Hon. Garth Wilkin

Meet Senator Garth Lucien Wilkin was sworn in as the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs of the new Cabinet of the Government of St Kitts and Nevis on August 13, 2022.
The Attorney-General was born in St Kitts, but also resided in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica and the United States of America during his formative years. He is admitted to practice law in St Kitts & Nevis, Anguilla, Montserrat, and Antigua & Barbuda. His areas of expertise during his practice with the oldest law firm in St Kitts and Nevis, Kelsick, Wilkin & Ferdinand, included General Commercial Litigation, Banking, Insurance, Construction Litigation & Arbitration, Injunctive Relief Litigation, Employment Law and Environmental Law. He was a partner of Kelsick, Wilkin & Ferdinand from 2017 up to his appointment in 2022.
During his first three years of practice, Mr. Wilkin acted as Crown Counsel Prosecutor in the High Courts of St Kitts, Nevis, and Anguilla. Prior to his appointment as Attorney–General, he served as the President of the St Kitts & Nevis Bar Association; on the Management Council of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society; and on the Board of Directors for Federation Media Group Limited, an independent media company operating as WINN Media SKN/WINN FM. He still serves as the Cricket West Indies representative on the Cricket Tournament Committee of the Caribbean Premier League.
The Attorney-General holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering (Cum Laude) from Virginia Tech, a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill and a Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School, where he graduated as a member of the Principal’s Roll of Honour.
During his time reading Law, the Attorney-General was awarded four prizes for placing first in his class: the Joseph Archibald QC Prize (Alternative Dispute Resolution), the Michael March Memorial Prize (Remedies), the Hon. Mr Justice Kenneth Smith, OJ Prize (Trial Advocacy) and the coveted Chairman’s Prize (Evidence, Forensic Medicine, Civil Procedure II, Remedies). Being an ardent mooter, he represented the University of the West Indies at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington DC (2008) and the Norman Manley Law School at the Margaret Forte Memorial Inter-Schools Mooting Competition in Trinidad and The Bahamas (2010). His article entitled: “The Doctrine of Legitimate Expectations: Its Development as a Fetter on Administrative Action in the Commonwealth Caribbean” was published in the UWI Student Law Review (March/April 2008).
The Attorney-General is also an avid sportsman having represented St Kitts at cricket, Virginia Tech at table tennis and Harrison College (Barbados) at cricket, track and field, tennis, and table tennis. He still plays tennis and football regularly.
Achievements up to July 2024
- Legislative Achievements
- Court and Registry Affairs
- Legal Department and Administration
- Repeal of COVID-19 (Prevention and Control) Bill.
- Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
- Introduction of legislative amendments to the Domestic Violence Act.
- St. Kitts Investment Promotion Agency (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
- Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
- Civil Aviation (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
- Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
- Evangelistic Faith Church Incorporation Bill, 2022 (Private Bill).
- Small Business Development (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
- Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
- The Appropriation (2023) Bill, 2022 (Annual Budget).
- Caribbean Community and Africa Export-Import Bank (Agreement for the Establishment of a Partnership) Bill, 2023.
- Criminal Records (Rehabilitation of Offenders) (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
- Integrity in Public Life (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
- Anti-Corruption Bill, 2023.
- Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
- Official Gazette Bill, 2023.
- Good Governance Agenda: Passing of the Anti-Corruption Bill, 2023; Integrity in Public Life (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and Freedom of Information (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
- Nurses and Midwives (Registration) (Amendment) Act, 2023.
- Caribbean Community and Africa Export-import Bank (Agreement for the Establishment of a Partnership) Bill, 2023.
- Banking (Amendment) Act, 2023.
- Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (Amendment) Act, 2023.
- Crown Proceedings (Amendment) Act, 2023.
- Rastafari Rights Recognition Act, 2023.
- Freedom Of Conscience (Cannabis) Act, 2023.
- Drugs… (Amendment) Act, 2023.
- Smoking (Designated Areas) Act, 2023.
- Unauthorized Disclosure of Official Information Act, 2023.
- Whistle blower Protection Act, 2023.
- Cannabis (Amendment) Act, 2023.
- Medical (Amendment) Act, 2023.
