Board member of Jamaicans for Justice, Keenan Falconer, says the passage of stringent gun laws in recent years is not the main factor driving the decline in murders and other major crimes since 2022.
Falconer weighed in on the matter on Nationwide’s The Week That Was on Sunday.
The gun law, specifically the mandatory 15-year minimum sentence for illegal firearm possession, has again been in the headlines, following calls from defence attorneys for it to be revised.
The mandatory sentence also applies to the possession of imitation guns.
The attorneys believe the review must restore judicial discretion and encourage plea bargaining deals.
But National Security Minister, Dr Horace Chang, says the government has no intention to amend the 2022 Firearms Act at this time.
Falconer believes the benefits of the Act must be weighed against the strain it could be causing in the courts.
Keenan Falconer, board member of Jamaicans for Justice.
