Stricter penalties for illegal firearms

Castries, St Lucia (CMC):

The St Lucia government will soon introduce legislation to outlaw gangs blamed for an upsurge in criminal activities in recent months.

Attorney General Randolph Francis says legislative changes are intended to support the wider battle against criminal activities that have resulted in 18 murders so far this year.

"We have drafted most of the amendments to the firearms legislation, and principal among those is the fact that we are going to make firearm offences an offence of strict liability, and we will be increasing the penalties for persons in possession of illegal firearms," he said.

"In addition to that, there has been a spate of violence especially as it relates to gangs, and we know that in the United Kingdom, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica they have enforced gang-related legislation, so we have acquired copies of these and will soon implement legislation to outlaw their activities in St Lucia," Francis said.

He said that legislation must reflect the peculiar situation facing the island, and that research has been conducted to ensure that the new legislation meets the circumstances facing the country.