Antiguan Parliament Passes Law For Judge Only Trials

ANTIGUA – The lower house of Antigua and Barbuda has approved a crucial amendment to the criminal proceedings (trial by judge alone) act of 2021, making it a permanent fixture in the twin island nation’s legal system.

Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin highlighted the positive impact on reducing case backlogs and emphasized widespread support from criminal attorneys.

The law permits judge-alone trials for specific offenses like those outlined in the larceny, forgery, and misuse of drugs acts, with defendant consent required for serious charges like murder.