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The opposition argued that in the case of the firearm offences in which bail will be prohibited for two weeks -the law is particularly objectionable. Here are both sides of that story:

Hon. Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"Under this bill a person charged with being in possession of an unlicensed firearm can be denied bail for up to 2 weeks and that's the point I am making and I am saying under that bill which is coming up today, and you have to understand why I am making the point it goes very far to include innocent people who will be caught in this net of being denied bail for 2 weeks, and I was citing the example a simple example of a BTL vehicle carrying out goods and a gun is thrown out of that vehicle and yes questions will be ask of the chairman of BTL, you are presumed because you are the consignor of these goods, let's say he is taking groceries home for Mr. Vasquez, he is the consignor of the goods and he can be charged and presumed to be guilty and denied bail for 2 weeks. Of course we know, Jules, that will not happen under this administration but think of other business people who may be charged. The same goes Mr. Speaker for the taxi driver; if a gun is thrown out of his vehicle he will be presumed to be possession of that and it goes right down. I am showing you the extent of this simple on the face of it amendment to deny possible innocent people bail for a minimum of 2 weeks. We might think we are fighting crime by doing this but in fact we are spreading a net so wide that many innocent will be caught Mr. Prime Minister by this kind of legislation and this is the kind of madness that I am saying that the government should not be legislating in this fight against crime."

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"There is going to be under this, Mr. Speaker, a lot of people are going to be caught up in the net taken to court, taken to the police station and these people, many of them are going to be innocent and have no access to bail. Ministers will know; they are going to be knocking at their door saying that you know my father, my wife, my brother, my sister is in jail and they can't get bail. Quote likely they are going to be innocent. I am not talking about the guilty ones, the guilty ones; you are supposed to throw away the key, I don't have a problem with that. The point is that a lot of innocent people are going to be caught up in this net and they will have to spend 2 weeks in jail, you know what it is for an innocent man to be in jail for 2 weeks and can't get bail, Mr. Speaker? Or even that if it's a poor constituent and 2 weeks later gets bail but he can't afford it because he doesn't have a piece of land or can't get the money…Mr. Speaker you know what is going to happen to those persons? They will have to remain in jail until they hear their case. We just can't legislate criminal activity, it's not just about passing laws but about addressing the social issues and challenges that we are facing as a nation. Until we can address those issues Mr. Speaker we could pass 100 more laws or 1000 more laws and they are still going to have the criminal acts that is happening in Belize City. I went to visit the family of Eyannie the little young girl and I saw the house, I saw it personally and it breaks my heart to see how the people in Southside Belize City are living."

Hon. Michael Finnegan
"He was so alarmed and he went on to elaborate like, my goodness look how the people on the Southside are living. Like this happen 2 years ago. You were there for 10 years and could have injected initiatives, ideas and new veins into the Southside and you didn't do anything, but the way how you say it Mr. Leader of the Opposition like you just went there and you went to sympathize with these people and when you look around in the Southside; oh my goodness what is happening here, you make it sound like this government is here for 50 years and you travel in the Southside and all of a sudden the Southside is breaking down, everybody have gun in their hands, everybody is eating out of milk pan etc. Come on, Mr. Leader of the Opposition all I am saying you were there for 10 years and don't make it sound like the people on the south side are living the way they are living just 2 years since the UDP got into office."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"When the Leader of the Opposition gets up and he says that in the bill we are increasing to 14 days the notice that must be given to the bail hearing, he - perhaps I can understand - he is not a lawyer but then again this business of your not wanting to go to school comes back to haunt you. Man the bill is right in front of you. Before the hearing for application for bail the court shall give the hereto not less than 10 working days; where do you see 14? Where do you see 14? It say 10 working days, in any event I will forgive the leader of the Opposition. I can't forgive the member for Fort George, absolutely never ever. All we are doing is to strengthen the provisions of a law that was introduced into the National Assembly and passed by the government headed at the time by the member for Fort George. Why do you pretend that this is some sea change that we are moving to some Gestapo state by virtue of the nature of this amendment when this whole question of saying that there must be a waiting period before you can apply for bail for certain offences was introduce as law of the land, was pass as law of the land by your government."

Those bills that were debated and five others were passed by the house today. That includes the recall of elected representatives' bill. Due to the full roster of legislation, the house meeting lasted for 7 hours which is unusually long.