The prime minister, usually the leader of the majority party in Parliament, is appointed as head of government by the governor general, who represents the British monarch as the largely ceremonial head of state. Phillip Pierre was chosen as prime minister following the free and fair July 2021 parliamentary elections.

The bicameral Parliament consists of the 18-seat House of Assembly, with 17 members directly elected to five-year terms and a speaker elected by the members, and the 11-seat Senate, whose members are appointed. The prime minister chooses 6 senators, the opposition leader selects 3, and 2 are chosen in consultation with civic and religious organizations.

In the July 2021 House of Assembly elections, the St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) won over 50 percent of the vote and secured 13 seats, defeating the then governing United Workers Party (UWP). Voter turnout was 51 percent.

Electoral laws are generally fair and applied impartially by the Electoral Commission. However, differences in the sizes of constituencies have resulted in unequal voting power among citizens. According to 2016 enrollment data from the St. Lucia Electoral Department, 20,600 voters were enrolled in the country’s largest constituency, Gros Islet, while only 5,000 were enrolled in Dennery South, the country’s smallest. Constituency boundaries were last redrawn in 2001.

After the 2021 elections, the Commonwealth Observer Group criticized the outdated voters’ registry, noting that the Electoral Commission had not consistently removed deceased and ineligible people from the roll since 1979. Further, they noted that arrangements were not made for some groups of eligible voters to cast ballots, specifically those in quarantine or on remand. The Organization of American States observer mission highlighted the absence of campaign finance laws and raised concerns that the lack of oversight and accountability in the financing of politics impacts the equity and transparency of elections.

Political parties may organize and operate freely. Several small parties operate, though the SLP and UWP have dominated politics since the 1960s, aided in part by the country’s first-past-the-post electoral system. Campaigns are financed entirely through private funds, which can also disadvantage new and small parties.

The country has a long record of democratic transfers of power, with the SLP and UWP regularly alternating in government.

Voters and candidates are generally free to make political choices without undue influence. However, there are few legal controls on the source of funds or on spending by candidates and parties, raising concerns about the potential for improper influence by unaccountable foreign and domestic interests.

All citizens are formally entitled to equal political rights and electoral opportunities. Some 85 percent of the population is of African descent, while Afro-European, East Indian, and other minorities are present.

Women are underrepresented in politics, with only two women serving in the House of Assembly. However, five women sat in the appointed Senate as of August 2021, and a woman became that chamber’s president in November 2022. More women have recently assumed roles as electoral officials and within party structures.

The LGBT+ community is marginalized, affecting its ability to engage fully in political processes.

The elected prime minister, cabinet, and Parliament determine the policies of the government without improper interference from unelected entities.

Several state institutions are responsible for combating corruption, including the parliamentary commissioner, the auditor general, and the Public Service Commission, but their effectiveness is limited somewhat by a lack of resources. Under the Special Prosecutor Act, which took effect in August 2022, a special prosecutor is empowered to initiate civil or criminal proceedings against current or former public officials accused of corruption.

In 2018, an Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development report criticized the operation of the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program. In response, St. Lucia has made several improvements. In November 2022, Investment Minister Ernest Hilaire said the government was reviewing the country’s CBI program to bolster its competitiveness but vowed that it would rigorously vet applicants.

The government generally operates transparently. Access to information is guaranteed, and government officials are required to declare their financial assets to the Integrity Commission. However, the commission lacks the enforcement powers necessary to ensure full compliance.

The constitution guarantees freedom of expression and communication, and press freedom is largely upheld in practice. A number of private and independent news outlets carry content on a range of issues.

Criminal libel laws remain on the books, with convictions potentially drawing heavy fines and a jail sentence of up to five years. Civil suits are more common, however.

Freedom of religion is protected under the constitution and other laws, and these safeguards are largely upheld in practice. However, Rastafarians face some systemic disadvantages in practicing their beliefs, and Muslims have reported occasional harassment.

Academic freedom is generally respected.

There are no significant restrictions on individuals’ ability to express their personal views on political or other sensitive topics.

The government generally respects the constitutionally protected right to free assembly.

Independent nongovernmental organizations are free to form and operate.

Most workers have the legal right to form and join independent unions, strike, and bargain collectively. Antiunion discrimination is prohibited.

The judicial system is independent and includes a high court under the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC). Judges are appointed through an impartial Judicial and Legal Services Commission. The London-based Privy Council is the final court of appeal.

Detainees and defendants are guaranteed a range of legal rights, which are mostly respected in practice. However, police corruption is a concern, and court backlogs contribute to lengthy pretrial detention. In mid-2022, Prime Minister Pierre said that his government would spend more to address the backlog.

While the population is mostly free from pervasive threats to physical security, violent crime is a major concern. There were 76 homicides in 2022, an all-time record; the country’s homicide rate per 100,000 people, which stood at 42.3, is among the highest in the Caribbean.

St. Lucia has relied on the Regional Security System (RSS), a security initiative that includes St. Lucia and several other Caribbean states, to support law enforcement efforts. Personnel attached to the RSS were deployed in July 2022.

Police brutality has been seen as a significant problem in St. Lucia. Members of the Royal St. Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) are perceived to enjoy impunity for abusive behavior. In 2013, the United States cut aid to the RSLPF over allegations related to extrajudicial killings. Aid was restored in 2021 when Washington renewed security cooperation and assistance with some RSLPF units. The RSLPF participated in a US military–led regional joint exercise between March and May 2022, the first time it had done so since 2012.

While discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, and other such grounds is generally prohibited, the law does not provide full protection to LGBT+ people. The labor code prohibits dismissal of employees based on sexual orientation. Under an ECSC directive, murders committed when sexual orientation is a motive can be punishable with a life sentence. Same-sex relations can draw up to 10 years in prison, though this criminal-code provision is reportedly not enforced. LGBT+ people face significant societal prejudice.

Rastafarians face societal disadvantages due to their beliefs, and Muslims have reported harassment.

There are no serious impediments to freedom of movement in St. Lucia, and individuals are generally free to change their place of residence, employment, or education.

The legal and regulatory framework is supportive of property rights and private business activity. The government has actively encouraged investors to do business in the country.

The law largely guarantees individual rights with respect to personal status issues like marriage and divorce, but the civil code distinguishes between “legitimate” and “illegitimate” children, which can lead to discrimination against unmarried women and their children in civil and family law cases.

Domestic and gender-based violence are serious concerns and often go unreported. In March 2022, Parliament passed the DVA, which addresses physical, emotional, and financial forms of abuse. The DVA also prohibits authorities and service providers from discriminating against survivors on a variety of grounds, including sex, marital status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

Safety rules and other protections against worker exploitation are typically upheld. While the government has made increased efforts to combat human trafficking, investigations and prosecutions are rare. Authorities in St. Lucia have never convicted anyone of trafficking.