Discussions have begun ahead of the implementation of “Stand Your Ground” legislation.
On Tuesday, Minister of Legal Affairs and Member of Parliament for Barataria/San Juan, Saddam Hosein, hosted the first public consultation to discuss the Home Invasion (Self-Defence and Defence of Property) Bill 2025, better known as the “Stand Your Ground” Bill.
Speaking to residents at the Barataria Community Centre, he noted that while in opposition and throughout the 2025 election campaign, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar championed Stand Your Ground legislation as a way of dealing with the country’s crime situation.
“We have been the government for just around two months and about three weeks now, and we have been able to achieve several pieces of legislation being passed through Parliament in just that short space of time. But at page 34 of this manifesto, you will see the first plan when it comes to the crime crisis. The first plan, plan number one, is: pass Stand Your Ground laws.”
The Barataria/San Juan MP said the proposed Bill will create and identify a home invasion offence. He noted that homeowners will be given the right to use legal firearms against trespassers.
“For the first time, we are codifying the defence of self-defence as part of written law in our law books of Trinidad and Tobago, a revolutionary move by this Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led administration.”
Minister Hosein said that once the Bill is passed, intruders who are caught in home invasion offences that result in the death of an occupant will be charged with murder and may even be subject to the death penalty.
“The offence of home invasion will also cater for instances where a home invader intentionally causes any injury to occupants of a dwelling house, including grievous bodily harm, grievous sexual assault, rape, and death.”
This was the first of several public consultations on the Bill. Once enacted, Trinidad and Tobago will be the first country in the Caribbean to implement “Stand Your Ground” legislation.