Freedom in the World 2016 - St. Lucia

Freedom Status: Free
Aggregate Score: 92
Freedom Rating: 1.0
Political Rights: 1
Civil Liberties: 1

Quick Facts

Capital: Castries
Population: 175,000
GDP/capita: $7,435.10
Press Freedom Status: Free
Net Freedom Status: N/A

OVERVIEW

Political Rights: 39 / 40

Civil Liberties: 53 / 60

In August 2015, Parliament began debating a report authored by the Constitutional Reform Commission that was introduced in 2013 after years of consultation and development. The report contains more than 100 recommendations for the reform of Saint Lucia's 1979 constitution, including on same-sex marriage, capital punishment, and term limits for the prime minister.

Police brutality remains a significant problem. In 2013, the United States cut aid to the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) due to credible allegations of gross human rights violations related to 12 extrajudicial killings that took place between 2009 and 2011. In response, the government of Saint Lucia invited a team of Jamaican investigators to study the circumstances surrounding the killings. In findings released in March 2015, the Jamaican team concluded that that police officers had planted weapons at the scene of each of the 12 shootings, which officers had then reported as having been carried out by unidentified persons; the investigators also confirmed the rumored existence of a RSLPF "death list" of suspected criminals to be targeted. Saint Lucia's Director of Public Prosecutions had yet to charge anyone in connection with the killings at the year's end.

In October 2015, police released figures showing a 16 percent decrease in the rate of homicides for the first nine months of 2015, compared to the same period in 2014. However, the rate remained relatively high, with 21 homicides, including one categorized as a police shooting.

Discrimination, harassment, and attacks against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people continued in 2015.Violent crimes committed against LGBT individuals have gone unprosecuted. Same-sex sexual relations are illegal and punishable by up to 10 years in prison. However, civil society voices have begun to demand changes in legislation in recent years.

Women are underrepresented in politics and other professions; there are currently three women serving in Parliament. Domestic violence is a serious concern and often goes unreported.

This country report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2016. For background information on political rights and civil liberties in Saint Lucia, see Freedom in the World 2015.

Scoring Key: X / Y (Z)

X = Score Received
Y = Best Possible Score
Z = Change from Previous Year