Senate to Debate Five Bills & Two Motions on Monday — Electronic Crimes, Search Warrants, Immigration Amnesty and Fatal Accidents Among Key Topics

The Senate of Antigua and Barbuda is scheduled to convene on Monday, June 29, to debate five bills that were passed by the House of Representatives on June 16 — a legislative package touching on fatal accidents compensation, search warrant powers, electronic crimes, immigration amnesty, and international air travel data collection.

The Bills Before the Senate

The Senate will consider the Fatal Accidents Bill 2026, which seeks to modernise the existing law relating to actions for damages arising from fatal accidents and repeals the Fatal Accidents Act, Cap 166. The bill introduces bereavement damages for the first time and expands the categories of persons entitled to compensation following a fatal accident. It was amended during the House debate to include children among those eligible to claim bereavement compensation, with the maximum award set at EC$20,000.

The Magistrate's Code of Procedure (Amendment) Bill 2026 amends section 38 of the Magistrate's Code of Procedure Act, Cap 255, expanding the circumstances under which search warrants may be issued and allowing them to be executed at any time, including Sundays. The bill drew spirited debate in the House, with Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle and Barbuda MP Trevor Walker raising concerns about the breadth of the expanded powers and the potential impact on civil liberties.

The Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill 2026 amends section 18 of the Electronic Crimes Act 2018, specifically addressing provisions governing Production Orders and strengthening the penalties for non-compliance.

The Immigration and Passport (Amendment) Bill 2026 provides for the granting of amnesty to persons who wish to regularise their immigration status in Antigua and Barbuda — a significant measure for the thousands of undocumented individuals estimated to be living and working in the twin-island nation.

The Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Bill 2026 makes provision for the collection, transmission, sharing, storage, and regulation of advanced passenger information and passenger name records in respect of persons travelling to, departing from, and transiting through Antigua and Barbuda, in accordance with international best practices.

Motions Also Before the Senate

Two motions will also be considered. The first is a resolution for the acquisition of land for a public purpose, specifically for the construction and establishment of a secure access and exit route and related public infrastructure serving the National Performing Arts Centre currently under construction on High Street. The second is a motion relating to the Governor General's Opening of Parliament on May 26, 2026, and the delivery of the Throne Speech.

What the House Also Passed on June 16

Beyond the five bills, the House of Representatives passed a number of resolutions and motions at the same sitting. These included the ratification of the addendum to the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information; the ratification of the amendment of the Constitution of the International Labour Organization 1986; and the ratification of the agreement between Antigua and Barbuda and the United Arab Emirates on the mutual exemption of entry visa requirements for citizens of both countries.

The House also ratified the Protocol Amending Articles 50(a) and 56 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed at Montreal on October 6, 2016.

Public Accounts Committee Constituted — Opposition Takes the Chair

The House of Representatives also formally appointed the Public Accounts Committee in accordance with Section 98 of the Constitution of Antigua and Barbuda at the same sitting.

The PAC has been constituted with Opposition Leader Jamale Pringle — Member for All Saints East and St Luke — as Chairman. The remaining members are MP Trevor Walker, Member for Barbuda; MP Anthony Smith Jr., Member for All Saints West; MP Michael Freeland, Member for St George; and MP Melford Nicholas, Member for St John's City East.

The current composition of the PAC falls short of the full restructuring the opposition has called for — which would limit the committee to three members and exclude sitting cabinet ministers entirely. MP Smith Jr., MP Nicholas, and MP Freeland are all government MPs and cabinet ministers, maintaining a 3-2 government and cabinet majority on the body constitutionally mandated to oversee the spending of the cabinet led executive branch of government.

The Senate sitting on Monday is open to the public at the Parliament of Antigua and Barbuda on Queen Elizabeth Highway.