King’s Counsel Peter Champagnie is rubbishing claims that the Firearms Act is the reason for a reduction in cases before the Gun Court.
Speaking at a media briefing at the General Legal Coucil in Kingston on Monday, KC Champagnie presented figures that show that cases were already declining before the act and have even risen since.
Mahiri Stewart has that story.
The Firearms Act has been hailed by the government as a key reason for a decline in murders, but attorneys believe attempts to correlate its passage with a reduction in Gun Court cases are incorrect.
KC Peter Champagnie says the cases were already on the decline before the Act was passed.
He adds that gun cases increased after the Act became law.
KC Champagnie says the legal fraternity is within its right to highlight issues it has found with the act and to advocate for change.
According to him, the legislation in its current state is unfairly punishing people who were not intended to be negatively affected by it.
