Former national security minister Stuart Young has accused the Trinidad and Tobago Government of eroding constitutional rights through the proposed Special Operations Bill 2026, warning during parliamentary debate that the legislation could move the country toward what he described as a “police state.”
Young, now an Opposition MP, made the remarks on September 18 as the House of Representatives debated the legislation, which is intended to establish a legal framework for targeted security operations in areas affected by violent crime, gang activity and illegal weapons. The bill was subsequently passed in the House on September 19.
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Young argued that the proposed powers could allow authorities to detain people without sufficient evidence and said citizens were becoming desensitized to concerns about constitutional protections and fundamental rights. He went further, declaring that Trinidad and Tobago was already experiencing what he characterized as a dictatorship.
The former security minister also criticized the speed with which the legislation was brought before Parliament, arguing that lawmakers had insufficient time to examine what he described as far-reaching provisions. He said the Opposition would not support legislation it considers unconstitutional or designed to suppress citizens’ rights.
The Government has defended the bill as a measure aimed at preserving security gains made during the recent state of emergency, which ended on September 17. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said the proposed framework would permit enhanced police operations in defined areas where violent crime, gangs or illegal weapons pose serious threats and ordinary policing is insufficient.
Under the proposed framework, authorities could temporarily close designated areas, establish cordons, impose curfews and regulate entry and exit, while exercising enhanced powers of search, seizure, arrest and detention subject to judicial oversight. The Government has said the legislation includes safeguards and is intended to target criminal networks rather than ordinary citizens.
Attorney General John Jeremie acknowledged during the parliamentary debate that the legislation could interfere with several constitutionally protected rights. However, he argued that any such infringement would be reasonable and proportionate when weighed against the need to protect citizens from violent crime and gangs.
The debate follows months of heightened security measures under the state of emergency, during which more than 5,800 people were arrested, and about 2,250 remained uncharged at the end of the latest period, according to figures cited by the Prime Minister. The Government says the new legislation is intended to provide a permanent legal framework for targeted operations, while critics continue to raise concerns about civil liberties and the extent of state powers.
