Parliament to Debate Major Public Safety and Justice Bills on September 18

The House of Representatives will meet on Friday, September 18, 2026, to consider a wide-ranging package of legislation dealing with policing, firearms, forensic services, fire and rescue operations, court procedures and mental-health care.

Attorney General and Minister for Legal Affairs Sir Steadroy Benjamin informed Cabinet of the legislative agenda on Wednesday.

The measures scheduled for consideration are the Police Bill, 2026; Fire and Rescue Service Bill, 2026; Antigua and Barbuda Forensic Services Bill, 2026; Firearms (Amendment) Bill, 2026; Magistrate’s Code of Procedure (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2026; and Mental Health Care Bill, 2026.

Cabinet said the sitting takes on added importance amid a recent increase in firearm-related incidents and the Government’s push to strengthen the institutions responsible for public safety and justice.

The firearms and court-procedure amendments are expected to create stronger sentencing provisions for serious gun offences and expand magistrates’ sentencing powers in specified cases.

At the High Court level, substantially heavier penalties are proposed for serious offences involving firearms.

The Police Bill will modernise the legal framework governing policing, including how complaints are handled, while changing the organisation’s designation from the Police Force to the Police Service.

The Fire and Rescue Service Bill will replace decades-old legislation and formally recognise the wider responsibilities of a modern fire and rescue organisation.

The Forensic Services Bill will establish the country’s forensic services as a distinct institution in law, while the Mental Health Care Bill will update procedures governing the treatment and care of people requiring mental-health services.

Cabinet said the legislative package is intended to provide law-enforcement agencies, the courts and other institutions with stronger and more modern tools to protect the public