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PUP Pushes For New Gun Law
posted (May 21, 2014)

In February, Belize's gun laws were all in the news.  COLA and the PUP alleged that they were unjust and unevenly applied.  The COLA thing has cooled off, but the PUP says it hasn't given up on trying to change the laws.  The PUP's legal team wrote to the Minister of National Security with their proposed amendments on February 12th.  At the time Minister Saldivar said in the house that government had commenced a review of the laws quote, "to find some fair and less draconian laws." 

That was February and it sounded good because everyone seemed to be moving in the same direction  - towards less stringent gun laws. But the PUP says that they haven't heard back from Government and so now the opposition is going to try and take their own Firearms Amendment Bill to the House of Representatives.  The party's legal advisor hosted a press conference today to explain how and why:…

Anthony Sylvestre - Legal Advisor, PUP
"Given the Government's obvious unwillingness to make the necessary amendments to the Firearms laws, it is the Opposition's imperative to therefore act to have these laws removed to end the pain, suffering, injustice, and hardship caused daily to our people when they are carted off to prison at least 2 weeks for no good reason. Therefore, in furtherance and fulfilment of its duty, the PUP will move in the National Assemble at 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 an Act to amend the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act."

We should note that in Belize's parliamentary history – no bill or motions tabled by the oppositions has ever succeeded, so the prospects for this one are dim.

Indeed, the only thing on the opposition's side is that it is a current issue.  Recently, we reported on the case of Bernadette Samuels a nurse at the KHMH who fell ill after she was charged along with five others for two rounds of ammunition and 1.2 grammes of cannabis.  All of them were remanded – which Sylvester says is an injustice – first because the law forces police to charge everyone:..

Anthony Sylvestre - Legal Advisor, PUP
"It forces the police officer to charge someone even when there may not be any reasonable basis or suspicion for that person to be charged. So that, you have a situation in example with - and I will not speak to much because the case is still before the courts - with the nurse from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Ms. Bernadette Samuels, she and 6 other persons were charged for being in possession of 2 ammunitions which were found in a concealed compartment in a standing fan. Clearly, you don't have to be an attorney or a rocket scientist to realize that something clearly is wrong. All of those persons could not be conceivably be able to - given the nature in which it was found - to have knowledge of those particular rounds of ammunition."

Jules Vasquez
"Would you entertain the argument that the law was intended as a deterent, and that it may have indeed acted as that?"

Anthony Sylvester
"Again, as you say, there is no statistics to prove or establish what you've said."

Notice requesting leave to introduce the bills will be given to the House but no date has been set for the next House Sitting. 

Just a few minutes ago, National Security minister John Saldivar responded to our text message request for a comment.  He says, quote,
"The ministry of national security and other relevant agencies of the government of Belize are conducting a review of all the legislation pertaining to firearms and ammunition and will make recommendations for amendments when they have completed this review."  He adds, quote, "We will not be hastened by any individual or organization whose purpose in agitating for change is self-serving and not for the purpose of finding a meaningful solution to the deficiencies of the current legislation governing firearms and ammunition" end quote.

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