Despite a dissenting vote of no from the opposition in the Senate, the bill known as the Home Invasion Bill was passed in the Upper House of Parliament on Friday.
In his wrap-up of the debate on the bill called the Home Invasion (Self-Defence and Defence of Property) Bill, 2025, Attorney General John Jeremy said it is not the intent of the Government to create a “wild west”.
He told the Upper House that the Government will continue public education to ensure citizens fully understand the bill and their rights.
“I have no problem with that and I have no problem in terms of committing the government to something like that as a matter of fact. We have already begun to talk about it and the fact that the law reform commission which is a body seperate and apart established by statute is going out as engaged in public consultation.”
The Attorney General said there will also be clauses in the bill to ensure that there will be no untoward situations created locally to make its enforcement get out of hand.
He also mentioned that there will be partner legislation coming to give the bill more weight in law.
“We have, in contemplation, legislation to deal with victims’ rights. I think I would have said that before. It, too, is a promise which was made on the political hustings, whether you describe that as rhetoric. If you want to describe it as rhetoric, that’s your problem. It is a promise made by the political leader, and it is one that we will keep.”