In forceUpdated to 1 Jul 2025

Contents

Guns, Explosives and Weapons Control Act 2021 · Updated to 1 Jul 2025 · Part 2 · Offences

16. Unauthorised acquisition of guns, etc.

(1)

A person commits an offence if the person acquires, or takes part in the acquisition of, a gun, a major part of a gun, or a gun accessory from another and the person acquiring —

(a)

is not one of the following:

(i)

a person granted a licence to use, store or possess that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory;

(ii)

a class licensee authorised under a class licence to use, store or possess that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory;

(iii)

a person exempt from this section under section 87, 88 or 89 in relation to the use, storage or possession of that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory; or

(b)

is doing so in contravention of any condition of the person’s licence or class licence to use, store or possess that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory.

(2)

Strict liability applies to subsection (1)(b).

(3)

A person commits an offence if the person acquires, or takes part in the acquisition of, a gun, a major part of a gun, or a gun accessory from another (called in this section the supplier) and —

(a)

the supplier —

(i)

is not one of the following:

(A)

a person granted a licence to supply that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory;

(B)

a class licensee authorised under a class licence to supply that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory;

(C)

a person exempt from this section under section 87, 88 or 89 in relation to the supply of that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory; or

(ii)

is supplying the gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory (as the case may be) in contravention of any condition of the supplier’s licence or class licence to supply that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory; and

(b)

the person knows that, or is reckless as to whether, the supplier —

(i)

is not any of the persons in paragraph (a)(i); or

(ii)

is supplying the gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory in contravention of any condition of the supplier’s licence or class licence to supply that gun, major part of a gun or gun accessory.

Read on from s 17

Part 3