Jamaican Defence Lawyers Withdraw Court Services Over Firearms Act Sentencing Rules

Opposition Justice spokesperson Zuleika Jess criticised plans to raise Jamaica’s mandatory minimum sentence for illegal firearm possession from 15 to 20 years, saying the law’s flaws and the court backlog have not been fixed. She urged an “exceptional circumstances clause” to restore judicial discretion, warning the rigid rule has stalled plea bargaining and slowed justice for victims.

Government Senator Charles Sinclair says lawyers are ভুল to claim the Firearms Act offers no plea bargain option, pointing to a 2022 amendment to the Plea Negotiation and Agreements Act that can allow sentences below the 15-year minimum for firearms offences. He says the provision has already been used successfully, as debate grows over a possible new 20-year mandatory sentence for illegal gun possession.

Fi We Children Foundation is backing a planned offence targeting adults who recruit or groom children to handle illegal guns, but it is urging lawmakers not to raise the minimum sentence for illegal firearm possession from 15 to 20 years. It says the Firearms Act must protect public safety without criminalising vulnerable children or ordinary play with toy guns.

Jamaica’s National Security Council has proposed tougher gun laws, including a new 20-year mandatory minimum for illegal firearm possession and a separate offence for adults who recruit children to handle guns. The changes aim to keep the law strict but more precise, while the government plans a gun amnesty and buy-back programme before new rules take effect. Police also reported major cocaine seizures as Jamaica braces for more trafficking pressure.

Jamaica’s National Security Council has recommended raising the mandatory minimum sentence for illegal gun possession from 15 to 20 years, while also proposing a new offence for adults who use children to handle illegal guns. The planned Firearms Act changes would also address imitation firearms, expired licences and cases involving minors, with draft legislation due by end-November and a gun amnesty to come first.

Jamaica’s National Security Council has recommended a 20-year minimum sentence for illegal firearm possession and a new offence for adults who recruit children to handle guns. It also plans a gun amnesty and cash buy-back before the tougher laws take effect, with draft legislation due by November 2026. The council also moved to crack down on illegal dealer plates and reviewed major cocaine seizures and recent police operations.

Lawyers and crime experts are clashing over Jamaica’s Firearms Act, which allows parish courts to handle illegal ammunition cases involving fewer than 20 rounds, while 20 or more rounds trigger a Gun Court charge with a 20-year minimum sentence. Critics say the law is too rigid for unlicensed offenders, while supporters argue even one round can be deadly and the law needs review.

In this opinion piece, Jamaican Bar Association president Tenneshia T Watkins argues that Jamaica’s Firearms Act should be refined, not weakened, because mandatory minimum sentences can produce unfair results, especially for children and people found with imitation firearms. She says clearer rules could still support tough gun control while improving plea bargaining, court efficiency and proportional sentencing.

Police investigators failed to bring murder accused Reo Rochester to the Trelawny Parish Court for a scheduled committal hearing, despite a court order, his attorney Donnovan Collins said. Collins said it was the second time police had ignored a judge’s directive, forcing the hearing to be adjourned in the case linked to the 2022 killing of Rumish Orlando Johnson in Albert Town.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck and Opposition Leader Mark Golding clashed in Parliament over whether the 2022 Firearms Act is affecting guilty pleas, Gun Court backlogs and sentencing data. Golding said the ministry should already be tracking the law’s impact, while Chuck said the cases take years to finish and the needed comparisons have not yet been completed. The dispute comes as the Government prepares to review the law after defence lawyers protested for changes.

A former gangster in Jamaica is urging lawmakers to review the mandatory 15-year sentence for illegal firearm possession, saying judges should be able to consider whether young offenders can be rehabilitated. His call follows a Jamaica Bar Association warning that the law removes needed judicial discretion, echoed by defence attorneys’ silent protest in downtown Kingston.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness has ordered a legal reform committee review of concerns about Jamaica’s Firearms Act, including fears that children with toy or imitation guns could be unfairly treated. The review will look at refining the law while keeping it strong against illegal guns and violent crime, after talks with the Jamaica Bar Association and Advocates Association.

Justice Minister Delroy Chuck says the Government will soon review Jamaica’s Firearms Act to consider more judicial discretion and plea bargain options, amid complaints from lawyers and the Bar Association about its mandatory 15-year minimum sentence. The legal fraternity has protested the law over concerns about sentencing, children and imitation firearms, while the Government says tougher penalties must remain.

A man detained since last Monday was released on bail after attorney Michael Jordan told the court he had been charged with unlawful possession of property even though the vehicle owner had given him permission to drive the car. The case also raised concerns about how police choose charges and how long suspects can be held before court.

Two defence lawyers continued representing murder accused Andre Ruddock in his part-heard trial on Monday, saying they had their client’s written permission to do so despite a wider legal protest over Jamaica’s firearms law. The case concerns the 2021 killing of Taneka Gardner at Kevin Smith’s Pathways church in St James, where a police sergeant described a chaotic, violent scene as the trial continued.

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.