Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar is hitting back at critics who have expressed concerns that the regulations governing the recent State of Emergency seek to suppress public meetings and interfere with free speech, assembly and expression.
In a social media post, the Prime Minister compared the 2024 State of Emergency (SOE) regulations under the PNM-led government, noting that the regulations faced a constitutional challenge because the term “public order” was seen as overly broad and potentially restrictive of freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. This term was amended and signed into law on March 21, 2025.
She noted, however, that in 2026, under her government, there is no such restriction. The Prime Minister clarified that Regulation 11 prohibits attempts to influence public opinion in ways likely to be prejudicial to public safety only, and the possession of or doing anything that facilitates such attempts.
The key difference is that the 2026 SOE restricts only actions harmful to public safety, making it narrower in scope, while the 2024 SOE restricted actions considered harmful to both public safety and public order.
Prime Minister Persad Bissessar was responding to statements made at a PNM public meeting complaining that the current SOE regulations interfere with free speech, assembly and expression.