The Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 1988

The Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

20.—(1) When the Legislative Council first meets after a general election, or after the office of Speaker has fallen vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of the Council, and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business, the Council shall elect a person to be Speaker of the Council.

(2) The Speaker shall be elected from among the elected or appointed members of the Legislative Council who are not members of the Executive Council or from among persons who are not members of the Legislative Council, and shall be elected by a majority of the votes of the elected and appointed members of the Legislative Council:

Provided that no person shall be elected as Speaker who is not qualified to be an appointed member or who would for any reason be disqualified from being an appointed member.

(3) When the Legislative Council first meets after a general election, and before it proceeds to the despatch of any other business except the election of a Speaker, it shall elect a member, from among the elected or appointed members of the Legislative Council who are not members of the Executive Council, to be the Deputy Speaker, by a majority of the votes of the elected and appointed members of the Legislative Council, and if the office of Deputy Speaker falls vacant for any reason other than a dissolution of the Council, the Council shall, as soon as convenient, elect another such member to that office.

(4) A person shall vacate the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker—

(a) on dissolution of the Legislative Council;

(b) if he informs the Legislative Council, by writing under his hand addressed to the Council and received by the Clerk of the Council, that he resigns his office;

(c) (i) in any circumstances which, in the case of the Speaker, would cause him to vacate his seat if he were an appointed member; or

(ii) in the case of the Deputy Speaker, if he ceases to be a member of the Legislative Council;

(d) if on the date of his election as Speaker or Deputy Speaker he is a party to, or a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to, any contract with the Government of the Islands or, if on any date after such election he or a firm in which he is a partner or a company of which he is a director or manager becomes a party to any such contract, or if he becomes a partner in a firm or a director or manager of a company which is a party to any such contract, and he does not, before the expiration of thirty days from the date in question, disclose to the Council or, if that is impracticable, to the Clerk of the Council in writing, the nature of such contract and his interest, or the interest of such firm or company, therein and the Council does not exempt him from vacating his office under this paragraph;

(e) if he becomes a member of the Executive Council; or

(f) on the passing, by the votes of two-thirds of the elected and appointed members, of a motion expressing no confidence in him as Speaker or Deputy Speaker, as the case may be.