(1) With the exception of Saint Lucia, where a person dies intestate, the right to a grant of letters of administration is to be determined in accordance with the following order of priority —
(a) the surviving spouse of the deceased;
(b) the children of the deceased, and the issue of a child who died before the deceased;
(c) the father and mother of the deceased;
(d) the brothers and sisters of the whole blood and the issue of a deceased brother or sister of the whole blood who died before the deceased;
(e) the brothers and sisters of the half-blood and the issue of a deceased brother or sister of the half-blood who died before the deceased;
(f) the grandparents;
(g) the uncles and aunts of the whole blood and the issue of a deceased uncle or aunt of the whole blood who died before the deceased; and
(h) the uncles and aunts of the half blood and the issue of a deceased uncle or aunt of the half-blood who died before the deceased.
(2) With the exception of Saint Lucia, in default of a person having a beneficial interest in the estate, a person is entitled to a grant of letters of administration if he or she claims bona vacantia on behalf of the Crown.
(3) In the case of Saint Lucia, a grant for letters of administration shall be made under Article 1016 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Cap. 243 of the Revised Laws of Saint Lucia 1957, to the persons entitled in the following order of priority —
(a) to the persons within the heritable degree in order of their right to succeed the deceased;
(b) to the surviving wife or husband of the deceased, as the case may be; or
(c) to the person nominated by the Crown to apply for the grant of letters of administration.
(4) If a person entitled to a grant under this rule is incapable of, or not prepared to apply for the grant, it may be made to —
(a) a creditor or person interested in the succession of the deceased, except in the case of Saint Lucia which shall be in accordance with Article 589 of the Civil Code of Saint Lucia;
(b) a person who has no immediate beneficial interest in the estate, but who may have such an interest in the event of an addition to the estate; or
(c) such other person as the Court directs.