Key facts
- Journalists in Trinidad and Tobago are concerned a new bill will threaten press freedom.
- The Special Operations Bill 2026, passed September 24, expands police search and seizure powers.
- MATT wants clause 15 amended to explicitly shield journalistic devices, materials, and confidential sources.
- The bill does not explicitly recognize journalism as a protected trade.
- The country ranked 32nd in the 2025 Reporters Without Borders press freedom index, down from 19th.
- Former Prime Minister Stuart Young called the bill "unconstitutional and very dangerous."
Journalists in Trinidad and Tobago have voiced strong opposition to the recently passed Special Operations Bill 2026, arguing that its expanded police powers of search and seizure pose a significant threat to press freedom and the confidentiality of sources. The bill, enacted on September 24, aims to bolster law enforcement's ability to combat high crime rates in the Caribbean nation.
Journalists are particularly concerned that the legislation does not explicitly protect their notebooks, phones, and laptops from being searched or seized. While the bill prevents the seizure of "a tool of a lawful trade or business" or material protected by legal professional privilege, it fails to specifically name journalism as a protected trade or establish a procedure for handling journalistic materials discovered during searches. The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) has called for clause 15 to be amended to expressly include journalism and safeguard journalists' devices, materials, and confidential sources.
Pearce Robinson, an independent journalist, highlighted that in the digital age, a journalist's tools are often their phone and laptop. He expressed concern that the combination of expanded search powers without explicit protections, coupled with declining access to government officials—the prime minister has not held a press conference in over a year—creates a "concrete" threat to investigative reporting. Robinson noted that 314 warrants to intercept communications were approved between 2020 and May 2026, adding to the pressures on press freedom.
Pedro Cárdenas of Article 19 echoed these concerns, pointing to the vagueness of clause 15 regarding what constitutes "substantial value" and suggesting it could contravene international human rights laws. The office of the prime minister did not respond to a request for comment. Stuart Young, the former prime minister, strongly criticized the bill, calling it "unconstitutional and very dangerous" and warning of the "real likelihood of abuse" given the government's past use of emergency powers.