The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2011

Tenure of seats of members of House of Assembly

51.—(1) Every elected or appointed member of the House of Assembly shall vacate his or her seat in the House at the next dissolution of the House after his or her election or appointment.

(2) An elected or appointed member of the House of Assembly shall also vacate his or her seat in the House—

(a) if he or she resigns it by writing under his or her hand addressed to the Speaker;

(b) if, without the written permission of the Speaker, he or she is absent from three consecutive meetings of the House;

(c) if he or she ceases to be ordinarily resident in the Islands;

(d) if the Speaker declares his or her seat vacant in the circumstances described in subsection (3); or

(e) subject to section 52, if any circumstances arise such that, if he or she were not a member of the House, would cause him or her to be disqualified for election by virtue of any provision of section 49(1) other than paragraph (i).

(3) Subject to section 52, if the Integrity Commission determines that an elected or appointed member of the House of Assembly has acquired a prohibited interest in a contract with the Government, the Speaker shall declare the seat of that member vacant.

(4) The Integrity Commission shall make and publish rules defining the circumstances in which the acquisition by an elected or appointed member of the House of Assembly of an interest in a contract with the Government is prohibited, and each such member of the House shall disclose to the Integrity Commission every interest he or she acquires in any such contract within seven days of acquiring it.

(5) Subject to this Constitution, an appointed member of the House of Assembly shall hold his or her seat in the House during Her Majesty’s pleasure.