An attorney says Standing your Ground in defence of home is not only about the use of a firearm according to a bill meant to legally protect home owners in such circumstances.
00:00During the UNC's public meeting in the Chaguanas East constituency for the government's Home Invasion and Defense of Property Bill 2025,
00:08an imam who said he was from Crown Trace and Enterprise was among constituents who expressed their views.
00:15You were speaking about the gangs, right?
00:17Most, I will let you know, most of the invasion of home does start by some friend, some family, or some workers, right?
00:28People just run in the house just like that and say, I come for this, I come for that.
00:31Sometimes the family set it up, sometimes your workers set it up, sometimes your neighbours set it up, probably because they don't like how you're going up.
00:39A member of the panel at the event, Attorney at Law Lana Lacan, spoke about a particular section of the proposed Stand Your Ground legislation.
00:47It is not a situation where you'd be immediately allowed to defend without justification.
00:55However, because of the expansion and definition of what a home invasion is and what section 7 does,
01:05it provides you with the necessary safeguard and protective shield to protect your loved ones, your property, your assets, etc.
01:14Attorney at Law, Bramadan Dubey, who teaches at the Hugh Wooding Law School, said the bill had been adapted from the Florida model.
01:23Obviously, if a man comes in with his hands swinging, you know he, all right, he might be harmless.
01:29If you could see seven men, especially if you have a window, you have cameras, and you've seen some with firearms and cutlasses,
01:36then I think the degree of force used will be a bit higher and more reasonable in those circumstances.
01:45During the question and answer session, one attendee sought the clarification from the panel and used the example of an intruder in the garage of a home.
01:56What is reasonable?
01:58Sir, I would love for you to elaborate on that.
02:00In terms of reasonableness, in that situation, you are home, there's an invader in your house.
02:08You are entitled to defend your house as you see fit. That would be reasonable.
02:15Now, as Mr. Dubey indicated, if somebody's just passing by and they're, you know, taking without permission a fruit or something,
02:22you're not going to go and use excessive force.
02:27So in a situation like that, it is reasonable to exercise what you see fit as self-defense,
02:33and not to retreat in your own house.
02:36The imam had a question about authorized firearm ownership.
02:41Most of what you're beaming on that way, when a man come in the house, you will have a firearm.
02:46I think that's what the whole law is about, right?
02:49Are the government going to drop the price of the firearm so that many poor men like me could end up with a firearm to protect myself?
02:57Because if you're giving only firearm to, right, because the price of a firearm law is about 50,000.
03:05Attorney at law, Narad Harikisun, who was also a member of the panel, spoke about the means by which one can defend one's home.
03:13The act doesn't say that you're only allowed to use a firearm to defend your home.
03:18You're allowed to use any other weapon.
03:20Defend yourself as you see fit.
03:22It all boils down to what Ms. Lacken would have said earlier about reasonableness.
03:27The consultations were hosted by the MP Peshaguanas East,
03:30the Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services, Vandana Mohit.
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