Hon. Garth Wilkin

Senator the Honourable Garth Lucien Wilkin Attorney-General & Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Senator the Honourable Garth Lucien Wilkin, born on August 30, 1982, in Basseterre, Saint Kitts, currently serves as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs in the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis. He is also a Senator in the National Assembly and a leading legal reform advocate in the Eastern Caribbean.

Education and Academic Distinction

Attorney-General Wilkin earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Cum Laude) from Virginia Tech in 2004. He then pursued a Bachelor of Laws (LLB Hons) at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, graduating in 2008. He obtained his Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School, Jamaica, where he was graduated on the Principal’s Roll of Honour in 2010. While reading law, he won four top academic prizes for placing first in his class—including the distinguished Chairman’s Prize.

A formidable mooter, he represented UWI at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court in Washington D.C. and the Norman Manley Law School at the Margaret Forte Memorial Moot in Trinidad and The Bahamas. His scholarly article on the “Doctrine of Legitimate Expectations” was published in the UWI Student Law Review.

Legal Practice and Leadership

He is admitted to the Bar in Saint Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, and Montserrat, and practiced in both civil and criminal courts. His private practice career was exclusively with Kelsick, Wilkin & Ferdinand, where he specialized in Commercial Litigation, Banking, Construction & Arbitration, Employment Law, and Environmental Law. He became a partner in 2017.

From 2010 to 2013, he acted as Crown Counsel Prosecutor in the High Courts of Saint Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla, leading prosecutions in major criminal trials.

Public Service and Legislative Impact

Appointed Attorney-General in August 2022, he has since led an ambitious legislative reform programme, piloting over 80 new Bills, with over 70 enacted in under three years. His reforms target justice sector modernization, digital transformation, and good governance.

He is a regional leader in legal technology advocacy, having delivered the ECSC’s 2024 Public Education Lecture on AI’s role in justice. Under his leadership, Saint Kitts and Nevis became the first country in the Western Hemisphere to deploy a public-facing AI legal assistant (“Voice It”).

International Representation and Leadership Roles

Attorney-General Wilkin has been elected to several high-level international committees:

• Commonwealth Law Ministers Action Group (representing Caribbean and Americas)
• Executive Committee of the Caribbean Council of Legal Education
• The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) Needham’s Point Declaration Monitoring Evaluating and Facilitating Committee
• Vice Chair of the United Nations Committee drafting the Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation
• FATF Risk Trends and Method Group, focusing on CBI-related money laundering risk

Civic Engagement and Personal Interests

Attorney-General Wilkin is a former President of the St Kitts & Nevis Bar Association, Board Director at Federation Media Group (WINN Media), and a former Council Member of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society.

A passionate sportsman, he has represented St Kitts in cricket, Virginia Tech in table tennis, and Harrison College (Barbados) in cricket, tennis, track and field, and table tennis. He continues to play football and tennis recreationally.

He is married and is a proud father of two children.

LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS SECTION

Since assuming office in August 2022, Attorney-General Garth L. Wilkin has led the most comprehensive and ambitious legislative reform agenda in the modern history of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In just over two and a half years, as at June 2025, the Attorney-General’s Office has drafted and tabled 72 Bills, with more than 95% successfully passed by the National Assembly. This extraordinary output reflects a strategic commitment to transparency, justice reform, social equity, economic resilience, and sustainable development.

Transforming Governance and Public Accountability

Under Attorney-General Wilkin’s stewardship, Saint Kitts and Nevis has fortified its good governance framework through the enactment of landmark legislation such as the Anti-Corruption Act, Whistleblower Protection Act, Integrity in Public Life (Amendments), and the Unauthorized Disclosure of Official Information Act. These laws modernize the accountability infrastructure of the public service, establish a Special Prosecutor’s Office, and strengthen protections for those who expose wrongdoing, thereby reinforcing public trust and institutional integrity.

Modernizing the Criminal Justice System

AG Wilkin has introduced groundbreaking reforms to improve judicial efficiency, reduce case backlogs, and uphold the rights of victims and accused persons alike. New laws such as the Judge Alone Trials Act, Plea Negotiations and Agreements Act, Justice Interference Prevention Act, and Voluntary Bill of Indictment Act now allow the courts to handle serious cases with greater speed, transparency, and fairness—especially where jury intimidation or trial delays are present. These reforms align with best practices across the Caribbean and other Commonwealth jurisdictions.

Advancing Constitutional Rights and Cannabis Policy

As part of a progressive and rights-based approach to lawmaking, the Attorney-General’s Office drafted the Rastafari Rights Recognition Act and the Freedom of Conscience (Cannabis) Act, which uphold the constitutional rights of Rastafari and other belief systems by allowing licensed sacramental and personal use of cannabis. These Acts, alongside amendments to the Drugs Act and the establishment of the Medicinal Cannabis Authority, form part of a pioneering legal framework for the responsible development of the cannabis industry.

Strengthening National Security and Public Safety

A suite of criminal law reforms has been passed to deter gun violence, organized crime, and public disorder. The Firearms (Amendment) Act now imposes enhanced penalties for illegal weapons offences, while the Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Act and Justice Interference Prevention Act introduce life sentences and strong deterrents for violent crimes and court tampering. These efforts are complemented by modern data-driven security legislation, including the Advance Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Act.

Enhancing Social Justice and Economic Inclusion

Attorney-General Wilkin has led the charge to embed equity and fairness into the legal framework. The Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Act expands expungement provisions for low-level cannabis cultivation offences, correcting historical injustices. The Pensions (Amendment) Act and Government Auxiliary Employees (Amendment) Act establish a contributory pension system for all public servants, finally bringing long-excluded workers into a financially secure retirement framework.

Promoting Innovation, Transparency, and Digital Access

Laws such as the Official Gazette Act, Ombudsman (Amendment) Act, and Freedom of Information (Amendment) Act form the backbone of a modern digital transparency architecture. These are being operationalized through new online platforms for gazetted legislation and public access to non-confidential government information, supporting AG Wilkin’s stated goal of creating “justice without borders” through technology.

Environmental Stewardship and the Sustainable Island State Agenda

The Attorney-General has also overseen legislation critical to the environmental and climate resilience agenda, including the Plastic Waste Reduction Act, Plant Protection Act, and the Agreement Establishing the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre Act. These laws protect public health, promote biodiversity, and enable access to international climate financing, consistent with the Government’s Sustainable Island State Vision.

Strengthening Financial Regulation and FATF Compliance

A comprehensive package of financial reform legislation has been enacted to meet international Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing standards. These include amendments to the Companies Act, Proceeds of Crime Act, Virtual Assets Act, Foundations Act, and Limited Partnerships Act, among others. The Citizenship by Investment Unit Act, in particular, corporatizes the CBI Unit to ensure professional, accountable, and internationally compliant operations.