

Surprise? It’s a crime to insult, mock or call a person names anywhere in Saint Lucia: Criminal Code

By SNO Staff

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(SNO) — Following the arrest of a man in Dennery over the weekend for insulting a police officer who among other charges, many Saint Lucians have been debating on social media whether his actions, seen in a viral video, were a crime or not.

But his actions were indeed a crime. Yes, it was illegal. It was an offence (whatever you want to call it). And that’s not an opinion. That’s according to the laws of Saint Lucia, the Criminal Code, which is readily available – for free.

Many have expressed outrage that the man was arrested for insulting an officer because the matter appeared to be petty: the defendant (initially) did not use physical force and did not appear to be armed. But according to local laws, based on his actions in the video (see below) they were all criminal.

To make his situation more dim, the defendant was not cooperative when the officers returned to arrest him. Resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer are also offences, punishable by law.

During the video, he was also seen doing insulting gestures to the officer. This is also against the law.

Below are sections of the Saint Lucia Criminal Code that pertains to the case in the viral video. Also see the photo gallery below the article with actual copies of the law

419. Violence to deter official or for recourse to public officer

The person who uses any violence with intent to deter any other person from acting in any official capacity, or from having recourse to any public officer, or on account of his or her having so acted or had recourse to any public officer, is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 7 years

420. Violence or deceit to hinder or obstruct public officer

A person who assaults, molests, obstructs or resists, or aids and abets or incites any other person to assault, molest, obstruct or resist any public officer or the person acting in the aid of such officer, while the officer is acting or proceeding to act in the in the execution of any public office or duty, or in execution of any warrant or legal process, is liable on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for 7 years or on summary confiction to imprisonment for 2 years

531. Unseemly noise in public

A person who in any public place wilfully or wantonly makes or causes to be made any loud or unseemly noise whatsoever, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $1,000

532. Insult in public likely to provoke assault

A person who in any public place insults any other person in his or her presence in such a manner as is likely to provoke a person to commit an assault, is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for 3 months

533. Insulting gesture

A person who, in any place makes any insulting gesture to or at any person is liable to summary conviction to a fine of $1,000

534. Insulting, abusive, or profane language

A person who, in any place utters any abusive, insulting, obscene, or profane language, to any other person, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $1,000

535. Loud annoying language in public

A person who, in any public place, by violent shouting or loud and boisterous language, annoys any other person is liable to summary conviction to a fine of $1,000.

536. Personalities, jeering, mocking

A person who, in any place, jeers at, or mocks, or makes personal remarks to or concerning any other person with intent to insult or annoy that person, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $1,000

537. Calling a person names

The person who, in any place calls another person by name other than his or her own with intent to insult or annoy that other person, is liable on summary conviction to a fine of $1,000




  1. You know what makes this situation funny, had those idiots not posted video proof of the offences being committed maybe the accused might of stood a chance. He must be kicking him self for posting this online. smh. Also we have some dumb law -- like sitting on a bridge is illegal, whistling in public, etc. We need to revised these old laws and define them better

  2. Move them mother C ! Let me tell you something St Lucian police is some of the worst and unprofessional in the world I have too many police friends and would know this. How are you going to enforce the law when you (officers) don't abide by it. My neighbor is one if the other neighbor across the street dog barks too loud at night that man just love to come out of his house and curst that poor woman and when her son intervene he go for and start brandishing his gun. If you in a bar and they pass by and see you they always want a drink . Some of them can never take or fill out a proper report when you call for them is a whole year they taking and their excuse is they never have a vehicle. you walking on the road the they calling you to chat you if don't take them on they cursing you especially after carnival they the worst.

  3. I want to see the police line up four or five police cars to put some politicians in bracelets and taken in, when they insult people. They can get away with insults in the parliament where they are protected by law.

  4. them police curse people everyday.. you will go complaints and report them. nothings happens, curse them back they want to assault and arrest you

  5. So many Lucian would be up in court if this was actioned. The amount of insults hurled at their Prime Minister is far above disrespectful. Not even funny. Its become like playground behaviour of name calling such as WHITE IRISH PIG ... but nobody is warned or kerbed.... such a farce. Awww... my people since yoyre sitting down and not acti g on the displeasure of you voted in Leader... please shut up too. Or mobilise yourselves to create change for the better.

  6. Why has the police not arrested politicians on the political platforms? Why? Are they afraid of the politicians when they mock and insult?

    What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. No?

    • 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 1000% , they do their shate and turn around and call picon ..... arrest those idiots on the platform

  7. The more things change, the more they remain the same. That person may have gone overboard. But this action reeks of colonialism.

    It amounts to nothing less than the reinstatement of our the colonial police constabulary and the suppression of free speech as enforceable remnants of our colonial legacy.

    Our head of state, for example, is overseas. You might as well be arrested by the police for saying anything deemed as an insult to the head of state.

    Remember this. In order to vent his feelings about the head of state in his day, William Shakespeare wrote historical plays with historical characters in beautiful English.

    Well, he managed to keep his head attached to his shoulders.

    The more things change, the more they remain the same. Learn English. Sorry. Jamaican rasta mumbo jumbo and the creole parrot language will not help here. Do you see why some got us to learn and love crap?

  8. 🌍The shitstem is rigged🌋

    Dem papi show laws might just influence more assaults...atleast the police can defend theirs!remember those criminals have graduated from just insults and obscenity to bursting hedbaxz....so u that simpleton just lettit go!u sure ain't gonna call the cops if someone told u your mama has a fat potato!the cops sure ain't gonna be there at the rite time to save u.......st.lucia has become a norm where those profanities and insults goes vice versa even the cops approach with a demeaning insult or fowl language.don't waste yours and the courts time and probably putting your life at risk......Hey this is some of my street sense.

  9. From what I saw, he deserved to be arrested and locked up. That's resisting arrest. The cops restrained themselves. They took too long to get him in hand cuffs.

  10. Well it is time the law 534 INSULTING, ABUSIVE AND PROFANE LANGUAGE be enforced St. Lucians have
    lost respect for one other. too often guys go their merry way or they argue with friends in public or in
    street corners and all you hear is Mother this and Mother that coupled with other discriminating curse words and lines about Mothers, I wonder what become of the fathers, Sometimes there are children in their midst but that does not deter them I think they should be fined and make an example of them

  11. wait.....I can have a rude personn arrested? well, well, well. now that i know the law I will use it.

  12. Leave me alone my mouth is my weapon of choice with big bad nasty St.Lucian words especially in patios.

  13. All them shut is because of the politics

  14. That being the case everyone at sence should be arrestrd.
    Granted that he young man acted against the law, the police were very unprofessional.

    Am almost certain this is not how they were train to excicuit an arrest.

  15. Better fish to fry. With the crap you all bring up there.


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