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Submissions

Ministry of Justice Arms Act Rewrite

Posted in Submission, Government; Tagged Government, Justice; Posted 19 months ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Ministry of Justice
Date: February 2025

 

Purpose

This submission’s primary purpose is to advocate for strong firearms legislation that prioritises the safety of disabled people, who are at a higher risk of violence and abuse. DPA expresses concern about any potential deregulation of firearms policy and supports retaining the current licensing regime, with specific recommendations regarding licensing criteria, particularly concerning the minimum age for gun ownership, to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA acknowledges the need to update and consolidate the 40-year-old legislation. DPA is concerned that the revised legislation might deregulate aspects of firearms policy, and advocates for actions to eliminate violence against disabled people within their homes or communities and recommends that disabled individuals be considered a key stakeholder in firearms regulation discussions.

DPA shares concerns with gun control and non-violence advocates that the new firearms legislation could loosen or undo bans/restrictions on automatic and semi-automatic weapons, especially those introduced after the Christchurch terror attacks of 2019. DPA asserts that New Zealand's low gun crime rate (2.4 gun-related deaths per million people) is sufficient reason to continue with a strong regulatory regime. While supporting the retention of the current "fit and proper person" test, DPA expresses significant concern regarding the minimum age for holding a firearms license being 16 years old.

DPA cites data showing that 31% of 16-19 year olds first issued a license were convicted of an offence by age 20, and highlights the disproportionate rates of bullying against disabled youth

 


Key Recommendation:

DPA opposes deregulating aspects of firearms policy enabling youth to hold a firearms license as disabled youth are victims of bullying.

 


Supporting Statement 1:

"Fifty percent of first-time licence applicants are aged between 16 and 30 years of age. Twenty-two percent of these are in the 16–19-year age range. Data shows that, of those aged 16-19 when first issued a firearms licence, thirty-one percent had been convicted of an offence by the time they reach 20 years of age. By the time licence holders reach the age of 30 years, forty-five percent have been convicted of an offence. These convictions are predominantly driving convictions with the largest proportion being alcohol related driving offences. The two next biggest groups are drugs and anti-social behaviour, followed by violence related convictions."

 


Supporting Statement 2:

“Students with disabilities (including physical, learning, developmental, intellectual, emotional and sensory disabilities) are more likely to be bullied.

Many factors, such as differences in learning support needs, physical vulnerability, social skills challenges and intolerant social environments can increase the risk of bullying."

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DPA Submission 2502 Ministry of Justice Arms Act Rewrite (DOCX)

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