Justice Ministry moves to strengthen Police and Prosecutor coordination in Criminal Cases

Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 27 October 2026: The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) PACE Justice Project and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), is hosting a workshop today at the Royal St. Kitts Hotel, bringing together police officers and prosecutors to review proposed Regional Standard Operating Procedures aimed at strengthening the preparation and progression of criminal cases. The workshop brings together members of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to examine how investigators and prosecutors work together as a case moves from investigation to prosecution and ultimately to court. The proposed SOPs were prepared by UNODC, in partnership with UNDP, as part of the European Union funded PACE Justice Programme.

They provide a practical framework for cooperation between investigators, police prosecutors and DPP prosecutors, covering early prosecutorial engagement, evidence management and case file preparation, charging review, trial preparation and post-trial follow-up. The initiative forms part of the Government’s broader justice reform agenda and its recognition that crime and violence cannot be addressed through enforcement alone. Treating crime and violence as a public health issue requires attention to prevention and early intervention, alongside an effective criminal justice response, rehabilitation and reintegration. Within that wider approach, the Ministry has been working to strengthen the different stages of the justice process and the connections between them. The present exercise focuses on one of those connections: the relationship between investigation and prosecution, and ensuring that…