Government has approved a transformative partnership between The University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus and the UWI Mona Campus Faculty of Law to deliver the Mona LLB degree in Antigua and Barbuda beginning in 2026.
The move significantly expands access to regional legal education, especially for OECS students.
The arrangement allows Mona to maintain academic governance and quality assurance, while Five Islands handles programme delivery and student support. The new model slashes costs for local students:
- 67% savings (USD $105,000) compared to studying at Mona or Cave Hill
- 80% savings (USD $202,500) compared with UK or North American universities
The programme will also allow the Government’s existing $520,000 scholarship allocation to support 30 students each year, instead of 10.
Over the next decade, Antigua and Barbuda is projected to produce 255–270 new lawyers, compared to fewer than 40 under the overseas model.
Cabinet also welcomed OECS-specific curriculum content and outlined an implementation plan that includes a moot court, expanded library resources, and faculty recruitment. The first cohort will be admitted in September 2026.
The initiative positions Antigua and Barbuda as a regional leader in tertiary education and supports eventual establishment of a national law school.
