{"id":211553,"date":"2024-09-15T05:07:44","date_gmt":"2024-09-15T09:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/?p=211553"},"modified":"2024-09-15T05:07:45","modified_gmt":"2024-09-15T09:07:45","slug":"antigua-parliament-passes-two-major-anti-crime-bills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/antigua-parliament-passes-two-major-anti-crime-bills\/","title":{"rendered":"Antigua: Parliament passes two major anti-crime bills"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Two major bills aimed at curbing crime have been passed by the Lower House of Antigua and Barbuda, delivering a double blow to criminals in the Caribbean nation.<\/p>

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The Anti-Gang Bill 2024 and the Firearms Amendment Bill both received approval, introducing stricter penalties for gang-related activities and firearm offenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Anti-Gang Bill 2024, passed after extensive deliberations and amendments, establishes a new legal framework to combat organized crime.<\/p>

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Under this legislation, forming a gang can result in up to 10 years imprisonment, while gang leadership carries a sentence of up to 15 years. The bill also imposes a 10-year sentence for falsely claiming gang membership to intimidate others or gain personal benefits.<\/p>

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One of the most controversial aspects of the Anti-Gang Bill is its provision to treat minors involved in gangs as adults in certain cases. The law also introduces particularly severe penalties for recruiting children into gangs, especially near schools and churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simultaneously, the Firearms Amendment Bill successfully passed the committee stage and is set for debate in the Senate.<\/p>

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 This legislation significantly increases penalties for firearm offenses, with all such crimes now potentially resulting in up to five years imprisonment, a substantial increase from the previous two-year maximum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These new laws reflect the government’s determination to address rising crime rates and send a strong message to criminals and potential offenders.<\/p>

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Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin emphasized that these measures demonstrate the government’s serious commitment to tackling crime, particularly offenses involving firearms and gang activities.<\/p>

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Two major bills aimed at curbing crime have been passed by the Lower House of Antigua and Barbuda, delivering a double blow to criminals in the Caribbean nation. The Anti-Gang Bill 2024 and the Firearms Amendment Bill both received approval, introducing stricter penalties for gang-related activities and firearm offenses. The Anti-Gang Bill 2024, passed after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":211153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-211553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nAntigua: Parliament passes two major anti-crime bills - Antigua News Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/antiguanewsroom.com\/antigua-parliament-passes-two-major-anti-crime-bills\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Antigua: Parliament passes two major anti-crime bills\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Two major bills aimed at curbing crime have been passed by the Lower House of Antigua and Barbuda, delivering a double blow to criminals in the Caribbean nation. The Anti-Gang Bill 2024 and the Firearms Amendment Bill both received approval, introducing stricter penalties for gang-related activities and firearm offenses. 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