Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023

Insertion of section 3DA into Act of 1925

10. The Act of 1925 is amended by the insertion of the following section after section 3D:

“Restrictions on firearm certificates for semi-automatic centre-fire rifles

3DA. (1) On and after the date of the coming into operation of section 10 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023 (in this section referred to as the ‘relevant date’), a firearm certificate shall not be granted under this Act, or under section 2 of the Act of 2000 in respect of an application under paragraph (a) or (aa) of subsection (2) of that section, for a semi-automatic centre-fire rifle.

(2) On the day that is 3 months after the relevant date, any firearm certificate for a semi-automatic centre-fire rifle that was first granted after 18 September 2015 and that was in force immediately before the relevant date shall stand revoked.

(3) This section shall not affect the possibility of renewal of a firearm certificate for a semi-automatic centre-fire rifle under section 3 of this Act, or under section 9 of the Act of 1964, where the firearm certificate was first granted on or before 18 September 2015 and was in force on the relevant date.

(4) On or after the relevant date, the Minister or the Commissioner shall not, under section 11(1) of the Act of 1964, substitute for the description of a firearm in a firearm certificate granted by him or her the description of a semi-automatic centre-fire rifle.

(5) Sections 5(3) and 6 shall, on and after the day referred to in subsection (2) of this section, apply in relation to a semi-automatic centre-fire rifle in relation to which the relevant firearm certificate has been revoked pursuant to this section.

(6) In this section—

‘Act of 1964’ means the Firearms Act 1964 ;

‘Act of 2000’ means the Firearms (Firearm Certificates For Non-Residents) Act 2000 ;

‘first granted’ means, in relation to a particular semi-automatic centre-fire rifle—

(a) the grant (not renewal) of a firearm certificate for the semi-automatic centre-fire rifle under section 3 of this Act, or under section 2 of the Act of 2000 in respect of an application under paragraph (a) or (aa) of subsection (2) of that section, or

(b) the substitution by the Minister or the Commissioner, under section 11(1) of the Act of 1964, for the description of a firearm in a firearm certificate granted by him or her the description of the semi-automatic centre-fire rifle,

whichever is the earlier;

‘semi-automatic centre-fire rifle’ means a rifled long firearm that—

(a) uses a cartridge with a centrally located primer in the base,

(b) can self-load a round after each time a round is discharged, and

(c) cannot fire more than one round with a single pull on the trigger.”.