The legal fraternity in Barbados wants more focus on addressing the root causes of crime and violence and less on the enactment of additional laws.The Barbados Bar Association also suggests that the authorities find and crack down on the source of guns being imported.That’s the position held by president Rosalind Smith-Millar and criminal attorney Shadia Simpson, in response to Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s recent announcement of the plan to restore mandatory jail time for illegal gun possession.While welcoming the intended mandatory imprisonment for firearm possession, Smith-Millar said it would not get to the heart of the serious situation confronting the country.“There are some crimes which need a firmer hand when it comes to deterrent and punishment, and this [gun crime] is probably one of them. But there is more to this whole scenario than just somebody shot somebody,” Smith-Millar said in an interview with Barbados TODAY against the background of a recent spike in shootings.
