Jamaican Defence Lawyers Withdraw Court Services Over Firearms Act Sentencing Rules

The Advocates’ Association of Jamaica and the Jamaican Bar Association say they are not trying to remove the 15-year mandatory minimum under the Firearms Act, but want judges to have discretion in exceptional cases. They say the law is catching some low-level or technical offenders and has raised rights and fairness concerns, even as the Government credits it with helping cut crime.

The Advocates’ Association of Jamaica and the Jamaica Bar Association say they are not seeking to scrap the 15-year mandatory minimum under the Firearms Act, but want judges to have discretion in exceptional cases. Defence lawyers have withdrawn services in courts to press the Government to review the law, arguing it can produce unfair sentences and affects vulnerable defendants.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness says Jamaica will review concerns about the Firearms Act, including mandatory minimum sentences, but will not weaken a law he says has helped drive murders down 23 per cent this year after a 43 per cent fall last year. He says the government is balancing reform with tough action against illegal guns, including policing, intelligence and international partnerships.

Jamaican lawyers have withdrawn services from criminal courts islandwide to press for amendments to the 2022 Firearms Act, arguing its 15-year mandatory minimum is too rigid and can unfairly trap people in unintended possession cases. They rejected claims of political or financial motives, saying the law should give judges discretion in exceptional cases, especially for imitation firearms and non-criminal possession.

Defence lawyers withdrew from criminal courts islandwide on Monday to protest the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, disrupting some cases in the Supreme Court and parish courts. The action, led by JAMBAR and the AAJ, aims to press the Government over concerns about limited judicial discretion and harsh sentencing rules, which lawyers say are unfairly rigid.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness said Jamaica’s 23% fall in murders this year and 43% drop last year show the Firearms Act and other security measures are working. His remarks came as defence lawyers began withdrawing from criminal courts over the law’s 15-year mandatory minimum sentences, which they want amended; the government says it will consider changes but keep the deterrent effect.

Defence lawyers in Jamaica will withdraw services from all criminal courts on Monday in protest over mandatory minimum sentences under the Firearms Act, then limit the action to Gun Courts on Tuesday. The Bar Association and Advocates’ Association say the law removes judicial discretion and may worsen court backlogs, while the Government says amendments are being considered.

Fi We Children Foundation is urging changes to Jamaica’s Firearms Act to remove mandatory minimum sentences, warning they can punish children too harshly and leave judges unable to weigh age, vulnerability and adult influence in firearm cases. The call comes as defence lawyers prepare a week-long court boycott over the same issue, while the Government says the law is under review.

Jamaica’s defence attorneys will withdraw legal services from criminal courts islandwide on Monday, with another targeted walkout at Gun Courts on Tuesday, after talks with the Justice Ministry failed to resolve disputes over mandatory minimum sentences in the Firearms Prohibition Restriction and Regulation Act 2022. The bar groups say the law weakens judicial discretion and plea bargaining, and want urgent amendments.

Government Senator Christian Tavares-Finson is urging caution over any major changes to Jamaica’s Firearms Act, saying the 2022 law appears to have helped reduce gun crimes and serious gun cases. He backs the mandatory 15-year minimum sentence for illegal firearm possession or using a gun in a crime, arguing Jamaica should not weaken a measure that has coincided with lower murders.

Jamaica’s Advocates’ Association says attorneys will withdraw from courtrooms islandwide starting Monday to press for amendments to the 2022 Firearms Act. President Tamika Harris said talks with Justice Minister Delroy Chuck produced no commitments, and the group wants more judicial discretion, plea deals and exceptions to mandatory sentences. Harris said the protest is not a bid to weaken gun laws.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck defended Jamaica’s Firearms Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation Act, saying mandatory sentences are needed to protect victims and keep gunmen off the streets. His remarks came as defence lawyers renewed calls to review the law’s limits on judicial discretion, and threatened a week-long withdrawal from the courts starting Monday.

Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley has defended Jamaica’s 2022 Firearms Act and its 15-year mandatory minimum sentence, saying any rollback would weaken efforts to curb gun crime and murder. His comments followed a silent protest by defence lawyers outside the Supreme Court over the law, which they say strips judges of sentencing discretion. Fitz-Henley cited court data he said show fewer new gun cases and sharp declines in murders since the amendments.

Government Senator Abka Fitz-Henley is urging Jamaica not to weaken the 2022 Firearms Act, warning that removing the mandatory 15-year minimum for certain gun crimes would undermine its impact. He says court data show new Gun Court cases have fallen since the law took effect, alongside a sharp drop in murders, and argues the government should keep the tougher penalties in place.

Defence lawyers plan to withdraw services from Jamaica’s criminal courts from Monday to Friday unless the Government addresses mandatory minimum sentences in the firearms law. After meeting Justice Minister Delroy Chuck, bar leaders said no timeline was given for amendments, and they want judges restored discretion in gun and imitation-firearm cases.

Defence attorneys in Jamaica plan to withdraw their services from the island’s courts for a week starting Monday after talks with Justice Minister Delroy Chuck failed to produce a timeline for reforming the 2022 Firearms Act. Lawyers say the law’s mandatory sentences and limits on judicial discretion are unfair and are straining the criminal justice system. The move will disrupt the new Michaelmas term and intensify pressure on the Government to amend the law.

Defence attorneys and Justice Minister Delroy Chuck agreed to work on joint proposals to amend Jamaica’s Firearms Act, with submissions due early next week, after concerns over mandatory 15-year sentences for some firearm offences. Lawyers say the current law limits judges’ discretion and could lead to unlawful arrests and convictions if not clarified.