SHARIAsource

Country Background

Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island country located in the Caribbean, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago. The capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis is Basseterre. The official language is English. The country's population in 2017 was approximately 52,715 people. Saint Kitts and Nevis is a predominantly Christian.  

Constitution & Legal Structure

Saint Kitts and Nevis is referred to as a federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy (within the realm of the Commonwealth), in which the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. After becoming an associated state in 1967, Saint Kitts and Nevis declared its independence from the United Kingdom in 1983. Its current Constitution was adopted in 1983 as well. 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 Saint Kitts and Nevis is a common law system, influenced by the English model. 

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Saint Kitts and Nevis. 

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Saint Kitts and Nevis. 

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Saint Kitts and Nevis has no official school of Islamic law. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • National Assembly
• Executive
  • Government Portal
• Judicial
  • Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Saint Kitts and Nevis (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• NATLEX: Saint Kitts and Nevis (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Saint Kitts and Nevis (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Saint Kitts and Nevis (World Intellectual Property Organization)
• St. Kitts and Nevis: Executive Institutions / Instituciones Ejecutivas (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].