Media organizations and independent journalists in Trinidad and Tobago have expressed serious concerns about legislation enacted on September 24 that expands police powers of search and seizure. The government has characterized the special operations bill 2026 as necessary to address the Caribbean nation’s elevated crime and murder rates, citing the country’s prolonged state of emergency over the past year.
The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago has called for urgent amendments, specifically requesting that Clause 15 be revised to explicitly protect journalism as a lawful trade. The organization notes that while the clause currently shields “tools of lawful trade or business,” journalism is not specifically named, leaving journalists vulnerable to seizures of phones, laptops, and notebooks containing confidential source information. MATT president Prior Beharry emphasized that in the digital age, phones represent essential journalistic tools and that the absence of procedures for handling protected materials discovered during police searches creates significant risk.
Access concerns extend beyond search-and-seizure provisions. Beharry highlighted that the prime minister has not held an official press conference for over a year, and government ministries have restricted journalist attendance while prioritizing state media. Independent journalist Pearce Robinson identified what he termed a “concrete” threat to press freedom resulting from the combination of expanded surveillance capabilities, broadened search powers without journalistic protections, and diminished government accessibility. He noted that investigative journalism depends on the ability of sources to communicate confidentially.
Robinson also cited an investigation revealing that judges approved 314 warrants to intercept communications between 2020 and May 2026. Pedro Cárdenas of the human rights organization Article 19 expressed concern about the bill’s vague language regarding what constitutes “substantial value” in seized materials, arguing it may contravene international human rights law. Former prime minister Stuart Young called the legislation “unconstitutional and very dangerous,” citing a pattern of emergency power abuse including detention without charge. Trinidad and Tobago currently ranks 32nd in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, having fallen 13 places from the prior year’s ranking of 19th.
The prime minister’s office did not respond to requests for comment regarding the journalists’ concerns.
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