Gun law in Jamaica
[4] The goal was to expedite and improve enforcement of the 1967 Firearms Act,[5] which imposed licensing requirements on ownership and possession of guns and ammunition,[6] and prohibited automatic weapons entirely.[2] Prime Minister Michael Manley expressed his determination to take stronger action against firearms, predicting that "It will be a long war.[2] In 2010, a days-long gun battle sparked in the streets of Kingston (Tivoli Gardens), opposing the police force against the supporters of US-convict Christopher Coke.[2] In January 2018, after a wave of killing in Montego Bay (335 murders in 2017), the authorities declared a state of emergency in this part of the island.Firearm licences in Jamaica require a background check, inspection and payment of a yearly fee, and can make legal gun ownership difficult for ordinary citizens.[12][13] The new judicial procedures of the Gun Court Act were designed to ensure that firearms violations would be tried quickly and harshly punished.Pressure from Amnesty International caused authorities to amend the sentences (post conviction) to life in prison without parole.