The Media Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MATT) is calling on the Government to amend the Special Operations Bill, 2026 to explicitly protect journalists’ confidential sources and equipment from police seizure during special operations.
In a statement yesterday, as the legislation was being debated in the House of Representatives, MATT said while it supports lawful measures to reduce crime, it is concerned about the potential impact of Clause 15 on freedom of the press.
Clause 15(3) allows law enforcement officers to seize a vehicle, article or document considered “likely to be of substantial value” to an investigation.
MATT noted that Clause 15(4) prevents police from seizing a “tool of a lawful trade or business” or material protected by legal professional privilege.
However, the association said the Bill does not expressly identify journalism as a protected lawful trade or specifically safeguard journalists’ devices, materials and onfidential source information. It also does not establish a specific procedure governing police access to confidential journalistic material discovered during searches.
MATT warned this could leave journalists’ phones, laptops, notebooks and recording equipment vulnerable to seizure, potentially exposing information capable of identifying confidential 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 said.
The association also pointed to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s assurance that the legislation does not require a special constitutional majority because it does not seek to infringe fundamental constitutional rights.
MATT said if that intention is to be realised, the legislation should recognise existing protections for journalistic sources.
It cited the High Court ruling in One Caribbean Media Group Ltd & Ors v The Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago & Ors, saying the court affirmed the importance of protecting journalistic sources and found overly broad search-and-seizure mechanisms against media entities could have a chilling effect on the public’s right to know.
MATT wants Clause 15(4) amended to expressly name journalism as a protected lawful trade and safeguard journalists’ devices, materials and confidential sources.
It also wants a specific legal procedure requiring immediate High Court oversight when confidential journalistic material is encountered during a search.
