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  • 4 months ago
Don't set booby traps! That's the advice coming out of last night's Stand Your Ground public consultation held in the Couva North Constituency.
The issue was raised by a member of the public and then addressed by lawyers on the consultation's panel.
Reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh tells us more.
Transcript
00:00As public consultations for the Home Invasion, Self-Defense and Defense of Property Bill 2025
00:06or Stand Your Ground legislation continues, specific questions are being raised by members
00:12of the public about what exactly they will be able to do to protect their homes and be spared
00:18prosecution. At the Waterloo Community Centre on Saturday night, one man asked if setting traps
00:26for potential bandits would be considered a reasonable form of defense, since most don't
00:32own or cannot access a firearm.
00:35Am I allowed at this war to have some sort of aid, some sort of booby-trapped assist me
00:42while I want to be trapped by them?
00:44While it was hosted by MP Fukuva North, Julian John, the consultation was guided by a group
00:49of attorneys who gave their interpretation of what the draft law allows.
00:53One of the things that would be considered in the reasonability, which is stated in here,
00:58again, is whether the threat was imminent. So perhaps, if you have time to set up a booby-trapped,
01:04it's not going to be imminent. And therefore, maybe booby-traps won't be allowed to under it.
01:10This was supported by another attorney, former state prosecutor in the DPP's office, Renuka
01:15Rambajan.
01:16Renuka Rambajan will be trapped, trapping, anything of that nature, such as pre-meditation.
01:23What is starting your ground? It says that you are in a situation you did not plan for,
01:30and you have no choice but to defend yourself. It means that you have planned an act to cause
01:37harm to someone else. So it is correct. So it is not imminent. And that is what Mr. Karkar
01:43Singh was saying when he says the threat must be imminent. It must be in the moment. So if
01:49you have time to plan, booby-trapped, we have some problems, okay?
01:54Speaking at the end of the consultation, Works Minister and MP for Fukuva North said the input
02:00of citizens during these consultations will inform the final draft to be considered by
02:06the Attorney General ahead of the bill being introduced when Parliament reconvenes in September.
02:12I think they thought that they took pre-meditation, but very interesting to me, you know, because
02:18I know what someone wants to go and sit down trapping people in a rat trap, okay? Cool yourself,
02:24you know, and do the right thing because you realize you still have to follow the law.
02:29If this bill will go to the Parliament in very short order, you would have contributed. Everything
02:37you have said would have been recorded to go to the party, to the various institutions and so on.
02:43Cindy Ragubantika Singh, TV6 News.
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