Ralph Thorne

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Ralph Thorne KC, MP is a Barbadian lawyer and politician who serves as the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Assembly and as the leader of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP). He has represented Christ Church South in Parliament since May 24, 2018.

Thorne studied at Grace Hill Primary School, became a Queen's Counsel, and runs his own law firm. He has defended high-profile clients, including Michael Misick in a corruption case, and Neil Rowe, who was accused of rape and later found not guilty in 2025.

Politically, Thorne began with the DLP but left to join the Barbados Labour Party (BLP). In 2018 and again in 2022, the BLP won all seats and Thorne was elected as MP under the BLP. He crossed the floor to become Leader of the Opposition, then rejoined the DLP and was chosen as its leader. He appointed DLP members Ryan Walters and Tricia Watson to opposition seats in the Senate before taking on the DLP leadership, and he chaired the Thorne Commission on Local Government to establish People’s Assemblies.

Thorne is married to Jacqueline Cornelius, a High Court judge, and they have three children.