Jamaica faces UN scrutiny - Advocates say proposed gun sentence hike a step in wrong direction as country faces human rights test
The Advocates’ Association of Jamaica is concerned about a plan to raise the mandatory minimum sentence for illegal gun possession. The proposed increase would move the minimum sentence from 15 years to 20 years. This news surfaced just before a United Nations human rights review of the country. The UN Human Rights Committee is currently holding its 146th session in Geneva, Switzerland. This session runs from October 19 to November 6. Along with Jamaica, the committee is reviewing Austria, Rwanda, and Cameroon.
The Advocates’ Association of Jamaica (AAJ) is raising concern over the announcement of a proposed increase in the mandatory minimum sentence for illegal gun possession to 20 years. The revelation came on Sunday on the eve of a human rights country review by the United Nations (UN). The current mandatory minimum sentence for illegal possession of a firearm is 15 years. The UN Human Rights Committee’s 146th session is currently under way in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 19 to November 6, and is reviewing Jamaica, Austria, Rwanda, and Cameroon.