Revisiting Law Prohibiting Civilian Use of Camouflage Patterns: Calls for Repeal Grow
February 3, 2025
Former soldier and parliamentarian Jeffrey Bostic advocates for revisiting the law prohibiting civilians from wearing camouflage in Barbados, citing outdated reasons and the need for repeal.
More people are open to the idea of revisiting the law prohibiting civilians from wearing “disruptive pattern materials” commonly known as camouflage.
Former soldier and parliamentarian The Most Honourable Jeffrey Bostic is among those in favour of relooking the Defence Act CAP 159 Section 188 which, among other things, deems it an offence for members of the public to wear any article of clothing in the camouflage design, the uniform of the Barbados Defence Force or the pattern of any military organisation – even if disbanded – which could also lead to deception.
‘Should be repealed’
“To be honest with you, that law needs to be repealed because the purpose for which it was created, we’ve outgrown that now. I do not agree in terms of maintaining the ban on camouflage equipment. In some cases . . . the pattern is not even the pattern that is utilised here,” Bostic, a retired lieutenant colonel of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF), told the DAILY NATION. “I think we’ve long gone past that.”
