The senate has appointed a committee to review three crucial pieces of legislation to impose stricter penalties for murder.

They are the Criminal Justice (administration) (amendment) Act 2023, the Offences against the person (amendment) Act 2023, and the Child care and protection (amendment) Act 2023.

Committee members, named during Friday’s sitting of the Upper House, will sit with a similar committee appointed by the house of representatives to consider and report on the bills.

The senate committee members are Sherine Golding-Campbell, Kavan Gayle, Ransford Braham, Sapphire Longmore, Lambert Brown, Sophia Frazer-Binns and Donna Scott Mottley.

The members of the committee from the house of representatives are : justice minister Delroy Chuck; Education Minister Fayval Williams, Kerensia Morrison, Donovan Williams, Tamica Davis, Dr. Angela Brown-Burke and Denise Daley.

In February 2023, Mr Chuck explained that the government is looking to increase the mandatory minimum sentences for murder, to ensure greater alignment between the sentencing regimes governing serious crimes and the public’s expectations of the justice system.