P.U.P. heading to the House seeking to change the firearms act

Anthony Sylvestre

In February 2014 the People’s United Party wrote to the Government of Belize, submitting draft amendments to the Firearms Act and the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act. There has been no response from G.O.B., and the P.U.P. says that this is just plain lazy considering the Opposition has done all the work for them. And besides lazy and irresponsible, the P.U.P. says the government is just cruel, since there have been many cases of innocent persons going to jail innocently, caught in the wide net of the respective acts. With no action by G.O.B. forthcoming, the P.U.P. has decided to take it to the House, and have given notice that they will file motions at the next sitting of the House or the Senate.

Anthony Sylvestre, P.U.P. Legal Advisor

“These cases put into focus why the existing draconian, harsh and absurd firearms and bail laws need to be modified. Such stories make the entire judicial system look cruel and cold. But how could these mothers be sent to prison and they did nothing. This has far-reaching consequences for investor-confidence and governance in general. Therefore, in addition to the need to address the violations of constitutional rights, the maintaining of these laws in the law books have larger negative implications on the administration of justice and governance in general. Given the government’s obvious unwillingness to make the necessary amendments to the firearms and bail laws, it is the Opposition’s imperative to therefore act to have these laws be removed to end the pain, the suffering, the injustice and hardship caused daily to our people when they are carted off to prison for at least two weeks for no good reason. Therefore, in furtherance and fulfilment of its duty, the P.U.P. will move in the national assembly in the next sitting of the House or the Senate, a motion for leave to introduce a bill for an act to amend the firearms act and a motion for leave to introduce a bill for an act to amend the crime control and criminal justice act. Standing Order forty-eight of both the House of Representatives and the Senate Standing Order makes provision for introduction and first readings of bill and in particular Standing Order forty-eight provides that any member may move for leave to introduce a bill for which he has given notice. Therefore, notice of the bill and notice of the motion requesting leave to introduce the bills will be given to the clerk.”