Caribbean Heads of Judiciary are condemning remarks by Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, describing them as an attack on judicial independence and a threat to the rule of law.
The Prime Minister recently criticised what he described as lenient sentences handed down in criminal cases and suggested that a judge should leave the country or face deportation if he could not follow Parliament's lead in imposing longer sentences.
The Caribbean Heads of Judiciary have described the comments as "unproductive and dangerous", warning that they could undermine public confidence in the courts and weaken the separation of powers.
They say if the government believes sentences are too lenient, the proper course is to appeal those decisions through the established legal system.
The Heads of Judiciary reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring that judges carry out their constitutional duties independently, impartially and without fear or favour.
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