The Nassau Guardian
Bill would amend Firearms Act
Members of Parliament are expected to begin debate today on a package of anti-crime bills that seek to impose heavier sentences on people convicted of serious crimes.
Proposed amendments to the Firearms Act would increase the range of sentencing for people found in possession of illegal firearms.
The bill also creates the new offense of possession of a prohibited high powered firearm that carries a 25 years to life sentence upon conviction.
“This is a very serious offense to be tried only before the Supreme Court carrying a stiff penalty similar to the range for manslaughter under the penal code of 25 years to life imprisonment,” the bill reads.
“These weapons are extremely dangerous.”
The bill describes a high powered firearm as “any rifle designed or chambered to discharge any rifle cartridge of .22 caliber or greater with a muzzle energy of 900 foot/pounds higher”.
The bill seeks to amend the Firearms Act to include as offenses the illicit manufacture, trafficking and export of firearms pursuant to the United Nations Convention against transnational organized crime.
According to police, 347 illegal firearms and 5,914 rounds of ammunition were seized for the year.
Further amendments to the Firearms Act would allow all of the occupants of a private vehicle where an illegal firearm is found to “be statutorily liable to be in possession of a firearm, not simply the person in control of the vehicle, i.e. the driver”.
The remaining five bills would amend the Prevention of Bribery Act; the Justice Protection Act; the Evidence Act; the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Penal Code.
The bills were tabled in the House of Assembly last month.
The last package of anti-crime bills was brought by the Ingraham administration in 2011.
The bills increased the sentencing for people convicted of gun crimes, sex crimes and drug crimes.
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