1. Section 21 and what it means
Relevant extracts from the Firearms Act 1968 ‘Section 21’
- A person who has been sentenced (to custody for life or) to preventive detention, or to imprisonment or to corrective training for a term of three years or more (or to youth custody (or detention in a young offender institution) for such a term), or who has been sentenced to be detained for such a term in a young offenders’ institution in Scotland, shall not at any time have a firearm or ammunition in his possession.
- A person who has been sentenced to imprisonment for a term of three months or more but less than three years (or to youth custody (or detention in a young offender institution) for such a term), or who has been sentenced to be detained for such a term in a detention centre or in a young offenders’ institution in Scotland, shall not at any time before the expiration of the period of five years from the date of his release have a firearm or ammunition in his possession.
What this means:
Section 21 prohibits the possession of a firearm and ammunition (under any circumstances), by any person who has been convicted of a crime and sentenced to a term of imprisonment (or its equivalent for young persons) of 3 months or more. The prohibition applies in all circumstances, including handling and firing at an approved shooting club or at a clay pigeon shoot where a certificate is not ordinarily required. It also applies to the possession or use of other categories of firearms and ammunition such as AIRGUNS or shot cartridges for which a certificate is not needed.
A sentence of 3 months to 3 years attracts a 5-year prohibition, shorter ones no prohibition but a longer one means a life ban.
2. Where can I find the activity information for shooting sessions?
The form on this page only covers your permission for your Young Person to take part.
Any and all activity information should have been provided by your section leader already, or will be in the near future. Please use the date information from this to complete the form below.
3. Dates…
Permission for shooting activities cannot be covered with a ‘blanket’ permission form, and has to be event specific. This means that individual shooting taster sessions will all need their own permission acknowledgement. Just because you have provided permission in the past, doesn’t mean we can take your Young Person shooting again…
The only exception to this would be courses, where shooting sessions happen over a period of 6-8 sessions. Permission can cover the entire course in a single form, so don’t worry if your Troop wants to run the Master at Arms badge, you won’t need to complete the below forms 8 times!
