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DISTRICT COURTS ACT
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6.   Criminal Jurisdiction of the Court

Revised Laws of Saint Lucia (2022)

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PART 2
JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS

6.   Criminal Jurisdiction of the Court

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    (1)   Subject to the provisions of this or any other statute, the magistrate of each district shall, within his or her district, have full power, authority, and jurisdiction—

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      (a)     to receive and inquire into all charges of indictable offences, and to make such orders in respect thereof as may be required by the provisions of the Criminal Code or of any other statute;

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      (b)     to hear, try, and determine all cases heretofore cognizable by a district court;

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      (c)     to hear, try, and determine all charges, matters and things punishable on summary conviction or which may be dealt with by summary order, and all complaints or informations for the recovery of fines, penalties, or forfeitures which are not specially assigned by statute to the High Court; and

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      (d)     generally to do all such acts and things as may, by any Act of Parliament, regulation, law, or usage now or hereafter to be in force, appertain to the office of a magistrate or to any justice of the peace in Saint Lucia.

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    (2)   All offences and matters cognizable before any magistrate or justice of the peace in a summary manner under any statute, committed or arising in or within the limits of any bay, creek, or inlet of the sea of or within Saint Lucia, may be heard and determined by the magistrate within whose district such bay, creek, or inlet of the sea may be; and all such offences and matters aforesaid committed or arising on board of any ship, vessel, or boat beyond the limits aforesaid may be heard and determined by the magistrate off the shore of whose district such ship, vessel, or boat may be at the time of the commission of the offence or of such matter arising as aforesaid, or on or near to the shore of whose district such ship, vessel, or boat, after the commission of the offence or the arising of the matter aforesaid, may anchor or touch.

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    (3)   The Chief Justice, where he or she considers it expedient in the interests of justice, may direct that the hearing of any criminal cause or matter whatever be transferred from one district to another, and a signed copy of the Chief Justice's direction to the magistrate in this behalf shall be conclusive evidence of the exercise of the discretion hereby conferred, and of the jurisdiction in that behalf of the magistrate to whom such cause or matter is transferred.

(Amended by Act 10 of 2008)

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