| Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Long title | An Act to amend the Firearms Acts 1968 to 1992; to make provision in relation to the licensing and regulation of pistol clubs; to make further provision for regulating the possession of, and transactions relating to, firearms and ammunition; and for connected purposes. |
| Citation | 1997 c. 5 |
| Introduced by | Michael Howard[1] |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales; Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 27 February 1997 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 |
| Relates to | Firearms Act 1968 |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
| Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Long title | An Act to extend the class of prohibited weapons under the Firearms Act 1968 to include small-calibre pistols. |
| Citation | 1997 c. 64 |
| Introduced by | Jack Straw[2] |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales; Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 27 November 1997 |
| Commencement | 17 December 1997, 1 February 1998[3] |
| Other legislation | |
| Relates to | Firearms Act 1968, Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 |
Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Firearms (Amendment) Acts of 1997 were two separate Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that tightened existing gun controls within Great Britain. They were introduced in the aftermath of the Dunblane massacre of March 1996, where a lone gunman killed 16 children and their teacher. The first Act was made by John Major's Conservative government, while the second Act was made after the 1997 general election by Tony Blair's Labour government.
Dunblane massacre edit
On 13 March 1996, unemployed former shopkeeper and former Scout leader Thomas Watt Hamilton walked into the Dunblane Primary School in the Scottish town of Dunblane armed with two 9 mm Browning HP pistols and two Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolvers. After gaining entry to the school, he made his way to the gymnasium and opened fire on a class of five- and six-year-olds, killing or wounding all but one person. Fifteen children and a teacher, Gwen Mayor, died at the scene. He then left the gymnasium for a short period, firing several more times and injuring one teacher, before returning to the gym and committing suicide. A sixteenth child was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.[4]
Committee Inquiry and Cullen report edit
On 21 March 1996, the House of Commons and the House of Lords together passed a motion to appoint a tribunal of inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the incident at Dunblane Primary School.[5][6] Later the same day, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Forsyth, appointed the Honourable Lord Cullen to hold the inquiry.[7]
The first bill edit
The first bill was introduced to parliament by the Home Secretary, Michael Howard, on 31 October 1996.[1]
The provisions of the first Act edit
The election edit
In a survey conducted by the Gun Control Network in the months before the election, 97% of Labour candidates stated their support for a complete ban compared to 86% of Liberal Democrats and 29% of Conservatives. However, it should be noted that only 6% of Conservative candidates responded to the survey compared to a response rate of 30% for the other two parties.[8]
The second bill edit
On 19 May 1997, in his first speech to Parliament as the newly appointed Home Secretary, Jack Straw reiterated Labour's promise to allow a free vote on the ban of handguns.[9] The second bill was formally introduced to parliament on 22 May 2007.[2]
The provisions of the second Act edit
Repercussions of the Acts edit
Impact on Sport edit
Gun crime edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Hansard, Vol 284 Col 795". 31 October 1996. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ a b "Hansard, Vol 294 Col 851". 22 May 1997. Retrieved 2008-05-29.
- ^ "The Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 (Commencement) Order 1997 (No. 3114 (c.116))". 1997-12-17. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
- ^ The Hon Lord Cullen (16 October 1996). The Public Inquiry into the Shootings at Dunblane Primary School on 13 March 1996. London: The Stationery Office. ISBN 0-10-133862-7. OCLC 60187397. Retrieved 2008-05-31.
- ^ "Hansard, Vol 274 Col 512". 21 March 1996. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ "Hansard, Vol 570 Col 1374". 21 March 1996. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ "Hansard, Vol 282 Col 823". 16 October 1996. Retrieved 2008-06-02.
- ^ "Gun Control Network (GCN)". Daily Mail. 25 April 1997. p. 37. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ "Hansard, Vol 294 Col 397". 19 May 1997. Retrieved 2008-06-01.