Caption: Minister of Justice Saddam Hosien
By Alicia Chamely
ATTORNEY Larry Lalla, SC, is responding to Justice Minister Saddam Hosein’s statements that Lalla is “suffering from political tabanca” and his “incorrect” statements regarding immunity in the proposed Stand Your Ground (SYG) legislation.
Lalla is further calling upon Hosein to explain to the public why they may face arrest for “standing their ground” under the Bill as it is drafted.
The exchange of words between Lalla and Hosein began on Thursday night, when at a People’s National Movement (PNM) public consultation on the SYG legislation.
Lalla stated, “The Bill has no immunity provisions and therefore a person ‘standing his ground’ and defending himself in reliance on the proposed legislation (in its present form) runs the real risk of being arrested by the police, charged for an offense (murder or manslaughter), having to seek bail or remain without bail (depending on the offence charged) and remain in priosn for years awaiting a trial at which he can then assert that he has a defence under the proposed legislation and that he ‘stood his ground.’”
When Hosein was questioned by the media on Friday outside of the Red House, Port of Spain, in regard to Lalla’s statement, he responded, “Mr Lalla is suffering from an incurable case of political tabanca. Everything he has touched, he has lost. I would be very hesitant to take any legal advice from him.”
Hosein continued, “If he examines clause seven and eight of the bill, and then compares it with the existing Commonwealth Law, which is the current law, you will see that he is absolutely wrong in his comments.”
Lalla responded later that afternoon in a tersely worded statement to AZP news.
He criticised Hosein’s decision to engage in personal attacks, rather than clarifying the issue.
Lalla said, “I will not engage in any personal attacks nor ego sparing with the goodly and honourable Minister and MP for I believe that far more important than personal attacks is the interest of the public in knowing the facts about the “Stand Your Ground” Bill that that government has been circulating.”
He said, “It is of concern to me that in the report on the Bill that was produced by the Law Reform Commission in July 2025 the Commission highlighted the existence of the immunity provision in other jurisdictions, but similar immunity provisions did not make their way into the government’s draft Bill.”
“The question is why? And why has the government not been explaining to citizens at its consultations that they run the risk of pre-trial arrest, charge and imprisonment for a potentially long time when exercising their rights under the Bill as drafted,” Lalla continued.
Lalla said, “Perhaps the good and honourable Minister and MP Saddam Hosein would see it fit, if given another opportunity by the press, to answer this question rather than to flatter me by attacking my professional career outside the national Parliament.”
