As the Lower House of Parliament debates the Special Operations Bill, 2026, the Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) joins the rest of the nation in supporting all lawful, robust, and necessary measures aimed at reducing crime and restoring public safety across our country.

However, MATT must express concern regarding the current drafting of Clause 15, sub-clauses (3) and (4) of the Bill, and the effect it may have on Freedom of the Press as guaranteed under Section 4(k) of the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago.

Clause 15(3) empowers law enforcement officers to seize any vehicle, article, or document deemed “likely to be of substantial value” to an investigation. MATT acknowledges that Clause 15(4) provides that a police officer shall not seize “any tool of a lawful trade or business” or any article or document subject to legal professional privilege.

However, the Bill does not expressly identify journalism as a protected lawful trade, nor does it specifically protect journalists’ devices, materials, or confidential source information. It also does not set out a specific procedure governing police access to confidential journalistic material where such material is encountered during a search.

This raises particular concerns for journalists whose phones, laptops, notebooks, recording equipment, and other devices may contain confidential information capable of identifying sources.

Without ironclad, explicit safeguards, these everyday tools of our trade remain exposed to sweeping operational seizures under the broad umbrella of public disorder investigations.

MATT notes the assurances given by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the Special Operations Bill, 2026, will not require a special constitutional majority on the basis that it does not seek to infringe upon the fundamental rights enshrined in our Constitution.

If this legislative intent is to be truly realized, the Bill must explicitly recognize the settled law of Trinidad and Tobago. In the landmark case of One Caribbean Media Group Ltd & Ors v The Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago & Ors (CV 2020-01041), our courts unequivocally ruled that the protection of journalistic sources is a cornerstone of our democracy.

The judiciary affirmed that overly broad search and seizure mechanisms executed against media entities are illegal, unconstitutional, and cause an impermissible “chilling effect” on the public’s right to know.

MATT therefore calls upon the Government and all Members of the Lower House to provide the media and the public with the assurance that journalists will be allowed to keep the tools of their trade and protect their sources if this bill becomes law.

We therefore urge Parliament to adopt the following critical legislative amendments:

Explicit Identification: Amend Clause 15(4) to expressly name journalism as a protected lawful trade and explicitly shield journalists’ devices, materials, and confidential source information from standard police seizure.

Mandatory Legal Framework: Insert a specific, rigorous legal procedure governing how law enforcement must handle confidential journalistic material if encountered during a search, ensuring it is subject to immediate high court oversight rather than arbitrary police access.

MATT stands ready to support all constitutional measures to combat crime, but we maintain that national security must never come at the expense of a free press.

We urge our legislators to safeguard the democratic pillars of Trinidad and Tobago by explicitly protecting those who work to keep the public informed.