Ministry of Justice Unveils “Restoring Together” Mural at Newtown Playing Field

Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, 29 September 2026 — The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs has unveiled Restoring Together, a new public mural at the Newtown Playing Field in Basseterre. The mural uses art to bring the ideas behind restorative and people-centred justice into the community.

The mural was designed and painted by local visual artist and muralist Miláno Welcome of Miláno’s Art Studio, whose design was selected through an open call to local artists. It was delivered under the Justice Mural Initiative, funded through the Justice Action Coalition Catalytic Fund with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Multi-Country Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean. The initiative is part of the Ministry’s wider work to strengthen access to justice in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Attorney General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Garth Wilkin, said the mural is meant to take conversations about justice out of the courtroom and into everyday community life.

“Justice is not only about what happens in a courtroom or in Parliament. It is also about how we look out for one another, how we put things right when someone has been hurt, and how we give people, especially our young people, a real chance to do better,” Attorney General Wilkin said. “This mural puts those ideas somewhere everyone can see them.”

At the centre of the mural, two hands weave a multicoloured rope, representing the shared responsibility of government, justice institutions, civil society, families and communities in building safer and stronger communities. The scales of justice stand for accountability, while a woman looking towards the horizon represents hope, resilience and leadership. Surrounding scenes show families, young people, education, creativity and community life, set against local architecture, landscape and cultural imagery that root the work firmly in the Federation’s identity.

The mural’s themes include accountability, healing, repair, reintegration, inclusion and opportunity. These reflect the Ministry’s ongoing work to develop a restorative justice framework for Saint Kitts and Nevis, with a focus on prevention, rehabilitation and community involvement.

“Putting things right does not mean excusing wrongdoing. People must still take responsibility,” Attorney General Wilkin said. “But it also means asking who was hurt, how the damage can be repaired, and how we stop it from happening again. That is a conversation for every family and every community, and I hope this mural helps to start it.”

The Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs thanks the Justice Action Coalition, UNDP, Miláno’s Art Studio, and all partners supporting people-centred justice in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

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