A defence attorney is questioning whether Barbados needs a dedicated firearms court at this stage, arguing that strengthening existing courts and support services could deliver faster results in tackling case backlogs and gun crime.

While acknowledging the island’s pressing struggles with gun violence, defence counsel Shadia Simpson suggested that reinforcing the existing judicial framework might have yielded a swifter and more sustainable solution to the chronic backlog plaguing the criminal justice system.

The government’s decision to introduce a dedicated court to fast-track firearm-related offences is intended to accelerate trial proceedings. But in an interview with Barbados TODAY, Simpson raised doubts about whether introducing a new tribunal is necessary or practical, given the current structural deficits in the legal system.