Antigua and Barbuda

DESCRIPTION OF THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA

Antigua and Barbuda is a common law jurisdiction. The laws of Antigua and Barbuda consists of:

(a) the common law;

(b) statute law;

(c) case law as decided by the courts.

Cases are decided by the judiciary, which consists of inferior and superior courts.

The superior courts are courts of record.

The Magistrate Court is a court of summary jurisdiction and not a court of record. A person aggrieved by a decision of the Magistrate Court may appeal to the superior courts, namely the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Privy Council, in that order.

In criminal matters, the Magistrate Court deals with summary offenses and serious offenses are tried by the High Court on indictment. The Director of Public Prosecutions or DPP for short, is responsible for all criminal prosecutions. The DPP has right of appeal on matters of law and sentence.