Three new pieces of legislation aimed at enhancing regional crime-fighting efforts are set to be presented in the National Assembly next Monday. Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, made this announcement during his weekly program, Issues in the News. The proposed bills include the Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Record Bill, the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Bill, and the Regional Security Systems Bill, all designed to align with a regional framework.

Minister Nandlall emphasized that these legislative initiatives will be implemented across the region, with several countries already adopting the Regional Security Systems Bill. As Guyana has recently joined this security framework, the government is now moving forward with the passage of these laws. He stated, “These are crime-fighting measures in legislative form, intended to enhance our capabilities not only as a CARICOM member state but also to benefit the entire region.”

To provide further insights, he explained that the Advanced Passenger Information and Passenger Name Records Bill aims to establish a central database to track all passengers traveling within the region along with their cargo. This database will facilitate information sharing among CARICOM member states. Meanwhile, the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Bill is designed to enable the enforcement of warrants issued in one country across other CARICOM territories with minimal legal obstacles.

Earlier this year, it was highlighted that crime has been identified as a significant priority by CARICOM heads of government. The CARICOM Arrest Warrant Bill was initially introduced at the ‘Second Regional Symposium on Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue’ last year. At that symposium, it was noted that the legislation seeks to tackle cross-border crimes by standardizing extradition processes among member states, streamlining the handover of individuals accused or convicted of crimes to the appropriate jurisdiction.