Kareem Musa Says Scrapped Guns and Gang Court Was Missed Opportunity

Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa has expressed regret over the cancellation of the proposed Guns and Gang Court, noting that the specialized court would have complemented the objectives of the now abandoned 13^th Constitutional Amendment and strengthened the country’s response to serious crime.  In December, Prime Minister John Briceño announced that the government would no longer pursue the Thirteenth Amendment, explaining that legal experts are instead examining how key elements of the proposal can be incorporated into the Criminal Code. The amendment had been designed to introduce stronger legal tools to address gun violence and gang-related crime, while balancing constitutional safeguards.  Speaking on the issue, Minister Musa said the essence of the Thirteenth Amendment was to give the state more effective instruments to deal with repeat offenders and organized criminal activity, particularly those involving firearms and gangs. He acknowledged the Prime Minister’s decision but said the Guns and Gang Court could still play a meaningful role in supporting those objectives.

When the Briceño administration took office in 2020, it inherited rising gun violence, legal uncertainty after challenges to prior amendments, pressure from police leadership and the public for tougher tools.  Rather than simply reviving the 10^th Amendment model, the government began exploring a new constitutional approach, leading to the concept of the Thirteenth Amendment.