Ngaio Emanuel Confirmed as Chief Magistrate

Antigua and Barbuda’s Magistracy with the appointment of Senior Magistrate Ngaio Emanuel as Chief Magistrate.

Attorney General Sir Steadroy Benjamin confirmed the appointment today, and Emanuel delivered her inaugural address as head of the Magistracy during the Special Sitting of the High Court for the opening of the 2026 law year.

The AG had recommended her for the position in mid-November 2025.

The appointment fills a critical leadership void that has existed since July 2023, when former Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh was suspended by the Judicial and Legal Services Commission amid multiple disciplinary charges. Walsh later retired after being found guilty of those charges.

Magistrate Dexter Wason was acting in the position since then but his contract expired late last year.

Emanuel brings more than a decade of judicial experience to the role, having served as a Magistrate in Antigua and Barbuda since March 2013. She was promoted to Senior Magistrate in March 2024, just months before her elevation to the top position.

Her legal education began at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, where she earned her LLB with Honours in 2004. Two years later, she completed her Legal Education Certificate at Hugh Wooding Law School and was called to the bars of the Commonwealth of Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago.

Before joining Antigua and Barbuda’s judiciary, Emanuel spent six years practicing law at Chancery Chambers in Trinidad and Tobago, a prestigious firm headed by prominent Senior Counsel Douglas Mendes.

Throughout her judicial career, Emanuel has taken on additional responsibilities beyond her courtroom duties. In 2017, she was appointed Chairperson of the Child Justice Board, a role that underscores her commitment to juvenile justice reform.

Emanuel continued to advance her legal education even while serving on the bench, earning a Master of Laws degree with Merit from the University of East London in 2023.