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Country Background

Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign state in the Americas, located between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, east/south-east of Puerto Rico. The country consists of two major islands (Antigua and Barbuda) and a number of smaller islands (including the Great Bird, Green, Guiana, Maiden, Long, York, and Redonda Islands). The capital of Antigua and Barbuda is Saint John's, which is located on Antigua Island. The official language is English. The country's population in 2017 was approximately 94,731 people. Antigua and Barbuda is a predominantly Christian country, with about 77% of the population Christian.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Antigua and Barbuda is referred to as a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy (within the realm of the Commonwealth), in which the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. Antigua and Barbuda declared its independence from the United Kingdom in 1981, and its current Constitution was adopted in that same year. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legal system of Antigua and Barbuda is a common law system based on the English model. 

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Antigua and Barbuda. 

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Antigua and Barbuda. 

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Antigua and Barbuda has no official school of Islamic law. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • Official Gazette
• Executive
  • Government Portal
• Judicial
  • Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
  • Antigua and Barbuda: Courts and Case Law (WorldLll) 

Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Antigua and Barbuda (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Antigua and Barbuda (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Antigua and Barbuda (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Antigua and Barbuda (World Intellectual Property Organization)
• Antigua and Barbuda: National Executive Branch / Poder Ejecutivo Nacional (Georgetown University Political Database of the Americas)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide. The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].