Today, the Senate met to discuss the Amendments to the Firearm Act and the Legal Profession Act. As we've told you, the Government is seeking to
rationalize the gun laws so that persons who have been wrongfully detained can get bail.
As we've featured in our newscast many times in the past, the gun laws have been criticized as being too oppressive, and today, the Leader of
Government Business, Senator Godwin Hulse, told the press that he joins those who have been pushing for this change, even if it is only incremental:
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"As I said in the senate, let's be clear, I have been on this gun thing forever. You can probably dig in your archives for some of my speeches I gave
on it. I've had personal experience or being roughed up by police, arrested and charged and it's not nice and I didn't know what hit me, where this was
coming from? So i've been an advocate of this, we have discussed in cabinet in depth. The prime minister and cabinet is aware that in fact this is an
issue that the Belizean people are concerned about but there is a delicate balance. Today's bill is an incremental move forward. The minister of
national security and the police, especially the police are adamant, you can't tie our hands behind our back and hope us to act. I am here to tell you,
when the kid John Avilez was shot that night and family and friends who knew the kid and his parents were rallying around at the hospital, the police
were saying minister we don't want our hands tied, we can do this, we can do that, but there is a delicate balance; Protecting the rights of people and
at the same time making sure that you catch the criminal. You don't want to send a signal that says, well looks boys, we are hands off you or at the
same token have everybody frightened that they might go to jail. That is why the amendment today, and I can tell you a further amendment is coming to
allow the bail before a magistrate because that's where the mischief is. If a gun is found in your possession or where you live, the police have a
right to take some action. They can't just say, you won't investigate, in your house or in your vehicle or somewhere, you must have something to day."
And in relation to the Legal Profession Act, Hulse said that he agrees with Freedom of Association as the guiding principle in the change to the law:
Hon. Godwin Hulse
"I will not get into lawyers disputes, but let's face it, the constitution guarantees the right of association and nobody should be forced if they want
to, to join an association, it's as simple as that."
Our news team returned form Belmopan late this evening, and so tomorrow, we'll show you a bit more of the Senate meeting, and what the Senators had to
say about those bills, which are now awaiting assent from the Governor General.
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