The ILBF was delighted to be able to support the Turks and Caicos Islands judiciary, when Chief Justice Mabel Agyemang decided to improve the facilities in Providenciales by creating a library in the court building.

Despite the constraints of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during 2020-21, the ILBF managed to send two shipments of books. This was possible thanks to a generous donation of textbooks from Thompson Reuters, and the efforts of Richard Buxton of Richard Buxton Solicitors, Environmental Planning & Public Law, Cambridge, who packed over 600 books. 88 boxes of law reports, encyclopaedias and textbooks were shipped.

The ILBF relies heavily on the efforts of our supporters, and Richard went above and beyond to help us with this shipment.

“I came across this treasure-trove of law books by complete accident. It was a pleasure and a nice distraction from normal work to sort them out, and I am so pleased they have found a good home in Turks and Caicos.”

Richard Buxton, Richard Buxton Solicitors, Environmental Planning & Public Law, Cambridge

We are also very grateful to the warehouse team at Thomson Reuters who selected and packed books for this shipment.

The ILBF would also like to thank Catherine Bowl and Joe Donnelly of the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians (BIALL) for providing helpful guidance to the court team in the Turks and Caicos Islands on how to set up and maintain a law library.

The immediate impact for the Turks and Caicos Islands is that they now have a dedicated law library in Providenciales.

“The island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands had no library in its Law Courts building. With immense support through donations of Law Reports and Legal Textbooks from the ILBF, our Judiciary was able, on Friday 3 September 2021, to formally commission its Providenciales library. The Judiciary is deeply grateful for the ILBF’s donations, which bolsters our Bench, Bar and Public as we strive to meet our mandate of ‘Providing Access to Quality Justice’.”

Chief Justice Mabel Agyemang, Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks and Caicos Islands judiciary has plans for a purpose-built court which will enable the judiciary to have a larger library. The ILBF will be ready to give further support in the near future when those plans come to fruition.