- Housing And Social Development Levy (Amendment) Act, 2024:
- Housing And Social Development Levy (Amendment) Act, 2024:
- Salaries Review Resolution
- Medical Laboratories Act, 2024
- National Productivity Council Act, 2024
- Animal Health Act, 2024
- Plant Protection Act, 2024
- Firearms (Amendment) Act, 2024
- Offences Against the Person (Amendment) Act, 2024
- Justice Interference Prevention Act, 2024
- Virtual Asset (Amendment) Act, 2024
- Radiation Safety and Security Act, 2024
- Copyright Act, 2024
- Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2024
- Immigration (Amendment) Act, 2024
- Citizenship By Investment Unit Act, 2024
- LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2024
- A limited partnership is a type of legal ownership structure created by business partners, in which there must be at least one general partner and a limited partner. The amendment Act simply strengthens the transparency provisions to reduce the risk that limited partnerships can be used for financial crimes, by requiring persons opening limited partnerships to provide to the Registrar a copy of their partnership agreement with specific particulars and by increasing certain penalties for breach of the parent Act.
- FOUNDATIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2024
- A foundation is a nonprofit legal entity or a charitable trust that makes grants to organizations, institutions, or individuals for charitable purposes. This amendment Act also strengthens the transparency provisions to reduce the risk that foundations can be used for financial crimes, by requiring persons managing foundations to provide to the Registrar with certain updated information and by increasing certain penalties for breach of the parent Act.
- These amendments not only strengthen our laws, but show the international community that St Kitts and Nevis, as a responsible State, is serious about complying with anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing policies.
- OMBUDSMAN (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2024
- The Ombudsman, an important good governance watchdog office, is empowered to investigate any administrative action of any arm of the Executive and to make recommendations to the State concerning any offending administrative action, etc. The Information Commissioner, an office created by the Freedom of Information Act, is required to monitor and report on the compliance by public authorities with their freedom of information obligations; to make recommendations for freedom of information reform; and to refer to the appropriate authorities cases which reasonably disclose evidence of criminal offences, etc.
- We believe that there are overlapping responsibilities of both good governance offices, hence the amendment Act simply seeks to allow the Ombudsman to also serve as Information Commissioner, to merge both offices, for efficiency and financial prudence. If the workload becomes too much for one person, the offices can be split without further amendment. Also, the Act ensures that the Ombudsman will be entitled to a Permanent Secretary’s salary, pension and gratuity benefits and his or her tenure aligns with that of the Integrity Commission Chairperson.
- FREEDOM OF INFORMATION (AMENDMENT) ACT, 2024
- The parent Act provides a mechanism by which members of the public, particularly the press, can gain access to non-confidential Government information. The amendment allows the Ombudsman or Special Prosecutor (an office created by the Anti-Corruption Act) to qualify for appointment as the Information Commissioner and aligns the tenure of the Information Commissioner with that of the Ombudsman and Members of the Integrity Commission – a period not exceeding five years.
- Relocated & Reopened the District A Magistrates’ Court at Fortlands, Basseterre.
- Relocated & Reopened the High Court Registry at the Sir Tapley Seaton Annex.
- Appointed Three (3) New Commissioners of Oaths.
- Established and Activated the Joint Constitutional Review Committee.
- Established and Activated the Justice Committee.
- Agreement with the Government of India for the provision of law texts and legal resources.
- Consultation, Drafting and Circulation of the Good Governance Legislative Framework.
- Monthly Minister’s Meeting residents of St Kitts and Nevis to discuss matters affecting you in Departments under the AG’s purview
- Secured the appointment of 3 new Commissioners of Oaths.
- Seconded 2 Crown Counsels to act as Registrar and Assistant Registrar.
- Recruited an experienced land registry professional.
- Stabilized the Director of Prosecutions Office.
- Established the Joint Constitutional Review Committee with the Legal Department of the Nevis Island Administration.
- Appointment of Director of Public Prosecution
Federation of St. Kitts-Nevis Chambers
Building
Porte Zante
Basseterre
St. Kitts
Telephone: 1 (869) 467-1013
E-Mail: attorneygeneral@gov.kn