According to Dominica’s government, the use of illegal weapons will be subject to tighter legislation including a mandatory lengthy jail sentence for convicted offenders.
Minister of National Security and Home Affairs, Rayburn Blackmoore, said the Firearms and Bail Acts will be reviewed for stiffer penalties for firearm traffickers.
“Our country has strong gun laws. Laws, however, are organic and are meant to change over time. Therefore, further changes will be made to our firearms. As a result, anyone found with, importing, or trafficking illegal firearms will be subject to a mandatory custodial sentence. It will take a long time for that person to return to society.”
To bring further clarity to this piece of legislation, further strengthening of the Bail Act will be made to ensure that bail applications for illegal firearms cases can only be brought before the High Court, Blackmoore stated.
“We do not manufacture firearms, so these illegal guns come from the other side”, the National Security Minister said.
“As a people, we must ensure that Dominica doesn’t become a gun town. This matter is very serious for your government, and it will not relent in building an infrastructure to intercept, recover illegal firearms, and prosecute the perpetrators,” he said.