Attorney General Defends Criminal Gangs Bill in Senate Debate

​The Senate chamber became the backdrop of a spirited debate as Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams robustly defended the Criminal Gangs (Prevention and Control) Bill in the first appearance by a minister from the lower House of Assembly in the upper legislature.

Abrahams blasted opposition critics, unveiled a suite of severe mandatory minimum sentences, and declared that the state is officially finished playing games with violent crime as the bill neared final passage.

​”We are sending a message at the end of the day—we are not playing with you,” the attorney general said. “Bajans must feel comfortable going about their business, and we the government have a duty to make sure we put the framework in place to secure that comfort for you.”

The AG’s appearance before Senate lawmakers, was the second following December’s constitutional amendments, giving the government’s chief legal adviser the right to speak on any legislative matters and providing for ministers to appear across chambers. Earlier on Friday, criminal justice minister Michael Lashley was the first MP to appear before the Senate as he piloted the bill through its second reading.

His speech followed a lengthy address by opposition senator Ryan Walters. While voicing support for the bill, he accused the administration of failing to provide immediate solutions, while simultaneously claiming credit for the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) in forcing the government to lower the statutory definition of a gang from five members to three.

​Abrahams immediately rejected that narrative, accusing the opposition of trying to politicise national security while refusing to participate in broader, bipartisan consultations.

​”The exact comment made by the honorable senator… was that we, the Democratic Labour Party, want to make crime a political issue,” Abrahams said.

“Why would they not participate in the national effort that had all of the relevant stakeholders there so that the fullest possible perspective can be gained and the maximum benefit achieved? If the honorable member wants to make crime a political issue, then I suggest he goes ahead because the public of Barbados already took note of their position.

​Turning his attention directly to the text of the bill, Abrahams sharply dismissed the notion that it lacked immediate, short-term impact. He argued that the sheer severity of the newly established judicial frameworks would send an instant shockwave through the criminal underworld, noting that the act contains some of the most stringent penalties ever drafted in Barbadian history.

​”Had [Senator Walters] read the bill, [he] would realise from the tone of the bill that this bill has the most severe sentences of any piece of legislation in Barbados,” the attorney general said.

“Almost every single offense under this bill is attended by a minimum sentence. That’s the government saying, ‘We have heard Barbados. We have heard the cries of the people. We accept what is going on and recognise it. And we are now taking steps to deal decisively with this and to send a message.'”