The Queen ex parte Mario Hoffmann v the Commissioner of Inquiry and the Governor of Turks & Caicos

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council held that the Commission of Inquiry into corruption in the government and legislature of the Turks and Caicos Islands had not strayed outside its terms of reference in making findings in its Report which implicated the Appellant.  Although it would have been better and fairer if the Commissioner of the Inquiry had notified the Appellant that he would be a subject of the inquiry earlier, so as to allow the Appellant to participate in the Inquiry’s hearings at an earlier stage, this was unlikely to have made any difference to the overall import of the evidence.  Overall, the Committee found, the Appellant was fairly treated.

Lord Pannick QC, Javan Herberg QC and Naina Patel acted for Mr Hoffmann.