KINGSTON, Jamaica– The Minister of National Security will no longer be involved in the appeals process for gun license applications under the new Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction, and Regulation) Act when it is passed into law.
“We have established in this new-look Bill a Review Panel that will take all appeals out of the hands of a single individual,” National Security Minister Dr. Horace Chang said, indicating that this will render the appeal process more transparent.
Procedures for appeals are outlined in the Bill, which makes provisions for establishing an Appeals Review Panel, which replaces the Review Board in the principal Act.
Chang also noted that under subsection 86(1) of the Bill, an application challenging a decision by the Firearm Licensing Authority’s Board may appeal to the Review Panel within the prescribed time and manner.
The Bill also makes provisions for the Review Panel to either accept the decision of the Board being appealed or refer the matter back for a new ruling.
The Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction, and Regulation) Act, 2022, or the Firearms Act, was tabled in the House of Representatives on February 10. The legislation introduces harsher penalties for offenses connected to the illicit trade, manufacture, stockpiling, possession, and use of illegal guns.
It aims to address the challenges being experienced in Jamaica concerning the proliferation of illegal firearms and increase the applicable penalties for breaches of provisions relating to prohibited weapons.
Jamaica has recorded 1 089 murders this year, with figures released by the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) showing that 842 of the murders were gun-related.
and then 
