Charles Wilkin
CMG, KC, M.A (Cantab)
Charles is blessed with a wonderful family. He is married to Shermine Wilkin. He has two children, Garth Wilkin and Chazzette Adams. He has three grandchildren. His parents were Calvin Wilkin, MBE and Agnes Kelsick. He has a twin sister, six other sisters and two brothers. His stepmother is Gloria Wilkin. 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 a year and then attended Cambridge University, England where he earned a Masters Degree in law. He was called to the Bar at Lincolns Inn, London, England in July 1971 at the age of 22.
He practiced law in St. Kitts and Nevis for 50 years as a partner of the law firm of Kelsick and Wilkin and then as Senior Partner of Kelsick, Wilkin and Ferdinand. He is now a Consultant with the law firm of Kelsick, Wilkin and Ferdinand.
Mr. Wilkin was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1998 and is now a King’s Counsel.
In 2009 Mr. Wilkin was honored with the award of Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) for 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.
Since 1978 Mr. Wilkin has served as a director of St. Kitts Nevis Anguilla Trading and Development Company Limited (TDC) the diversified
St. Kitts and Nevis public company.
Mr. Wilkin has through his investment and entrepreneurship contributed to the expansion of commercial and residential real estate in St. Kitts. Developments in which he participated include 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 a sportsman. He was St. Kitts junior singles tennis champion. He played cricket for St. Kitts and for the Combined Leewards and Windwards at Under 19 level. When studying in England he played first class cricket for Cambridge University and won a Blue at Lords in 1970. When he returned home he represented and captained St. Kitts at cricket and also represented the Leeward Islands and the Combined Leewards and Windwards.
Mr. Wilkin also played football as centre forward for the perennial St. Kitts champion club Santos 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 in the region. He served as President of the St. Kitts Cricket Association. In 2004 he initiated the successful St. Kitts & Nevis bid to host ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 and was Chairman of the Local Organising Committee. In that capacity he was at the forefront of bringing Test cricket and international cricket to Warner Park, St. Kitts.
Mr. Wilkin served as Chairman of the Governance Committee of West Indies Cricket Board which recommended substantial governance changes of the organization. He later served as a member of the Wehby Committee which again recommended governance changes to the Board.
Mr. Wilkin was a founder of WinnFM, the leading independent and current affairs radio station in St. Kitts and Nevis. He has throughout his career commented and written on constitutional, legal and social issues. He has never been 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 & Nevis, the Commonwealth Observer Mission said this 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.”
In 2009-2011 Mr. Wilkin served as Chairman of the National Competitiveness Council comprising 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 report of the Commission in 2019.
Mr. Wilkin has been a very active member of the St. Kitts-Nevis Chamber of Industry and Commerce for over 40 years.
Mr. Wilkin has been a member of The Rotary Club of St. Kitts since 1973 and served a term as President of the prominent service club.
In November 2015 Mr. Wilkin published his first book entitled “Breaking the Cycle- Politics, Constitutional Change and Governance in St. Kitts and Nevis.” In it he records the events leading to the “26-month election” in 2015, he gives the background to the tribal politics of St. Kitts and Nevis, highlights the severe weaknesses in the constitutional, governance and electoral systems of the country and recommends changes.
