00:00Independent Senator Dr. Desiree Murray made clear to the Senate her concerns about one key element of the justice system.
00:08A search warrant, Mr. President, is not a mere administrative formality.
00:14It is a powerful instrument, one that permits the state to intrude into the private spaces of citizens, their homes, and their personal effects.
00:26It is therefore essential that the authority to issue such warrants rests with individuals who are properly trained and equipped to exercise that power with the necessary care and judgment.
00:41Dr. Murray was contributing to the Senate's debate of the 2025 bill meant to amend the 2011 Administration of Justice Indictable Proceedings Act.
00:50According to the Public Service Careers Portal, which is powered by the Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence, a senior magistracy, registrar, and clerk of the court must be an attorney at law admitted to practice in Trinidad and Tobago.
01:06The Independent Senator said this qualification gives them the legal grounding to interpret the law and uphold the Constitution.
01:13Justices of the peace, though they perform valuable and often underappreciated service, are not judicial officers.
01:26Their qualifications, training, and scope of practice vary widely, and there is currently no uniform framework to ensure consistency in their preparation or accountability.
01:40Senator Murray then suggested amendments to the bill.
01:42Minister in the office of the Prime Minister, Darrell Allaha, expressed confidence in the ability of JPs to do their job.
01:50However, he noted specific concerns raised by Senator Murray and Independent Senator Sophia Choate, who is also a senior counsel.
01:58You're seeing that the warrant issued by the JPs can authorize repeated searches of premises, yes?
02:07And that that is a, we think that that is a valid concern.
02:10Senator Allaha proposed the government's remedy.
02:12Multiple searches.
02:14Multiple searches.
02:16And we think that that is valid.
02:18And therefore, we want to propose an amendment to limit the power or jurisdiction of the justice of the peace in indictable matters to what was their common law power.
02:33I.e. not the extended powers that have been given to the masters and other judicial officers to authorize warrants for multiple searches of multiple locations.
02:49The bill was passed by the Senate with 24 votes in favor and six votes against with no abstentions.
Be the first to comment