AN amendment to the Firearms Act allowing analysts of government’s Forensic Laboratory to legally handle firearms, without a license, was passed in the National Assembly on Monday.

The Bill would allow analysts to handle firearm for ballistics investigations without having a firearm license.

Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn, who spearheaded the Bill, said it ensures a smooth chain of custody for handling firearms for forensic examination.

“We need to make sure that each person along the way who handles, or examines or test firearms and ammunition… are appropriately covered under the legislation to make sure there are no gaps… no opportunities for surprises when it comes to examination in the courts,” Benn said during the second reading of the Bill.

Geeta Chandan-Edmond, opposition parliamentarian, said her party supports the Bill but wants to ensure there are strict standard operating procedures to ensure the amendment is achieved.

“A piece of legislation cannot stand by itself and must stand in continued reform of the Guyana Police Force… we must continue to operate in national interest with reason, dialogue and collaboration,” Chandan-Edmond said.

According to the parliamentary Order Paper, Clause 2 of the Bill seeks to amend Section 20 of the Principal Act by inserting subjection (9).

The amendment exempts an analyst from holding a firearm license and legally empowers the analyst of the Guyana Forensic Science Laboratory to handle a firearm and ammunition in the execution of their duties in the area of ballistics.

Parliamentarian from the government side, Sanjeev Datadin, in explaining the amendment, said the forensic analyst is required to conduct an analysis in relation to firearms which then results in a certificate admitted in a court as a finding of the analyst.

The amendment, he said, allows the laboratory to hire persons with the qualifications to be analysts and for them to take control of the firearm for the purposes of conducting tests and producing that report without them holding a firearm license.

Datadin said these reports to the court were done previously by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) who were entitled to hold firearms.

Opposition parliamentarian Khemraj Ramjattan, in very brief remarks, raised a matter of protocol saying it shouldn’t be for the analyst to remove the weapon from the facility of the laboratory. Ramjattan expressed his support for the amendment.

The Bill was moved to committee and returned to the House without amendments. It was read a third time by Minister Benn, approved by the House, will now be presented to President Dr Irfaan Ali for his assent into law.