Government Considers New Traffic Court but Rules Out Dedicated Gun Court for Now

Antigua and Barbuda’s top leadership is advancing plans to reform the country’s overburdened judicial system, with a specialized traffic court emerging as a serious proposal – but a separate court dedicated exclusively to firearm-related offenses has been ruled out for the foreseeable future. Prime Minister Gaston Browne shared these updates during an appearance on the local Browne and Browne Show Saturday, where he outlined the administration’s ongoing deliberations over justice system strengthening. When pressed for details about whether a standalone traffic court was in the works, Browne confirmed that the government is actively evaluating multiple pathways to implement the new judicial body. The core goal of creating a separate traffic court, he explained, is to siphon routine traffic-related cases out of the already stretched general court system, easing the backlog and operational pressure that has hampered judicial efficiency across the country. The idea of adding a specialized gun court to handle firearm offenses has been raised by some stakeholders, Browne noted, but the proposal does not pass a practical test based on current crime data. “Some would suggest that we should have a gun court as well, but I don’t think we have the prevalence of firearm offences to have a specific gun court,” he told listeners. Instead of creating a new standalone court for gun crimes, Browne said the government will push for faster processing of these cases within the existing judicial framework. He acknowledged that the judiciary currently operates with limited structural and personnel capacity, but the administration is hopeful that pending firearm cases can still be expedited to deliver quicker justice. At this stage, the prime minister did not share a formal timeline for when the traffic court might be established, nor did he release specific details about its operational location or staffing structure. The deliberations mark a key step in the government’s broader push to improve judicial access and efficiency for residents across the twin-island nation.