GOVERNMENT SENATOR Dennis Meadows wants laws enacted to impose life imprisonment on persons who commit multiple gun-related crimes within a three-year period.

In his contribution to the State of the Nation Debate in the Upper House yesterday, Meadows said the time had come for the country to introduce legislation to protect Jamaicans from "career criminals".

He said the legislation, known in the United States as the three strikes law, required the courts to enforce mandatory and extended sentences on persons convicted for three or more serious crimes.

Reduce gun crimes

"I am convinced that this three strikes law will reduce gun crimes," he told members of the Senate.

The Government senator has also proposed the implementation of stricter bail terms for persons who regularly infringe the law.

He questioned how someone who had been charged on separate occasions for three or more offences could receive bail. "Something is fundamentally wrong with that," he said.

Meadows also rekindled the casino debate, dismissing claims by an Opposition senator that the Government did not consult with the Church before approving its introduction.

He argued that after consultation with any stakeholder, including the Church, the Government had a responsibility to lead and serve.

"That responsibility is to provide jobs and spur the economy," he said, adding that casinos would facilitate that objective.