Attorney General Sir Steadroy Cutie Benjamin

The government has begun steps towards possible constitutional reform with Cabinet’s approval of a new Constitutional Review Committee.

Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin said the panel will assess whether Antigua and Barbuda’s Constitution remains fit for purpose more than four decades after Independence. The supreme law has seen little amendment since it took effect in 1981.

The committee, chaired by Sir Steadroy with Queen’s Counsel Justin Simon as deputy, will include members drawn from civil society, the legal profession and non-governmental organisations.

Its work will focus on identifying provisions that could be amended without a referendum, as well as flagging broader issues for national discussion. These include the future of the country’s two-chamber Parliament and whether religious leaders should be eligible to contest elections.

The Antigua and Barbuda Constitution Reform Group, led by attorney Ralph Bowen, will have a dedicated seat on the committee, which is expected to begin its work in January.

Sir Steadroy also acknowledged that past reform efforts, including the referendum on the Caribbean Court of Justice, may have been affected by limited public education on constitutional issues.