Senior Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel’s Appointed As Chief Magistrate Confirmed

Antigua and Barbuda’s Magistracy has a new head following the appointment of Senior Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel as Chief Magistrate.

Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin confirmed the appointment on Monday as Emanuel delivered her inaugural address during a special sitting of the High Court marking the opening of the 2026 law year.

Benjamin said he recommended Emanuel for the post in mid-November 2025, filling a leadership vacancy that dates back to July 2023. The post became vacant after former Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh was suspended by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and later retired following disciplinary proceedings. Magistrate Dexter Wason had acted in the role until his contract ended late last year.

Emanuel has served as a magistrate in Antigua and Barbuda since March 2013 and was promoted to senior magistrate in March 2024. Her legal training includes an LLB with honours from the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, legal education at the Hugh Wooding Law School, and an LLM with merit from the University of East London in 2023.

Before joining the bench, she practised law in Trinidad and Tobago and has also served as chairperson of the Child Justice Board, reflecting her focus on juvenile justice.

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