Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness on Friday responded to a request from representatives of the Jamaica Bar Association and the Advocates Association for a meeting and reiterated that the Government intends to strengthen the Firearms Act in relation to its treatment of illegal guns and the commission of violent crimes.
In a statement, the Office of the Prime Minister, OPM, noted that Dr. Holness also reiterated that the Government will refining the Act to ensure that the intent of policymakers that no innocent person should be unfairly treated is made clear.
The Prime Minister’s State Minister Senator Abka Fitz-Henley says the meeting, which took place at the Office of the Prime Minister, was productive.
The OPM says representatives from the legal fraternity said, in their view, aspects of the Act create room for the unjust treatment of children who may be in possession of imitation firearms and/or toy guns and asked for consideration of judicial discretion being allowed to treat with such cases.
Senator Fitz-Henley says part of the process to refine the legislation the Prime Minister directed Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, to convene the legal reform committee.
The committee will include stakeholders in the justice system and is to review the concerns expressed by members of the Jamaica Bar Association and the Advocates Association.
Fitz-Henley says the Prime Minister raised the issue of the review clause in the legislation and undertook to have the law reform committee conduct the review ahead of the legislative review timeline.
Abka Fitz-Henley, Government Senator.
In the meantime, the OPM says the Prime Minister told the meeting that the process of reviewing the Act should not be adversial and that his government listens to all stakeholders and balances contesting views for the common good of Jamaica.
The Prime Minister also reportedly underscored that even as work takes place to perfect the legislation, the Government of Jamaica will ensure that gains made in the fight against violent crime are consolidated and will not relent in its passage of strong laws to deal with the issue of the proliferation of illegal guns in Jamaica.
Representatives of the legal fraternity reportedly assured the Prime Minister and his team that it is not their intention to in any way undermine the strength of the Firearms Act.
The Prime Minister was joined in the meeting by Deputy Prime Minister and National Security Minister, Dr. Horace Chang; Justice Minister Delroy Chuck; Attorney General Derrick McKoy; senior members of the Bar, Senator Tom Tavares-Finson and Senator Charles Sinclair; and State Minister, Senator Abka Fitz-Henley.
Advocates Association President, Tamika Harris and Jamaica Bar Association President, Tenneisha Watkins led their respective teams to the meeting.
Photo: Prime Minister Holness and his team during a meeting with members of the Bar & Advocates Association.
