Statement From Trinidad and Tobago Attorney General, John Jeremie SC on the State of Emergency.

Source: Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) Live Online, a state owned national television broadcaster in Trinidad and Tobago.

Summary: On March 3, 2026, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago reimposed a state of emergency following a resurgence of gang-related violence, including intelligence indicating imminent reprisal killings and coordinated attacks. Acting on the advice of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister invoked constitutional emergency provisions, with the President formally proclaiming the emergency effective immediately. The decision followed an earlier state of emergency (July 2025–January 2026), during which authorities reported significant reductions in crime through intelligence-led operations targeting organized criminal networks.

Officials framed the renewed declaration as a necessary response to escalating threats that exceeded the capacity of ordinary law enforcement tools, emphasizing a “zero tolerance” approach to gang activity and the protection of state institutions. At the same time, the government highlighted both the operational successes of prior emergency measures and the limits of legislative reforms intended to sustain those gains under normal legal conditions.

The episode illustrates a recurring dynamic central to ISSE’s work: the reactivation of exceptional powers not as a singular crisis response, but as part of an iterative cycle in which temporary emergency authorities risk becoming embedded in the broader architecture of governance.