October 27, 2026

Advocates Association remains concerned about lack of sentencing discretion for judges under proposed amendments to Firearms Act

The Advocates’ Association of Jamaica (AAJ) has welcomed the review of child cases under the Firearms Act, but remains concerned about the lack of sentencing discretion for judges.

The National Security Council (NSC) announced that further consideration should be given to how cases involving children found with illegal firearms are handled.

This was among several proposed amendments agreed at the recent NSC meeting.

It was also proposed that the minimum sentence for persons convicted of the possession of an illegal firearm be increased from the current 15 years in prison to 20 years.

Speaking with IRIE FM News, AAJ President Tamika Harris said a judge ought to have some discretion on when the mandatory minimum sentence should be applied.

She argued that children are not the only ones who may be vulnerable.