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The Law Association of Trinidad and Tobago is not pleased with plans to extend the lives of the Bail Amendment Acts and the Anti-Gang Act 2011, which is now before the Parliament.

In a release yesterday president of the association, Reginald Armour, SC, said the laws have not worked.

Mr. Armour said in the discharge of its mandate to protect and assist the public in all matters relating to the law, including to promote, maintain and support the administration of justice and the rule of law, the Law Association has maintained a clear and consistent position on the Bail and Anti-Gang legislation.

He said the association last year called for repeal of the Bail legislation given the constitutional guarantees of reasonable bail, coupled with the presumption of innocence and the right to be brought promptly before an appropriate judicial authority.

In a June 17th letter to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Mr. Armour said the association stated it did not support either of the two bills being continued as law.

The association considered the proposed legislation then to be a disproportionate measure.

Mr. Armour said the association stated even then that in the face of firearms and firearms-related offences, the 2015 amendments to the Bail Act amounted to a denial of a person’s constitutional rights.