The Magistrate’s Court is set to increase its capacity to deal with family, civil and criminal matters following the appointment of Cherissa Roberts Thomas as a magistrate in the Family Division and the elevation of Veronica E. Thomas to Senior Magistrate.

The changes are expected to help ease delays in the court system and improve access to justice, particularly for families and children involved in sensitive legal matters.

Roberts Thomas took up her judicial duties on July 1, bringing more than 20 years of legal experience to the Bench.

She was admitted to the Bar of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in Antigua and Barbuda in 2002 after earning an Upper Second-Class Honours Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Wolverhampton and a Legal Education Certificate from Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.

After spending eight years in private practice, Roberts Thomas founded C. Roberts Thomas & Associates in 2010, where she served as managing attorney.

Her legal career has also included significant involvement in the Antigua and Barbuda Bar Association. She served as the association’s president from 2022 to 2025 and held several other leadership positions.

Roberts Thomas is also trained in court-certified mediation, with specialised experience in family mediation. She has participated in community and non-profit initiatives aimed at social advancement and community development.

Her legal, mediation and leadership experience is expected to be particularly valuable in the Family Division, where cases often involve children, custody, family disputes and other matters requiring careful judicial consideration.

Meanwhile, Veronica E. Thomas has been elevated to Senior Magistrate and assigned to the Criminal and Civil Divisions of the Magistrate’s Court across Districts A, B and C.

Her elevation took effect on November 14, 2025, while she assumed her new duties at the St John’s Magistrate’s Court on July 1, 2026.

Senior Magistrate Thomas was called to the Bar of Antigua and Barbuda in October 1998 and has served on the Bench since 2012.

She made history as the first magistrate assigned to Antigua and Barbuda’s Family Court Division. Before becoming a magistrate, she served as Crown Counsel and Assistant Registrar of the High Court and later worked in private practice.

Thomas has also served on committees of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court and is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Association of Women Judges.

She is trained in both civil and family-law mediation, adding to her experience in dealing with matters before the Magistrate’s Court.

The appointments come as the justice system continues to face the need for greater judicial capacity and timely resolution of cases.

With Roberts Thomas now serving in the Family Division and Thomas taking on expanded responsibilities as Senior Magistrate, officials expect the changes to strengthen the Magistrate’s Court and improve the delivery of justice.