There were no reported cases of exile. The Constitution provides that every person accused of a crime must receive a fair, speedy, and public trial, and these requirements are generally observed. The judiciary, a part of the Eastern Caribbean legal system, is highly regarded and independent. Final appeal may be made to the Privy Council in the United Kingdom. There are no military or political courts.
Legal assistance is available for indigent defendants.
Neither the Government nor the police interfere arbitrarily in the private lives of individuals. Judicially issued warrants are required to search private homes. The Constitution provides for freedom of speech and the press, and these provisions are, for the most part, respected in practice. However, the Government owns the only radio and television station on St. Kitts, and these media generally did not publicize adequately rallies and conventions held by the opposition political party. There is a religious television station and a privately owned radio station on Nevis.