House Approves Amendments to New Firearms Bill by the Senate

The House of Representatives on Tuesday (September 27), approved the amendments made to the new Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction and Regulation) Act, by the Senate.

The Bill establishes a dual regime, distinguishing between prohibited weapons or unregulated firearms and activities connected thereto, and firearms that are duly authorised or registered.

In his remarks, Minister of National Security, Hon. Dr. Horace Chang, said among the changes is an amendment to Clause five to correct an anomaly in a sentencing provision relating to simple possession of an illegal firearm versus possession with intent to injure.

Previously, the Bill called for a mandatory life imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm.

The legislation has been amended to say, “a person who contravenes subsection (1) commits a felony and shall on conviction therefor before a Circuit Court be sentenced to imprisonment for such term, of not less than fifteen years nor more than twenty-five years, as the Court considers appropriate”.

Dr. Chang also informed that amendments were made in relation to Clause 19, which gives the power to the Minister to declare a firearms amnesty, by order, subject to affirmative resolution.

This amnesty will allow persons who may be in possession of illegal firearms the opportunity to surrender these weapons to the State, without the fear of prosecution.

He said that subsection three (b) and subsection four of Clause 19, have been deleted, which had provided that if a person surrenders a firearm or ammunition, for which a firearm authorisation may be granted, then that person may apply for a firearm authorisation.

In his remarks, Leader of the Opposition, Mark Golding, welcomed the amendments made to Clause five.

“Mandatory life imprisonment for possession was a very extreme form of sentence at the time, and this brings it more into alignment with the rest of the scheme in the legislation,” Mr. Golding said.

The legislation was further amended in the Lower House replacing the word “Queen with the word King in the enacting clause”.

The Bill is to return to the Senate for its approval.