 |
| Zuleika Jess |
Press Release From the PNP - September 23, 2026
Following today’s historic silent protest by Jamaica’s legal fraternity outside the Supreme Court, Opposition Spokesperson on Justice, Miss Zuleika Jess, MP, announced that the Opposition has officially mounted a legislative offensive to force immediate amendments to the flawed Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act.
In a decisive move to break the Government's defense of the law, MP Jess yesterday officially submitted a formal Notice of Questions for Oral Answer to the Clerk of the Houses of Parliament, summoning Minister of Justice Delroy Chuck to provide answers regarding the operational chaos and injustices caused by this flawed legislation.
The Opposition stands in absolute, unwavering solidarity with the attorneys, advocates, and jurists who took to the streets today. Their silent demonstration exposes a deep, systemic crisis: the complete stripping away of judicial discretion and the imposition of a merciless 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. This statutory rigidity has completely paralyzed the plea-bargaining process, removing any legal incentive for defendants to plead guilty and risks drowning the Gun Court in an unmanageable trial backlog.
"We are seeing state-sanctioned injustice where the law forces the destruction of innocent lives instead of targeting violent criminals." MP Jess highlighted two egregious examples of absurdity within the current Act that the Opposition is targeting for immediate revision:
The Coercion and Exploitation of Vulnerable Minors: Under the Act, a vulnerable 14-year-old child who is terrorized and forced by a community "don" or gang leader to carry or hide an illegal firearm is treated with the exact same severity as the violent criminal who handed them the weapon. Judges are completely prohibited from weighing the presence of severe adult coercion with the result that a child victim is automatically subjected to the rigid 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.
The Absurdity of Imitation Firearms: Under the strict lettering of the Act, a young music producer using a plastic toy gun as a prop on a video set is subjected to the exact same mandatory 15 year minimum sentence as a criminal possessing a loaded, lethal automatic weapon. Judges are legally forbidden from using common sense because their hands are completely tied.
The parliamentary questions filed by the Opposition will force Minister Chuck to provide a clear timeline for previously promised amendments to the Act and state whether the Government has engaged in consultation with the Bar and Advocates Association.
The Opposition vows to carry the legal fraternity's fight directly into the halls of Parliament. We will deploy every constitutional and legislative mechanism available to us, and we will not relent until judicial discretion is fully restored and a fair, equitable framework is secured for the people of Jamaica.
_________________
____________________
_______________________
Keep abreast of the news and information in the world. Bark Di Trute, a Jamaican blog, is packed with accurate information. Click the following link and get information at your fingertips. WhatsApp link is: https://chat.whatsapp.com/C9bkP96JIN2JgHiuktY3Jj
_________________
_________________
Subscribe Now!
Without your support, Bark Di Trute could fail to bark one day. Send your ideas, stories, and news by WhatsApp at (876) 816-5261.
You can view the blog on your computer at https://vderby.blogspot.com, and you will be able to see the various links. For example, there is a link that takes you to the calendar to see what is happening on the weekend. You can even search the site for articles. There is also a weather link, which you can use to track hurricanes.
_____________________
No comments:
Post a Comment
Blogs will be forwarded to national leaders, business leaders and others who might need to see such blogs.