Sixteen individuals who contested restricted access to Laurys Bay have been acquitted by the St. John's Magistrate's Court after the prosecution failed to call a single witness at trial. According to Antigua News Room, the case had been ongoing for nearly a year before the court declared all defendants not guilty.
Attorney-at-law Mr. Boy, who represented the group, described the outcome as a complete victory. "The magistrate had set today for the trial. All witnesses were expected in court, but none appeared. No case was made, and the court declared everyone not guilty," he said.
The case stemmed from trespassing allegations involving land that leads to the traditional access route to Laurys Bay. Mr. Boy argued that under Antigua and Barbuda's Physical Planning Act, all beaches are public and citizens retain the right to access them — even when doing so requires crossing private land. "If a landowner blocks access and sues someone for trespass, they are violating the law themselves," he said.
The defendants, widely referred to as "beach rights patriots," are now free to pursue legal action for malicious prosecution or to seek recovery of costs incurred throughout the case. Mr. Boy indicated that compensation may be pursued given the financial burden and inconvenience the defendants endured over the past year.
The ruling has been widely regarded as a significant affirmation of public beach access rights in Antigua and Barbuda, reinforcing legal protections for traditional entry points long relied upon by the community.
