Dunblane Massacre Resource Page

Gun Law for the 21st Century

• All adult (older than 16 years, i.e. the military service age) UK (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) permanent residents shall be entitled to an Arms Certificate for life providing they have not been convicted of a serious crime of violence leading to a custodial sentence. The Arms Certificate may only be withdrawn on conviction for such an offence; or on permanent departure from the EU (European Union), NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) or Commonwealth countries. The issuing authority, entirely independent of the police and coming under the umbrella of the Ministry of Defence, shall have no discretion to deny the Arms Certificate when the clear and unambiguous tests of residency and criminal record are met. The Arms Certificate shall entitle the holder to acquire, hold, transport, and use any number of any type of firearm (including automatic weapons), ammunition, including the ingredients for loading ammunition, and explosives. A citizen shall have the option of an appeals procedure to a jury of his/her peers to be allowed the grant of an Arms Certificate irrespective of criminal record; this will be an important step in the rehabilitation of an offender.
• Any Arms Certificate holder shall be legally authorised to supervise any non-Certificate holder or holders.
• The school curriculum shall include weapons handling and safety instruction. A comprehensive civilian marksmanship programme shall be maintained with the active promotion of rifle practise for citizens.
• Soldiers, Policemen, and Government agents shall require an Arms Certificate in the same manner as civilians.
• Arms Certificate holders may be required to aid in Key Point security and Civil Defence during times of military emergency.
• A foreign visitor's FAC (Firearms Certificate) or equivalent, e.g. CCW (Concealed Carry of Weapons) permit, shall be treated in a similar manner to a Driving Licence, i.e. it shall automatically be accepted for periods of up to three months. Residents of states and countries not requiring arms certification shall be eligible for a visitor's certificate. The Government shall make full faith attempts to ensure continuing reciprocity from foreign governments.
• Government registration of weapons, except for purposes of police and military inventory control of government weapons, shall be abandoned.
• The Government shall not impose any "safe storage" requirements on, nor prohibit the carriage of, nor dictate the manner of carriage of, self-defence weapons (e.g. pistols, pepper/CS (CS incapacitant spray) spray, batons, blades carried for self-defence, etc.) and ammunition, excepting in cases of display in terrorem populi.
• There shall be no "gun free zones" or other such prohibitions of self-defence in public-access areas, for example in such locations as schools, government buildings, and hospitals.

In tandem with this, repeal of Statute Laws denying the historic right to self-defence shall occur. It shall be clear that citizens are entitled to their constitutional rights and parliament shall not legislate in breach of those rights. Such rights are outlined in historic documents such as Magna Carta 1215, the Declaration of Arbroath 1320, the Bill of Rights 1688 / Claim of Right Act 1689, and as guaranteed by Article IV of the Treaty of Union of 1707, which parliament has no powers to usurp, these being the true ancient and indubitable rights of the British citizen.

Such a regime will reduce dramatically the cost of policing and defending the country. It will provide a significant measure of internal security against foreign invasion and terrorism. It will provide security of the person and property for British citizens (which the UK government has signally failed to properly provide heretofore).

I envisage the certification procedure as a transitional arrangement during a return to the situation where arms are owned, bought, sold and carried freely without government interference. After the effects of these proposals become clear, people in general will understand that a certification procedure is redundant, and unacceptable, in a country of free people.

Having the guns in the hands of the people is the only honest way for a so-called "democracy" run by and for the people to operate.

Indeed there's a case to be made that, in order to retrieve the situation, the UK should emulate the Swiss model and make gun ownership compulsory.

It's worth noting in this context that one of the first steps taken after the Treaty of Union, 1707, was to disarm the Scots.

Political power grows from the barrel of a gun.

Johnny <johnny@dvc.org.uk>