New gun laws are being rolled out as of this month to address the increase in public shootings and proliferation of firearms in the community.
The following excerpt has been taken from the Premier’s Media Release on these reforms.
New laws to help police remove illegal guns from our streets come into force today.
Four laws fast-tracked by the Andrews Labor Government will help tackle the firearms black market by closing gaps in the state’s gun laws and giving police more powers to prosecute gun crimes.
Under the reforms to the Firearms Act anyone caught possessing three or more unregistered firearms over a 12-month period can be prosecuted for trafficking.
The new laws will also help Victoria Police deal with firearms held by serious and organised crime groups, such as bikies. Where a firearm is found but those present deny any knowledge of the weapon or claim it is not theirs, the laws will place the onus on the person to show the firearm is not in their possession.
A new offence – the “manufacture of firearms’’ – will carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail. This recognises this offence as a serious crime that leads to unregistered guns circulating in the community.
In addition, a new “theft of a firearm’’ offence in the Crimes Act will carry a maximum penalty of 15 years’ jail, up from the current maximum of ten years. This is to reflect the gravity of the act as stolen guns are often used in serious crime.
You can download a copy of the complete Media Release from here:
Download the Media Release (PDF 324KB)