Jamaica: Opposition calls for urgent Firearms Act review, citing 'absurdity'

Opposition Spokesperson on Justice Zuleika Jess has joined calls for an urgent review of Jamaica's Firearms Act, criticizing lawmakers for passing what she termed "absurdity." Jess, a first-term Member of Parliament for St. Elizabeth Eastern, argued in her maiden contribution to the Sectoral Debate that the primary duty of Parliament is to deliver justice, not flawed legislation. She asserted that the Firearms (Prohibition Restriction and Regulation) Act requires common-sense amendments. Jess stated her willingness to support efforts to combat crime but questioned the use of excessive measures for minor offenses. She believes the current law, passed before her election, is so poorly conceived that it has inadvertently criminalized non-violent Jamaicans, including artists. As a senior attorney-at-law, Jess highlighted the case of a music producer who received a mandatory 15-year sentence for possessing imitation firearms used as props. Ewan Pryce, 47, was sentenced for imitation firearms found in his home, despite them being incapable of firing bullets. Jess argued that this sentence, imposed by Parliament rather than an independent judge, crushed a creative professional who posed no threat. She noted that the law has created rare consensus, with both prosecutors and defense attorneys demanding immediate amendments. Jess concluded that when the state's own prosecutors agree with the defense that a law is unjust, it becomes an instrument of injustice. She urged Parliament to act swiftly to restore full sentencing discretion to judges and make these amendments retroactive for those currently serving sentences under the flawed legislation.

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The primary duty of this House is to pass laws that deliver justice, not absurdity.