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Basseterre, St. Kitts — November 6, 2025 — SKN Times News Feature

In a rare and blistering public statement, the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association has pushed back forcefully against what it describes as “misleading and inaccurate” comments by Attorney General Garth L. Wilkin regarding the Association’s role in reviewing draft legislation.

The Association’s sharply worded response dismantles the Attorney General’s insinuation that the Bar has been silent or unhelpful in legislative review, labeling his comments as factually incorrect and fundamentally unfair to the nation’s legal fraternity.

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Bar Association: AG’s Claims “Categorically Refuted”

In the official release dated 6th November 2025, the Bar Association noted “with concern” that the Attorney General publicly suggested the Association failed or neglected to provide feedback on Bills passed under his tenure.

“The Association categorically refutes these assertions,” the statement declared.
“The Bar Association has, on several occasions, formally requested from the Attorney General copies of all draft Bills so that the Association may review and provide input prior to the Bills being made law.”

The Bar noted that such engagement had been a standing agenda item at every meeting with the Attorney General since 2022, and that it had consistently provided substantive, written feedback whenever Bills were circulated in a timely manner.

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Evidence of Engagement: Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Bills

The Association went further by citing concrete examples of its past contributions — including detailed written submissions on the Anti-Corruption Bill and the Integrity in Public Life (Amendment) Bill, both reviewed in February 2023.

Similarly, in August 2024, the Attorney General’s Chambers requested the Bar’s feedback on the Voluntary Bill of Indictment Bill and the Judge Alone Trials Bill. However, the Association stressed that the short turnaround time — only nine days before the submission deadline — made meaningful review impossible.

Since that time, the Bar said, no additional requests or consultations have been received from the Attorney General’s office on any other proposed legislation.

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No Consultation on Controversial Special Sustainability Zones Bill

Perhaps most damning is the Bar’s revelation that it was never provided with a copy of the Special Sustainability Zones Authorisation Bill 2025 — a sweeping piece of legislation now at the center of national debate.

“At no time has the Bar Association been provided with a copy of the Special Sustainability Zones Authorisation Bill 2025 for review and/or comment,” the release stated unequivocally.

The Association described this omission as a serious breach of best legislative practice and warned that such bypassing of key legal stakeholders undermines the integrity, accountability, and constitutional soundness of the lawmaking process.

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Bar Association Presses for Reconsideration of SSZ Legislation

In the second part of its release, the Association reiterated its long record of constructive engagement and called for an open, transparent legislative process.

“The Bar Association reiterates its long and consistent record of contributing constructively to the development of law and policy in St. Kitts and Nevis,” the statement reads.
“The Special Sustainability Zones Authorisation Bill 2025 was enacted and gazetted without engagement with the Association at any stage.”

Noting that members have raised serious concerns about the SSZ Act, the Bar called on the Attorney General to “remain open to reconsidering and/or revising the legislation so as to strengthen its integrity and sustainability.”

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A Call for Respectful, Meaningful Consultation

The Bar Association also used the opportunity to reaffirm the principle that consultation with key stakeholders — including the legal profession — is indispensable to democracy and good governance.

“Meaningful consultation requires that key stakeholders, including the Bar Association, be granted access to proposed legislation before its introduction in Parliament or, at the very least, after the first reading of the Bill,” the Association wrote.
“This practice ensures that the legal profession can fulfil its public duty to promote sound, just, and constitutionally compliant laws.”

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Analysis: A Rare Public Clash Between the AG and the Bar

This confrontation between the nation’s top law officer and its independent Bar is unprecedented in tone and timing. The Attorney General has recently been under mounting scrutiny for perceived lapses in governance and controversial public remarks. The Bar’s public repudiation not only exposes a widening rift within the country’s legal establishment but also raises critical questions about legislative transparency, institutional respect, and the rule of law.

Legal observers note that the Special Sustainability Zones Act—a law enabling wide discretionary powers over land use and development—is among the most consequential and controversial pieces of legislation passed in recent years. The Bar’s exclusion from its review process may further inflame concerns over governance, oversight, and constitutional propriety.

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Full Statement from the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association (6th November 2025)

Response to Recent Comments by the Attorney General on the Bar Association’s Role in the Review of Draft Legislation

The St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association notes with concern recent public statements made by the Honourable Attorney General Garth L. Wilkin, suggesting that the Association has failed and/or neglected to provide comments on draft Bills passed by the National Assembly during his tenure as Attorney General.

The Association categorically refutes these assertions. The Bar Association has, on several occasions, formally requested from the Attorney General copies of all draft Bills so that the Association may review and provide input prior to the Bills being made law. This standing request has been maintained as a recurring agenda item at every meeting held between the Bar Association and the Attorney General since he assumed the position in 2022.

This policy of engagement by the Bar Association has produced tangible results in the past. For example, upon request by the Attorney General’s Chambers on 7 February 2023, the Bar Association submitted detailed written comments to the Attorney General on both the Anti-Corruption Bill and the Integrity in Public Life (Amendment) Bill. On 28 August 2024, the Bar Association received a request from the Attorney General’s Chambers for comments on the Voluntary Bill of Indictment Bill (first reading was held on 5 July 2024) and the Judge Alone Trials Bill (first reading was held on 1 August 2024). The Association was asked to submit comments by 6 September 2024, that is, nine days after the Bills were provided. Although those Bills were circulated to the general Bar for feedback, the very short time frame allowed meant that no consolidated comments could be submitted before the deadline provided. Since that time, the Bar Association has received no further requests from the Attorney General’s Chambers for review and feedback.

To be specific, at no time has the Bar Association been provided with a copy of the Special Sustainability Zones Authorisation Bill 2025 for review and/or comment.

Accordingly, any suggestion that the Association has remained silent or indifferent to legislative matters or that the alleged silence of the Bar Association ought to be construed as agreement with the content of legislation is misleading and inaccurate.

The Bar Association reiterates its long and consistent record of contributing constructively to the development of law and policy in St. Kitts and Nevis. The Special Sustainability Zones Authorisation Bill 2025 was enacted and gazetted without engagement with the Association at any stage. Members have raised concerns about the legislation, and as such, the Bar Association will continue to engage its members further on this matter. As the matter is of national concern, and significant apprehensions and issues have been raised, it is humbly recommended that the Attorney General should remain open to reconsidering and/or revising the legislation so as to strengthen its integrity and sustainability.

The Bar Association underscores that meaningful consultation requires that key stakeholders—including the Bar Association—be granted access to proposed legislation before its introduction in Parliament or, at the very least, after the first reading of the Bill. This practice ensures that the legal profession can fulfil its public duty to promote sound, just, and constitutionally compliant laws.

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Conclusion

The statement marks one of the most assertive interventions by the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association in recent memory. By publicly branding Attorney General Garth L. Wilkin’s remarks as “misleading and inaccurate”, the Bar has made it clear that it will not remain silent in the face of what it perceives as misrepresentation or exclusion from the legislative process.

This escalating clash underscores a deepening tension between the executive’s approach to governance and the legal community’s call for transparency, inclusion, and respect for institutional norms — a conflict that could significantly shape the tone of governance and legal reform in St. Kitts and Nevis in the months ahead.