Charles Wilkin
CMG, KC, M.A (Cantab)
Charles was blessed with a wonderful family. He was married to Shermine Wilkin and had two children, Garth Wilkin and Chazzette Adams, and three grandchildren. His parents were Calvin Wilkin, MBE, and Agnes Kelsick. He had a twin sister, six other sisters and two brothers. His stepmother was Gloria Wilkin, and his stepfather was Frederick Kelsick, QC.
Mr. Wilkin was born in St. Kitts. He received his early education at the Epworth Junior School, now the Maurice Hillier Memorial Junior School, and the St. Kitts-Nevis Grammar School. He taught in St. Kitts for one year before attending Cambridge University in England, where he earned a master’s degree in law. He was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in London, England, in July 1971, at the age of 22.
He practised law in St. Kitts and Nevis for 50 years, first as a partner in the law firm of Kelsick and Wilkin and later as Senior Partner of Kelsick, Wilkin and Ferdinand. He subsequently served as a Consultant with the firm.
Mr. Wilkin was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1998 and later held the title of King’s Counsel.
In 2009, Mr. Wilkin was honoured with the award of Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) for his services to the law in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Mr. Wilkin served as President of the St. Kitts and Nevis Bar Association from 1993 to 1994 and again from 2009 to 2016.
Beginning in 1978, Mr. Wilkin served as a Director of the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla Trading and Development Company Limited (TDC), the diversified St. Kitts and Nevis public company.
Through his investments and entrepreneurship, Mr. Wilkin contributed to the expansion of commercial and residential real estate in St. Kitts. Developments in which he participated included Earles Mornes Housing, north of Bird Rock; Bladen Housing Development at Taylor’s Range, Basseterre; Bladen Commercial Development at Wellington Road, Basseterre; Half Moon Heights, north of Frigate Bay; and Turtle Beach Estates, the first major real estate development on the Southeast Peninsula of St. Kitts.
Mr. Wilkin was an accomplished sportsman. He was the St. Kitts junior singles tennis champion. He played cricket for St. Kitts and for the Combined Leeward and Windward Islands at the Under-19 level. While studying in England, he played first-class cricket for Cambridge University and won a Blue at Lord’s in 1970. When he returned home, he represented and captained St. Kitts in cricket and also represented the Leeward Islands and the Combined Leeward and Windward Islands.
Mr. Wilkin also played football as a centre forward for Santos, the perennial St. Kitts champion club, and for the St. Kitts national team.
As a cricket administrator, he established the Carib Brewery Len Harris Cricket Academy at Warner Park in 1997, one of the first academies of its kind in the region. He also served as President of the St. Kitts Cricket Association. In 2004, he initiated the successful St. Kitts and Nevis bid to host the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 and served as Chairman of the Local Organising Committee. In that capacity, he was at the forefront of bringing Test cricket and international cricket to Warner Park in St. Kitts.
Mr. Wilkin served as Chairman of the Governance Committee of the West Indies Cricket Board, which recommended substantial changes to the governance of the organisation. He later served as a member of the Wehby Committee, which also recommended governance changes to the Board.
Mr. Wilkin was a founder of WINN FM, the leading independent news and current affairs radio station in St. Kitts and Nevis. Throughout his career, he commented and wrote extensively on constitutional, legal and social issues. He was never involved in party politics.
Mr. Wilkin served as Chairman of the Electoral Commission of St. Kitts and Nevis from 1989 to 1996. In its report on the 1995 General Election in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Commonwealth Observer Mission said the following about Mr. Wilkin in that role:
“The Chairman enjoys a high reputation among both political parties and civil society for impartiality and dedication, and this is important in the highly charged political atmosphere prevailing in the country.”
From 2009 to 2011, Mr. Wilkin served as Chairman of the National Competitiveness Council, which comprised leading members of the private and public sectors. The Council published an extensive report in 2010.
Mr. Wilkin served on the National Commission on Cannabis and was one of the authors of the Commission’s report in 2019.
Mr. Wilkin was a very active member of the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce for more than 40 years.
Mr. Wilkin was a member of the Rotary Club of St. Kitts from 1973 and served a term as President of the prominent service club.
In November 2015, Mr. Wilkin published his first book, Breaking the Cycle: Politics, Constitutional Change and Governance in St. Kitts and Nevis. In it, he recorded the events leading to the “26-month election” in 2015, provided the background to the tribal politics of St. Kitts and Nevis, highlighted severe weaknesses in the country’s constitutional, governance and electoral systems, and recommended changes.
