Unlike the USA, where the legal rules and regulations around owning a gun are fairly relaxed, the Uk has some of the strictest gun laws. These laws began with the 1689 Bill of Rights. Its full and correct title is, 'An Act Declaring the Rights and Liberties of the Subject and Settling the Sucession of the Crown'. This bill states a set of rights which, as free individuals living in a democratic society, should be entitled to. Included in these rights is the right to bear arms for defence.
The Gun Licence Act
1870 saw the introduction of the Gun Licence Act. This act was solely created as a way of making money. It ensured that anyone who wanted to carry a gun outside their own home they, by law, were required to have a licence to do so. A licence was not required to buy a gun or ammunition nor was any reason to be carrying a gun required. It was thirty three years later before the 1903 Pistol Act came into force.
This act outlawed ownership of a gun to anyone who was deemed drunken or insane. It was fully titled as, 'An Act to regulate the sale and use of Pistols or other Firearms' , although this act applied to pistols only, defined by having a nine inch or less barrel (handguns). By law it was now required to produce a valid gun licence to buy or rent a pistol. The main problem here was that this licence could be bought by anyone at a post office over the counter therefore making little difference.
After World War I there was great concern about the number of guns among the population after the return home of many armed forces. From this concern came the Firearms Act 1920. This act introduced a registration system where the police could deny a gun licence to anyone who they considered unfit, for whatever reason, to be trusted with a firearm. One of the biggest changes in gun laws came in the 1937 Firearms Act with the banning of most fully automatic weapons. Thirty years later the Criminal Justice Act 1967 stated that a licence and registration was required for all firearms with the exception of registration for shotguns.
Pressure on the Government
In August of 1987 pressure was put on the government to tighten the gun laws when, in Hungerford, Micheal Ryan killed sixteen people and himself with two semi automatic rifles and a handgun which he legally owned. This lead to the 1988 Firearms (Amendment) Act, which banned the following: Semi automatic rifles, pump action rifles, elevated pump action and self loading rifles, short shotguns with magazines, weapons firing explosive ammunition and registration compulsory for shotguns and the requirement for them to be kept in secure storage.
Further calls to tighten the gun laws came about in 1996, when, in Dunblane when Thomas Hamilton killed sixteen children and their teacher with four pistols which he legally held. The conservative government had previously banned handguns above 22. calibre At this point the Labour Government introduced the Firearms (Amendment) (No2) Act 1997 which banned all handguns of any calibre.
The next big change in gun laws came in the form of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006. This act made it an offence to, manufacture, import or sell realistic imitation guns. It doubled the maximum sentence for carrying an imitation gun from six months to twelve. It became a crime to fire an air gun beyond the boundary of any premises. It increased the age limit for buying and possessing an air gun from seventeen to eighteen,
Airguns
Even after the many new laws around the use and possession of weapons many, involving air weapons, are still making it into the news headlines. Laura Smith reports in The Guardian, 23rd August 2006 'Calls for curbs on air guns after death of school boy shot in eye'. A boy of only 12 years old died in hospital from a wound to the head through the eye. Another two 12 year old boys were involved in this incident but it is not clear how they managed to be out and about with an airgun.
This shows the irresponsibility of some air weapon owners and upholds the suggestion that all air weapon should be registered and licenced as with all other firearms. Another report in the Mirror, 27th August 2008 by Rod Chaytor, Shot tots dad can not face his family' A young child had managed to get hold of the weapon and shoot her 18 month old brother. This demonstrates the danger of airguns and the responsibility of the owner to keep that weapon in a secure locked place to prevent tragedies like these.
As a result of the many tragedies and campaigning from the 10th February 2011 new laws in England come into force regarding air weapons. The aim of the new offence is to stop under 18s gaining unauthorised access to airguns by making the owners take responsibility for the security of that weapon. From the 10th February 2011 airgun owner can face a fine of up the £1000 if they do not take reasonable precautions to stop access by a minor. Safety leaflets will be provided with every purchase and under the new legislation their is no excuses and offenders will be prosecuted.
The Shotgun Problem
In a report by Tim Shipman, 20th December 2010, The 5,000 children given a licence to fire guns: MPs demand changes to firearm laws' it claims that 26 of these children are only ten years old and are legal holders of shotgun licences. Under the current law their is no age limit so children even younger than this can hold a licence and very few provisions apply.
Under 15s cannot have a shot gun with them unless under direct supervision of a person age 21 or above. Anyone between the ages of 15 and 18 can be lent or given a shotgun and can use it without supervision but they cannot hire or buy a shotgun or ammunition. This is another of gun law which needs attention. Derek Bird killed 12 and injured 11 people with a legally held shotgun despite run-ins with the law.
Morrigan Lynda Carey - I have a BA Degree in Criminology and a Diploma in Health and Social Care. I have also had training in Child Protection and Drug ...
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