as Guyana, by treating violent public unrest as acts of terrorism.

Nandlall made these remarks during his weekly programme, Issues in the News, last Tuesday evening, where he defended the terrorism charges instituted against dozens of individuals who are alleged to have participated in the recent countrywide unrest.

According to the Attorney General, Guyana has led the way within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) when it comes to treating violent public unrest as acts of terrorism.

A preliminary report on effectively dealing with acts of terror recognised that Member States are grappling with an escalation of indiscriminate, reckless shootings and acts of violence in public spaces, during which innocent bystanders, including women and children, are caught in gunfire and fatally injured.

Citing the preliminary report on tackling violence in the Caribbean, Nandlall pointed out that a draft paper has already been prepared, which provides options for Caricom Member States to consider how to effectively legislate and designate certain indiscriminate acts of violence and criminality, committed in public spaces, as “acts of terror” and efficiently bring to justice, the perpetrators of such acts of terror – something which the AG says Guyana had the foresight to do over two decades ago.

“The paper proposes two options, which are based on the practice of Commonwealth jurisdictions: (i) to incorporate the crime within the definition of “terrorist act” under existing terrorism legislation or other legislation, or (ii) develop new legislation for standard crimes that deal with terrorist actions [carried out indiscriminately]. At the Caricom level, they are moving to do what we did in 2002. We are 22 years or more ahead of Caricom on this matter,” he asserted. Back in 2002, Guyana amended the Criminal Law (Offences) Act to include a ‘Terrorist Act.’ (I News Guyana)