Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne is criticizing Caribbean judicial sentencing, arguing that leniency regarding gun crimes threatens regional safety. On September 29, 2026, he stated that mandatory sentencing is necessary because judicial discretion has led to repeat offenders, while lawyers in Jamaica simultaneously protested against mandatory minimums.
Prime Minister Browne claimed that criminals caught with illegal firearms often receive short prison terms, enabling them to commit further violent acts. In contrast, lawyers in Kingston staged a silent protest against the Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, 2022, arguing that mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years prevent judges from considering individual case circumstances. The protest, titled ‘Enough Is Enough – Silent Protest: A Fairer Firearms Act for a Safer Jamaica,’ saw attorneys calling for a review of these provisions, which they claim restrict judicial independence.
Jamaica’s Justice Minister Delroy Chuck expressed disappointment regarding the protest but confirmed his willingness to engage in dialogue. The government is currently considering the matter, with a meeting scheduled to address the attorneys' threat to abandon the courts during the week of October 5, 2026, if their demands for a sentencing review remain unmet.