The United States Appeals Court’s historic decision, which upheld Mexico’s decision to sue American gun makers for aiding in the trafficking of firearms into Mexico and escalating gun violence, according to Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley, is a “good thing” for Trinidad and Tobago.
He claimed that this development should make it more difficult for individuals who would participate in activities that would be detrimental to our nation and force all makers and dealers to trade these goods with more responsibility.
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In the wake of the recent ruling decision, a local news media house reached out to the Prime Minister, who also happens to be the chair of the National Security Council, seeking an explanation.
“I feel satisfied that it was a good thing for Trinidad and Tobago to align itself with the arguments and the Mexican lawsuit because we face the same problem that Mexico is complaining about. Whatever the final outcome of this lawsuit, because it is a complaint being filed by sovereign states being taken up by the US judicial system, this will certainly cause gun manufacturers and distributors in the US to pay attention and take pause as they shovel volumes of dangerous items into our countries without the least bit of care as to the damage and destruction that these guns and ammunition are having in on our vulnerable societies,” He said as he answered inquiries.
Rowley chastised the Opposition as well for not supporting this cause.
“What should also be noted here in Trinidad and Tobago, is that once again, as is normally the case, the government of our country could not count on any support from the Opposition in our efforts to advance the interests of Trinidad and Tobago, especially in matters of diplomacy and foreign affairs,” he noted.
PM Rowley continued, “They had a lot of negative comments on this issue as they tried to throw shade on the efforts of the government as we spoke and acted alongside Mexico, in this pioneering effort to hold gun suppliers responsible at the source of the supply, even before the killing tools get into the hands of dealers and criminal traffickers.”
Mexico filed its lawsuit in August 2021, but US District Court Judge F Dennis Saylor IV dismissed it, stating that the gun business is immune from civil responsibility in the US under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA).
Mexico said in its appeal of that decision that the PLCAA does not offer protection against harm done overseas or legal infractions by weapons manufacturers. Mexico presented a compelling enough argument for the court to rule in favor of the nation,“ defendants (the gun companies) aided and abetted the knowingly unlawful downstream trafficking of their guns into Mexico.”
According to Global Action on Gun Violence (GAGV), the case was remanded back to the trial court by the judge. The US Court of Appeal for the First Circuit, according to a statement from GAGV, is the first federal appeals court to hold gun manufacturers accountable for contributing to gun violence since the US gun industry protection law was passed in 2005. It is also the first court to support a sovereign nation’s right to sue the gun industry.
GAGV is the sole nonprofit organization dedicated to putting an end to gun violence worldwide via advocacy, international action, and litigation. It has been successfully suing the gun business for more than 25 years.
According to a recent statement, the Court overturned a trial court decision that the federal gun industry shield law (the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act) forbade it, ruling that Mexico v. Smith and Wesson, et al., the first lawsuit brought by a national government against the gun industry, can move forward.
Mexico has filed a lawsuit against six American gun manufacturers, claiming that the corporations should be held responsible for aiding in the cross-border trafficking of firearms into Mexico and fueling gun violence within the nation.
Jonathan Lowy, the head of GAGV, and Texas-based lawyer Steve Shadowen serve as co-counsel representing Mexico.
