In a recent public address on the *Browne and Browne Show*, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has formally announced that no further effort will be made in his administration’s current sitting to replace the UK-based Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as the nation’s highest appellate court.
While Browne has reaffirmed his long-held backing for an eventual shift to the regional judiciary, he emphasized that widespread public apprehension around the transition makes the current political moment unfit for moving forward. “There’s no way this term that we would even try to make that transition because we’re not at that level of maturity,” the prime minister stated.
This is not the first time the country has considered the change. A previous referendum on the proposed transition was held under Browne’s government, which he openly supported. Now, however, he says he respects the public’s hesitation, noting that widespread concerns about the local judiciary’s maturity have fostered considerable unease across the country.
Many Antigua and Barbudans, Browne explained, hold the view that the geographic distance and institutional detachment of the London-based Privy Council act as a critical safeguard against potential political or regional interference in appellate rulings. “They feel that the anonymity that they get out of the United Kingdom, the Privy Council, protects them, and I can’t fault them,” he said.
Crucially, the prime minister stressed that his decision to pause the transition does not mean abandoning his commitment to the CCJ. “I’m not arguing against the transition, and I will continue to support that transition,” he clarified. “But I have to accept that we are probably not at the level of maturity to make that transition as yet.”
Browne pointed to specific public grievances that have eroded confidence in the domestic and regional judiciary: notably, perceptions of overly lenient sentencing for serious crimes and widespread dissatisfaction with how high-profile criminal cases are managed. He called on judicial leaders to open constructive dialogue with both the government and the general public to address these persistent concerns around criminal justice outcomes, laying the groundwork for greater public trust that could enable a future transition.