A trespassing case brought against several members of the United Progressive Party has been dismissed after the prosecution failed to present a single witness in court.

The case stemmed from a Beach-A-Cade event held on June 9, 2025, during which UPP members and supporters visited a number of beaches — among them Fort James, Dickenson Bay, Indian Creek, and Laurys Bay — to draw attention to concerns surrounding public beach access in Antigua. Police alleged that the group had unlawfully entered the premises of the Cinnamint Hill Estate.

When the matter came before the magistrate, however, the prosecution was unable to proceed. Attorney-at-law Sherfield Bowen, who represented the defendants, confirmed that all prosecution witnesses were called and none appeared.

“Today the matter began, all the witnesses were called and all of them were absent,” Bowen said. “So no case was made and there’s nothing to defend.”

With no case to answer, the magistrate dismissed the matter outright.

“The case was thrown out and so they’re free to go,” Bowen said, adding that the acquitted parties are now also “free to bring their own suit for malicious prosecution and for the inconvenience and the costs that they have suffered during this past year.”

The dismissal of the case is likely to reignite public debate around beach access legislation in Antigua and Barbuda, and whether existing laws are being adequately enforced to protect the rights of citizens.