User:Road Wizard/Sandbox
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom Parliament | |
| Statute book chapter: | |
| Introduced by: | Michael Howard[1] |
| Territorial extent: | |
| Dates | |
| Date of Royal Assent: | |
| Commencement: | |
| Other legislation | |
| Amendments: | |
| Related legislation: | Firearms Act 1968 |
| Status: Unknown | |
| Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom Parliament | |
| Long title: | An Act to extend the class of prohibited weapons under the Firearms Act 1968 to include small-calibre pistols. |
| Statute book chapter: | 1997 c. 64 |
| Introduced by: | Jack Straw[2] |
| Territorial extent: | England and Wales; Scotland |
| Dates | |
| Date of Royal Assent: | 27 November 1997 |
| Commencement: | 17 December 1997, 1 February 1998[3] |
| Other legislation | |
| Amendments: | |
| Related legislation: | Firearms Act 1968, Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997 |
| Status: Current legislation | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Official text of the statute as amended and in force today within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database | |
The Firearms (Amendment) Acts of 1997 were two separate Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that tightened existing gun controls within Great Britain. They were introduced in the aftermath of the Dunblane massacre of March 1996, where a lone gunman killed 16 children and their teacher. The first Act was made by John Major's Conservative government, while the second Act was made after the 1997 general election by Tony Blair's Labour government.
Contents |
[edit] Dunblane massacre
On 13 March 1996, unemployed former shopkeeper and former Scout leader Thomas Watt Hamilton walked into the Dunblane Primary School in the Scottish town of Dunblane armed with two 9 mm Browning HP pistols and two Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum revolvers. After gaining entry to the school, he made his way to the gymnasium and opened fire on a class of five- and six-year-olds, killing or wounding all but one person. Fifteen children and a teacher, Gwen Mayor, died at the scene. He then left the gymnasium for a short period, firing several more times and injuring one teacher, before returning to the gym and committing suicide. A sixteenth child was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.[4]
[edit] Committee Inquiry and Cullen report
On 21 March 1996, the House of Commons and the House of Lords together passed a motion to appoint a tribunal of inquiry to investigate the circumstances of the incident at Dunblane Primary School.[5][6] Later the same day, the Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Forsyth, appointed the Honourable Lord Cullen to hold the inquiry.[7]
[edit] The first bill
The first bill was introduced to parliament by the Home Secretary, Michael Howard, on 31 October 1996.[1]
[edit] The provisions of the first Act
[edit] The election
[edit] The second bill
On 19 May 1997, in his first speech to Parliament as the newly appointed Home Secretary, Jack Straw reiterated Labour's promise to allow a free vote on the ban of handguns.[8] The second bill was formally introduced to parliament on 22 May 2007.[2]
[edit] The provisions of the second Act
[edit] Repercussions of the Acts
[edit] Impact on Sport
[edit] Gun crime
[edit] References
- ^ a b Hansard, Vol 284 Col 795 (1996-10-31). Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
- ^ a b Hansard, Vol 294 Col 851 (1997-05-22). Retrieved on 2008-05-29.
- ^ The Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997 (Commencement) Order 1997 (No. 3114 (c.116)) (1997-12-17). Retrieved on 2008-05-28.
- ^ The Hon Lord Cullen (1996-10-16). The Public Inquiry into the Shootings at Dunblane Primary School on 13 March 1996. London: The Stationery Office. ISBN 0-10-133862-7. OCLC 60187397. Retrieved on 2008-05-31.
- ^ Hansard, Vol 274 Col 512 (1996-03-21). Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
- ^ Hansard, Vol 570 Col 1374 (1996-03-21). Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
- ^ Hansard, Vol 282 Col 823 (1996-10-16). Retrieved on 2008-06-02.
- ^ Hansard, Vol 294 Col 397 (1997-05-19). Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
