Bridgetown, Barbados – The Honourable Garth Wilkin, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs of St. Kitts and Nevis, delivered a compelling address at the Attorneys General Roundtable on 13-14 February, 2025, emphasizing the recently passed Judge Alone Trials Act as a pivotal reform to enhance efficiency, protect the justice system from interference, and ensure judicial appropriateness.
The two-day Roundtable, hosted by the UNDP PACE Justice Project, funded by the European Union brought together Attorneys General, legal experts, and policymakers from across the region to discuss key judicial reforms aimed at strengthening justice systems in the Caribbean.
In his address, AG Wilkin posed a thought-provoking question: “Would we need judge alone trials if our criminal justice systems were efficient?”
He affirmed that Judge Alone Trials are not just a necessary reform but a welcome upgrade to the justice system, driven by three core objectives:
- Criminal Justice Efficiency – Addressing case backlogs and expediting trials.
- Protection of the Criminal Justice Process – Combating the escalating problem of jury intimidation.
- Criminal Justice Appropriateness – Assigning complex legal matters to judges with specialized knowledge.
Legal Reforms Strengthening the Justice System
Attorney General Wilkin highlighted that the introduction of Judge Alone Trials is one of several legislative advancements aimed at improving justice delivery in St. Kitts and Nevis. Other key reforms include:
- Firearms (Amendment) Act, 2024 – Increasing penalties for illegal firearm offences, with maximum sentences of 40 years and fines up to EC$500,000.
- Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Act, 2024 – Raising the maximum penalty for shooting with intent to murder to life imprisonment.
- Justice Interference Prevention Act, 2024 – Creating new offences for intimidating, harassing, or bribing individuals involved in criminal trials, with penalties up to 25 years in prison and EC$500,000 in fines.
- Voluntary Bill of Indictment Act, 2024 – Granting the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) discretion to fast-track serious cases directly to trial.
- Plea Negotiations and Agreements Act, 2025 – Establishing structured plea bargaining as a tool to expedite case resolutions.
Judge Alone Trials: Enhancing Fairness and Efficiency
AG Wilkin noted that the vast majority of criminal cases in St. Kitts and Nevis are already tried by judges alone in the Magistrate’s Court, particularly serious offences such as firearm and drug-related cases. The new Act extends this model to certain High Court matters, ensuring that complex cases benefit from judicial expertise.
While acknowledging public concerns, he emphasized that the Act applies only to specific offences and will not replace jury trials entirely. Approximately 30% of High Court cases will be eligible for Judge Alone Trials leaving 70% of cases to proceed before juries.
To safeguard judicial accountability, the Act mandates that judges provide written reasons for their verdicts within 14 days and outlines clear appeal mechanisms to ensure oversight.
Criminal Justice Reform: A Tool Against Crime
Attorney General Wilkin stressed that criminal justice reform must not be viewed as an abstract policy goal, but rather as a direct response to crime and gang violence. He highlighted the current 111+ day period without a murder in St. Kitts and Nevis, attributing this success in part to legislative changes.
“Taking the bad guys off the street is a key goal of criminal justice reform,” he stated, emphasizing that the Judge Alone Trials Act is a critical tool in the DPP’s arsenal to combat organized crime.
A Regional Commitment to Justice Reform
Attorney General Wilkin noted that similar judge-alone trial mechanisms have been implemented successfully in other Caribbean jurisdictions. Countries like Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados require judges to provide written reasoning for their verdicts, a model that enhances judicial transparency and public trust.
“Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbados, and SKN require judges to provide written reasoning, which helps explain verdicts.”
AG Wilkin reiterated the importance of regional cooperation in strengthening criminal justice processes, urging judicial capacity, stakeholder engagement, and public legal education as key factors in successful justice reform.
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