Firearms Act to be amended to allow for plea negotiations
Published:Thursday | February 13, 2025 | 1:14 PM
Upgrades to the Firearms Act are among the top legislative priorities for the Government in the upcoming fiscal year, which begins on April 1.
The Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act took effect in November 2022, providing harsher punishments for gun-related crimes.
Custos of Kingston Steadman Fuller, in delivering the annual Throne Speech in Parliament on Thursday on behalf of the Governor General, said the upgrades will include a framework for plea negotiations with accused persons.
Fuller said this is as a result of the effectiveness of the mandatory minimum sentence stipulated for some convictions.
He said this has increased the level of interest among accused persons regarding entering a guilty plea.
Other legislation that will also be upgraded include the Proceeds of Crime Act and the Fingerprints Act, said Fuller.
The Corrections Act will undergo a “comprehensive reform”, said Fuller, who delivered the Throne Speech on behalf of Governor General Sir Patrick Allen.
Allen is recovering from a surgery late last year.
-Livern Barrett
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