According to Chief Minister Misick: "Tripartite talks between the Turks and Caicos Government, the Opposition and United Kingdom Government officials have been ongoing for a number of years now and it is regrettable that at the last minute the opposition People's Democratic Movement decided not to attend the final talks in London and as such abandon the quest for an advancement of our constitution."

However, he went on to add that: "The negotiations have produced a modern constitution for the people of Turks and Caicos that reflects a modern relationship between the two countries."

The process of Constitutional Review started in April 2002 with the establishment of the Constitutional Modernisation Review Body, appointed by then Governor, Mervyn Jones. The Review Body was chaired by Daniel Malcolm and included attorneys Wendal Swann, Ariel Misick, QC, OBE, Norman Saunders Jr. and Sharlene Cartwright-Robinson as members. The Report of the Review Body was presented to the Governor in September 2002.

The next stage of the process will be the drafting of the new constitution by officials of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The draft document will be provided to the Government and Opposition for their comments. Afterwards, the draft will be circulated among the general public so that they can familiarize themselves with the provisions of the text. This consultative process will be concluded by a debate on the new constitution in the Legislative Council.

It is anticipated that most of the changes will take effect early next year.