Firearms and Hate Crime Bill

Official Summary

A Bill to prohibit the keeping of pump action firearms in homes, with exemptions for professional pest controllers and farmers; to make provision about medical requirements for holders of firearms certificates; to make provision about the disclosure of mental health concerns relating to holders of firearms certificates; to extend offences of stirring up hatred to cover hatred on the basis of sex or gender; to make motivation by misogyny an aggravating factor in sentencing for violent crimes; and for connected purposes.

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Overview

This bill aims to enhance firearm safety and tackle hate crime in the UK. It proposes stricter regulations on pump-action shotguns, increased medical scrutiny for firearm license applicants, and expands hate crime legislation to include offenses based on sex and gender, while also classifying misogyny as an aggravating factor in violent crimes.

Description

The bill comprises five main sections:

Firearm Restrictions

It makes keeping pump-action shotguns at home an offense, with exceptions for pest controllers and farmers. Owners will need to store them at approved locations (shooting clubs or registered firearms dealers).

Enhanced Medical Checks

The bill mandates medical practitioner statements regarding suitability for firearm certificates before issuance to both new and existing applicants.

Mental Health Disclosure

It requires medical professionals to inform police about the mental health of firearm certificate holders, with the NHS recording this information.

Hate Crime Expansion

The bill extends hate crime legislation to include acts motivated by hatred toward a group based on sex or gender.

Misogyny as Aggravating Factor

It establishes misogyny as an aggravating factor in sentencing for violent crimes, increasing penalties for offenses motivated by hostility towards women.

Government Spending

The bill's financial impact on government spending is not explicitly stated in the provided text. Costs could arise from enforcing new regulations and potential increases in prosecutions and related legal processes.

Groups Affected

Firearm owners (especially pump-action shotgun owners): Face new storage restrictions and increased scrutiny for license renewal.
Medical practitioners: Required to disclose certain mental health information of firearm license holders.
Police forces: Take on additional responsibilities in verifying medical information and enforcing new firearm regulations.
NHS: Responsible for recording and sharing relevant health data.
Individuals convicted of violent crimes with misogynistic motivations: Face harsher sentences.
Individuals who incite hatred based on sex or gender: Subject to prosecution under expanded hate crime legislation.

Full Text

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