Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1998

Penalties for certain offences.

15.—(1) Section 15 of the Firearms Act, 1925 , as amended by section 21 (4) of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act, 1976 , and section 14 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 (possessing firearm or ammunition with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property) is hereby amended by the substitution for “imprisonment for life” of “a fine or imprisonment for life or both”.

(2) Section 27A(1) of the Firearms Act, 1964 , inserted by section 8 of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act, 1976 , and amended by section 14 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 (possession of firearm or ammunition in suspicious circumstances) is hereby amended by the substitution for “imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years” of “a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or both”.

(3) Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1883 , inserted by section 4 of the Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act, 1976 , is hereby amended by the substitution for “imprisonment for life” of “a fine or imprisonment for life or both”.

(4) Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act, 1883 , is hereby amended by the deletion in subsection (1) of all the words from “of felony” to the end of that subsection and the substitution of “of an offence and shall be liable, on conviction on indictment, to a fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years or both, and the explosive substance shall be forfeited.”.