A gênese da lei parece ser manter os militares identificáveis militarmente e todos os demais civis.
Como relatado por Theresa Gordon do Antigua Daily Observer, em 23 de julho de 2013 :
Anyone caught wearing or selling military-type camouflage clothing will be arrested.
The get-tough stance was announced by Staff Judge Advocate of the Antigua & Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Orlando Michael.
Michael said the ABDF would be working along with the police to enforce this provision within the law which appears to be ignored by many.
He said the move is very critical and comes at at time when numerous victims of crime have reported being attacked by individuals dressed in camouflage attire.
“Military officers will be engaged in crime prevention along with the police and we don’t want anyone to mistake a civilian for a milliary person,” Michael told state television yesterday. “This may cause persons to drop their guard.
“Once we see persons who are misrepresenting the military in any attire, the full force of the law will be applied,” Michael added.
According to the Defence Act 2006, it is an offence to wear, “without authority, any uniform or part thereof, or any article of clothing made from any disruptive pattern materials used for making the military uniform commonly called the camouflage uniform, or from any other material so nearly resembling any of those materials as it is likely to deceive.”
The law also restricts the wearing of any uniform or part thereof worn by any military organisation of any other country.
Another piece of legislation addressing the wearing and sale of such clothing is the Military Uniforms Act of 1997.
It states, “No person shall import, trade, sell or deal in military uniforms or decorations except with the approval of the minister.”
Any person who commits an offence under this section is liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of $2,000 or to imprisonment for one year.