With the recent arrest of a high-profile businessman and his wife under a preventive detention order, the issue of PDOs has become a major topic of public discussion in Trinidad and Tobago.

Political scientist Professor Hamid Ghany notes that there is a widespread misconception that government ministers have direct or arbitrary control over the issuing of these orders.

“Primarily the Minister is not the initiator. That’s the first thing I think that needs to be clarified. The minister is not the initiator of preventive detention orders. The police apply for a prevention detention order and they apply to the minister. And then the Minister gives consideration and then the minister is the one who issues it.”