Leacock Signals Tougher Bail Rules for Illegal Gun Offences 

By Admin. Updated 10:31 a.m., Tuesday, September 15, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4). 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Major St Clair Leacock says people charged with possessing illegal firearms could face greater difficulty securing bail if changes to the country’s bail laws are pursued.

Leacock says he has raised the issue with Attorney General Ms Louise Mitchell, following public concern over cases in which people arrested with firearms and ammunition are subsequently granted bail.

Speaking on the News Times programme on September 14, the National Security Minister said the government does not control decisions on bail, which are a matter for the courts.

“Let me say something on that because I saw a lot of comments on chats, social media, with respect to people being arrested for carrying very serious ammunition and then being allowed bail by the court system,” Leacock said.

“No, we don’t have any control over that. And that’s the preserve of the Minister of Legal Affairs and the Attorney General working in tandem.” 

But Leacock indicated that the government is examining whether the existing legal framework could be strengthened.

He said that, during a recent visit to Barbados, he discussed the issue with the country’s Prime Minister and was told that Barbados had reviewed its bail legislation.

According to Leacock, Barbados is now being guided by practices in South Africa, which he said have different provisions for people considered to be clear criminal threats to society. He said those provisions make bail more difficult in certain circumstances. 

Leacock said the discussion prompted him to take the matter to St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Attorney General.

“And I have spoken to my own Attorney General on that matter for guidance and direction,” he said. 

The minister suggested that people caught illegally carrying firearms, particularly high-powered weapons, could face tougher bail requirements in the future.

“You may find that guys in the future will be caught in a trap or in the web of carrying guns unlicensed and especially AKs and other things. They may find it a little bit more difficult to even get bail, much more to reason it,” Leacock said. 

He said the prospect of tougher bail should also act as a deterrent.

“That clearly would be a deterrent. Well, it has to be a deterrent,” he added. 

Leacock’s comments come when public debated over bail following a recent case involving a man accused of possessing an AR-15 rifle and 19 rounds of prohibited ammunition during a stop-and-search operation by the Royal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF)

In that case, the accused was granted bail in the sum of EC$20,000, but Leacock said the man remained in custody because he was unable to post the required amount.

Leacock’s remarks do not amount to an announcement that bail has been removed for firearm offences. Rather, they indicate that the government is discussing whether the law should be changed to make bail more difficult in cases involving people regarded as serious threats to public safety.

END

About the Author: This story was written and submitted by freelance journalist Mr. Val Matthias, a trained communicator with more than two decades in the media sector. All supporting materials for this story have been presented, vetted, and verified. Mr Matthias can be reached at [email protected]