The Government’s wide-ranging justice reform agenda is strengthening public safety, improving court efficiency and delivering measurable savings to the State, according to Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Hon. Garth Wilkin, as he outlined the sector’s progress during the 2026 Budget Debate in the National Assembly.
Wilkin said the justice system has undergone fundamental transformation since 2022, marked by unprecedented coordination across institutions, modernised legislation, and targeted investment in enforcement capacity. He told Parliament that these reforms have helped create the conditions for improved public safety and institutional performance at a time when violent crime has fallen to its lowest levels in decades.
Providing statistical context, the Attorney General noted that between 2010 and 2024, St. Kitts and Nevis averaged approximately 22 homicides annually. Since October 2024, however, the Federation has recorded just six homicides, alongside an 88 percent reduction in non-fatal shootings and seven consecutive months without a gun-related homicide. While acknowledging that crime reduction is multi-factorial, Wilkin pointed to justice sector reform as a critical pillar supporting these outcomes. “This is not luck,” he told the House. “This is coordination, this is reform, and this is institutions working together.”
A central feature of that coordination has been the establishment of the Justice Committee in November 2022, which Wilkin described as a turning point in breaking down long-standing silos across the criminal justice system. The committee brings together the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the judiciary, corrections, social services and policy leaders, and is co-chaired by the Attorney General and the resident High Court criminal judge. “For the first time, everybody is sitting at the same table,” Wilkin said, noting that the committee conducted the country’s first comprehensive justice sector needs assessment.
That assessment, he explained, identified systemic delays, disclosure challenges, case backlogs and structural inefficiencies, leading to a coordinated reform blueprint. Since then, the Government has passed 14 criminal justice reform laws and a total of 87 pieces of legislation in three years. Wilkin stressed, however, that laws alone are insufficient. “You don’t just pass laws and walk away,” he said. “You have to invest in enforcement, training and systems.”
To that end, extensive capacity-building has been rolled out across the justice sector with support from international partners including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, and the Latin America, Caribbean and European Union Police Cooperation Programme (EL PAcCTO). These partnerships, Wilkin said, have strengthened investigative, prosecutorial and judicial competencies while improving information-sharing and case management.
Looking ahead, the Attorney General announced that the 2026 Budget provides for the introduction of a national caution system for minor and mid-level offences, aimed at reducing court congestion and diverting appropriate cases from the criminal justice pipeline. He revealed that approximately 70 percent of police charges between 2022 and 2024 fell into these categories. “Not every matter belongs before a court,” Wilkin said, adding that the system will promote accountability while freeing judicial resources to focus on serious crime.
Wilkin also highlighted tangible fiscal benefits arising from improved legal strategy and performance within the Attorney General’s Chambers. He reported that the Government has reduced its annual legal claims budget from $5.4 million to $1.5 million, with actual payouts falling below $1 million per year since 2023. “That is over $4 million every year saved,” he told Parliament, noting that the funds have been redirected toward national security, infrastructure and public services.
Significant investment is also underway in justice infrastructure and digital transformation. Wilkin outlined plans to transition from rented to owned facilities, restore the Sir Lee Llewellyn Moore Judicial Complex, modernise Magistrates’ Court operations and digitise case management systems. He said these upgrades are already contributing to higher case disposal rates, including a 72 percent clearance rate for traffic matters and a 65 percent rate for criminal cases.
Beyond criminal justice, the Attorney General detailed progress in land registry reform, noting improved staffing, digitisation and reduced processing times, with positive feedback from the legal profession. He also pointed to strengthened prosecution of financial and white-collar crime, including successful money-laundering cases in 2025 and closer collaboration between the Director of Public Prosecutions and specialised investigative units.
In closing, Wilkin said the justice reform programme reflects a broader philosophy of governance centred on accountability, institutional strength and public confidence. “Justice is not abstract,” he told the House. “It touches security, it touches investment, it touches trust in the State.” He added that the reforms underway are designed not only to respond to crime, but to build a system capable of sustaining fairness, safety and the rule of law over the long term.
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