Jamaica’s Anti-Gang laws can now prosecute felony teams

Provisions underneath Jamaica’s up to date Prison Justice (Suppression of Prison Organisations) (Modification) Act, 2021, also called the Anti-Gang laws now permit for the prosecution of felony teams.

This was disclosed by Jeremy Taylor, senior deputy director of public prosecutions on the Workplace of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), in the course of the Ministry of Training and Youth’s Anti-Gang Week Townhall on November 17.

Anti-Gang Week is being noticed from November 13 to 19, with the theme ‘Leggo Di Gang, Elevate Up Jamaica.’

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Taylor mentioned the Act initially prosecuted a person regardless of different members participating in felony exercise.

“What has modified with the brand new laws is that we not have to have a look at people, as a result of as much as 2014 we actually may solely prosecute the person, regardless of what different individuals might have executed both within the background or foreground. You possibly can solely transfer towards the person in that respect. Now, this new Act permits us to maneuver towards teams and you’ve got seen that we’ve got introduced sure teams to trial,” he mentioned.

He mentioned the regulation, which was handed in 2014 and amended in 2021, now permits all these concerned in felony exercise to be prosecuted no matter their position.

“Even in case you are not the set off particular person, you’re the one that drives them to do the crime, you’re charged as a facilitator of the felony offence, simply as how in case you are the one that shoots the particular person, you’re additionally charged because the facilitator of the felony offence,” he mentioned.

He added that the regulation additionally states that people who interact in actions that assist a gang are additionally breaking the regulation.

“It speaks about offering a profit to a felony group. These are the gun luggage; in the event you carry the weapons for the felony group to cover or to ‘lock’, you’ve offered a profit. When you carry the stolen items, you carry them to a pawn store and also you promote them, you’ve offered a profit. When you get a physician for an individual, understanding he’s a member of a gang and has dedicated a gang-related exercise, you’ve offered a profit…. The regulation has tried to cowl all the main areas,” Taylor mentioned.

The actions slated underneath Anti-Gang Week are being hosted by the Ministry of Training and Youth, in collaboration with the JCF.

In keeping with the Jamaica Constabulary Drive (JCF), gang violence accounts for an estimated 80 p.c of the nation’s murders.