Judge-Alone Trials to Stay — But With New Limits
The government has confirmed that judge-alone trials will remain part of Antigua and Barbuda’s criminal justice system, but with new limits following amendments that remove attempted-crime cases from their scope.
Attorney General Sir Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin addressed the issue during his contribution to the 2026 Budget Debate, framing the reform as part of a wider effort to reduce court delays and restore confidence in the justice system.
“This speeds up the process,” Sir Steadroy told Parliament, as he outlined changes aimed at clearing long-standing backlogs in the courts. He argued that delays have affected both victims and accused persons, stressing that reform is necessary if the system is to function effectively.
The amendment narrowing the use of judge-alone trials comes amid ongoing public debate about jury-free justice. While the Attorney General did not present the change as a reversal of policy, he linked it to broader concerns about fairness and access to justice.
“Because we’re concerned to see that justice is done,” he said, adding that reforms must also ensure public confidence. “Justice must not only be done, but justice must be seen to be done.”
Judge-alone trials were introduced to address chronic delays in the High Court, where cases have often taken years to reach conclusion. Sir Steadroy pointed to structural challenges within the system, including a shortage of defence attorneys and repeated adjournments.
“Sometimes that’s not delayed because there are limited defence counsels,” he said. “Not many people want to practise defence law… and the age-old reason of adjournments.”
He told MPs the government intends to tackle those issues directly, saying, “We shall have enough counsels to make sure that we can dispose of these matters quickly.”
The revised approach to judge-alone trials forms part of a broader package of legal reforms outlined in the budget debate, including expanded plea bargaining, the introduction of voluntary bills of indictment, and the creation of a Public Defenders Unit to support defendants who cannot afford legal representation.
“We are people who don’t have any money,” Sir Steadroy said, referring to those reliant on state support. “They can go to Legal Aid and get support, get representation.”
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