St. Kitts Financial Services - Information on Jurisdiction

St. Kitts is a 68 square mile tropical island located in the Eastern Caribbean. It is part of the twin island Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. It is located in the center of the chain of Caribbean islands, which places it almost in the middle of the body of water separating North and South America. English is the official language spoken in St. Kitts by the population of approximately 33,000 people.

The sources of the laws are the Constitution, legislation passed by the National Assembly, subsidiary legislation; and the common law (adopted from the United Kingdom). There is a three-tiered Court System: - (i) there are two courts of original jurisdiction, the Magistrate’s Court which has limited jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters; and the High Court whose jurisdiction is similar to that of the High Court in the UK; (ii) the Eastern Caribbean Court of Appeal; and (iii) the Privy Council in London (which is the final Court of Appeal).