When the new academic year begins in September 2026, the University of the West Indies (UWI) Five Islands Campus will offer classes in law.

Cabinet made the revelation this week.

This groundbreaking proposal involves a collaboration between the UWI Five Islands Campus and the UWI Mona Campus Faculty of Law, aiming to provide Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degrees in Antigua and Barbuda.

“This initiative represents a major expansion of regional legal education and a transformative step in strengthening legal capacity across the OECS. Under this approved arrangement, the LLB offered at Five Islands will be the Mona Campus LLB, delivered through a collaborative framework in which Mona provides curriculum oversight, quality assurance, and academic governance, while Five Islands manages delivery, faculty recruitment, and student support services,” Cabinet Spokesperson Maurice Merchant explained during the Post-Cabinet Press Briefing on Friday morning.

Merchant went on to highlight the benefits of the program.

“Local delivery of this LLB program at UWI Five Islands will save students and their families an estimated US $105,000, compared to pursuing the same degree at Mona or Cave Hill.

“US $202,500 will be saved compared to taking this same LLB program in the UK or North America. Very attractive indeed. Students will no longer need to bear the high cost of relocation from countries within the region to Cave Hill, Barbados, or face the social disruption associated with studying abroad,” Merchant added.

This new program will also increase the value of government scholarships.

“With the current annual allocation of $520,000 through the Board of Education program, the government will now be able to support 30 students each year, compared to 10 when students pursue legal studies abroad from Antigua and Barbuda,” Merchant said.

This initiative is great news for individuals eager to pursue a law degree but who find it challenging to afford travel abroad.