mediator, trained as such by the University of West Indies.

Selvyn is called to the Bar of England and Wales as a Barrister by the Honourable Society of the Inner Temple and is admitted to the Bar of the Turks and Caicos Islands as an attorney-at Law. He currently serves as President of the Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Council, Deputy Chairman for the Board of Governors for the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College, and Chairman for the Turks and Caicos Islands Airports Authority.

KERCHELLE E. BAIN

Kerchelle E. Bain is a practising Attorney and Certified Mediator in the Turks and Caicos Islands. She has experience in a variety of practice areas but currently focuses on Family, Property and Dispute Resolution matters. She was appointed Secretary to the Bar Council in 2018 where she served until her election to member in April 2021.

DESIREE DOWNES

Desiree Downes hails from Guyana. She is an Attorney-at-Law called to the Guyana Bar on 22 October 1999.

Ms. Downes holds a Degree in Public Management and av Bachelor of Laws Degree, both obtained from the University of Guyana, Guyana; a Legal Education Certificate obtained from the Hugh Wooding Law School, Trinidad and Tobago; and a Master of Laws (LL.M) in Drafting Legislation, Regulation and Policy from the University of London, School of Advanced Study (Institute of Advanced Legal Studies), United Kingdom.

Desiree is the Principal Legislative Drafter in the Attorney General’s Chambers, Turks and Caicos Islands, where she bears responsibility for the work of the Legislative Drafting Division. She began her legal career in the Attorney General’s Chambers, Guyana as State Counsel in 1999. She also served as Senior Legislative Drafter for a brief period in the Attorney General’s Chambers, Bahamas. In 2013 Desiree received an honorary MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) award from Her Majesty the Queen for her services to legislative drafting in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

She is a Caribbean Financial Action Task Force trained anti-money laundering and prevention of the financing of terrorism assessor.

Ms. Downes serves as the Attorney General’s representative on the Bar Council.

JERWINA TAYLOR

Jerwina Taylor is a graduate of Oxford Brookes University,where she obtained her law degree (LLB Hons) in 2012. She was admitted to the Turks and Caicos Bar as an Attorney in 2014. Jerwina is an Associate at Karam & Missick Attorneys, where her principal areas of practice include debt recovery, personal injury, employment, family and probate. She is an elected member of the TCI Bar Council for the term 2018/ 19. Jerwina also serves as Chair of the TCI Junior Bar Committee.

Shayone Handfield-Gardiner

Attorney General’s Representative, Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Council
Principal Crown Counsel – International Division, Attorney General’s Chambers

Shayone Handfield-Gardiner serves as the Attorney General’s appointed representative on the Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Council, bringing a wealth of legal experience, public service, and international acumen to the governance of the legal profession.

She currently holds the post of Principal Crown Counsel for the International Division at the Attorney General’s Chambers, where she is responsible for managing complex legal issues relating to international law, bilateral and multilateral agreements, regional integration, and public international legal matters. In this capacity, she frequently represents the Turks and Caicos Islands in regional and international forums and plays a vital role in safeguarding the legal interests of the government on the global stage.

Mrs. Handfield-Gardiner is deeply committed to the development of the legal profession in the Turks and Caicos Islands and actively contributes to law reform and public policy modernization through her advisory role within the government. As a member of the Bar Council, she lends strategic insight and legal precision to matters of governance, continuing professional development, and institutional capacity building.

Throughout her career in public law, she has championed initiatives related to good governance, treaty implementation, legislative compliance, and intergovernmental cooperation. Her contributions reflect her strong belief in the rule of law, justice, and the importance of professional excellence within the legal sector.

Known for her thoughtful approach, professionalism, and collaborative spirit, Mrs. Handfield-Gardiner brings a vital governmental perspective to the Council’s deliberations and plays an integral role in advancing the shared objectives of the Bar Association and the public legal service.

She holds legal qualifications from the United Kingdom and the Caribbean and is a proud member of both the local and regional legal community.

Turks & Caicos Islands Bar Association

The Professional Association of Attorneys in Legal Practice in the Turks and Caicos Islands
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BAR ASSOCIATION OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS

BAR Association of the Turks and Caicos Islands

Welcome to the website of the Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association, the Professional Association of Attorneys in Legal Practice in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Every person admitted to practice law in the Turks and Caicos Islands other than those with Limited Admission are members of the Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association.

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE BAR COUNCIL

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Message from the President

Mark A. Fulford
President, Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association

Welcome to the official website of the Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association.

It is with deep humility and a sense of great responsibility that I serve as President of the Bar Association for the 2025/2026 term. I stand on the shoulders of the distinguished Presidents and Council Members who have served before me, each of whom helped lay the foundation for the evolving and dynamic legal profession that exists in our jurisdiction today. I thank them for their leadership and enduring contribution to the Bar and to the administration of justice in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This term, the Bar Council has committed itself to a bold and ambitious agenda: one rooted in service, inclusion, integrity, and modernisation. We are focused on strengthening our profession by implementing the long-anticipated Legal Profession Act, establishing a permanent Secretariat, enhancing continuing professional development, and creating more transparent regulatory frameworks for the profession. These initiatives are aimed not only at protecting the public interest but also at equipping our members with the tools to thrive in an increasingly complex legal environment.

We are equally committed to fostering deeper engagement with our members, the judiciary, the Attorney General, the government, and the public. Through outreach to schools, partnerships with international associations, and expanded access to training, we aim to inspire and recruit the next generation of attorneys and promote confidence in our justice system.

The Bar Association today is a reflection of a vibrant and talented membership—legal practitioners from diverse backgrounds and disciplines who contribute to the rule of law and the protection of rights in our country.

Whether you are a member of the Bar, a student of the law, or a member of the public, we hope this website will be a valuable resource in understanding the work of the Association and the legal profession as a whole.

I invite you to engage with us and to participate in our mission as we work together to strengthen justice and the rule of law in these beautiful by nature Turks and Caicos Islands.

Mark A. Fulford

President
Turks and Caicos Islands Bar Association

ABOUT THE TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS

About the Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory located a short distance to the south east of The Bahamas and around 580 miles from Miami, Florida. The Islands are well connected and easily accessible by direct flights from London, Toronto and major North American cities such as Miami, New York, Boston and Dallas. The Islands are dominated by a tourist and financial services-related economy. The government of the Islands estimated that more than 1.3 million tourists visited the Islands in 2017.

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