Parliamentarians in the Lower House approved the resolution to join the Caricom Arrest Warrant Treaty, which aims to simplify and expedite the process of arrest and surrender of individuals who have committed serious crimes across member states.
Under the treaty, a single arrest warrant issued in one Caricom country is valid across all participating states, allowing for quicker apprehension and surrender of fugitives without the often slow and bureaucratic extradition process associated with traditional extradition.
Mover of the Bill, MP E.P Chet Greene said joining the treaty helps ensure that criminals cannot evade justice simply by crossing borders within the CARICOM community.
“I think that our accession to this treaty this morning also is timely as we look at the geopolitical situations and the U.S. government position of the potential character of nationals,” he said.
He explained that with the impending deportation of illegal immigrants from the U.S., persons who have committed offences and persons who may have been deemed criminals would not find any comfort here in Antigua and Barbuda.
“Rather, we have the ability under this treaty to work with other Caricom governments to ensure that our jurisdictions get clear and that the wider Caribbean civilization, the wider Caribbean space, also benefits from the provisions of this treaty.”
Unlike extradition, which involves lengthy legal and political processes, the treaty operates within the judicial system, ensuring quicker surrender for both prosecution and sentencing. Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin said it treats Caricom as a shared legal space, simplifying cross-border law enforcement.
“The AGs in the different territories have spoken with the respective prime ministers who met and agreed that criminals must not be allowed to escape justice, have been convicted, committed to Antigua to escape justice,” he said.
Opposition members, including Leader of the United Progressive Party Jamale Pringle and Barbuda MP Trevor Walker, also supported the treaty’s ratification. However, MP for St John’s Rural West, Richard Lewis, raised concerns about the delay in tabling such an important resolution and urged that similar matters be handled more swiftly in the future.
This decision to join the treaty follows recent scrutiny of Antigua and Barbuda’s legal system after a controversial extradition case. Last month, a Jamaican man accused of murdering a farmer was allowed to walk free after state actors mishandled the formal extradition process.
Methoni Vernon, who had been implicated in the 2014 murder of Roy Carridice, was controversially extradited from Dominica under irregular circumstances. The court later ruled that his extradition violated due process, halting his trial. This case serves as a key example of the challenges and potential risks involved in cross-border law enforcement.
“This will not happen again,” the Attorney General assured.
