CONTROL OF FIREARMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21845, 6 July 1934, Page 13

CONTROL OF FIREARMS

MINIMISING ACCIDENTS WEAPONS OF BETTER TYPE IMPORT LICENCE SYSTEM [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WKLLIXGTON. Thursd;iy "This bill is designed to provide for the use of higher grade weapons, to reduce the number of deaths from accidental shooting and to give greater control to the police over firearms," said the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, .Minister of Justice, in explaining in the House of Representatives to-day the provisions of the Arms Amendment Bill, which was introduced by Governor-General's Message and read a first time. The bill would be of advantage to British manufacturers of firearms, continued the Minister. There had been a tremendous demand for cheap lowclass weapons, and there had been many accidents as a result of their use.

Mr. W. E. Barnard (Labour — Napier): Where do they come from?

The Minister: Chiefly from Belgium. On the second reading I will be a bio to provide the House with some illuminating details. Samples May Be Required

An examination of the bill shows that section 2 provides that firearms shall not be imported for sale after January 1 next except in pursuance of an import licence issued by a superintendent or inspector of police, who may require an applicant to produce, for examination and testing, samples of the weapons proposed to be imported. Discretion is granted to the police to refuse to grant a licence. Anyone who commits an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for three months or a flue of £IOO, or on indictment, to imprisonment for three years. The police are also given power to revoke any import licence. Section 3 gives authority t to the police to refuse registration of a firearm by any person who, in their opinion, is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of such weapon, and to revoke a certificate of registration already issued to any such person. This authority is considered necessary because in some cases persons who at the time of registering firearms are known as. reputable citizens later display criminal or anti-social tendencies. Eflect of Later Knowledge It sometimes happens that after a permit to procure a firearm has been issued, and prior to registration, it comes to the knowledge of the police that the applicant is not a fit and proper person to be in possession of a firearm. However, under the present law, the police cannot refuse registration. That part of the Act is therefore being repealed. Section 4 provides machinery for dealing with firearms respecting which registration is refused or revoked, and protects the interest of the owner by providing for the sale of the firearm to any person approved by the police, or failing that, confiscation of the weapon to the Crown and payment of compensation. It is not anticipated that many cases involving revocation or refusal of registration will occur, and the necessity for payment of compensation should seldom arise. Section 5 provides for the right of appeal to a magistrate in any case where registration of a firearm is refused or revoked. Section 6 is designed to protect the Crown and the police from any claims which might otherwise lie in cases of accidents occurring with firearms the importation of which has been authorised by the police. DOMESTIC COURT CASES EXCLUSION OF PUBLIC MRS. McCOMBS' PROPOSAL [BY TELEGRAPH SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday A bill providing for the compulsory closing of Courts during the hearing of domestic cases will be introduced in Parliament this session by Mrs. E. R. McCombs (Labour —Lyttelton). Under the present law, magistrates have discretionary power to order the public to leave the Court if they are of the opinion that it is not in the public interest for those not connected with the case to be present. The legislation proposed by Mrs. McCombs will make it mandatory for the public to leave when separation and other domestic cases are called.

Mrs. McCombs' ultimate aim is the establishment of special tribunals to deal with cases of domestic trouble on

the lines of the domestic Courts now existent in some American States. She is proposing the closing of present Courts in such cases as a preliminary step toward her objective, an action which has already been taken in New South Wales.