Firearms Act 1920

18 Application to Ireland

This Act shall apply to Ireland, subject to the following modifications :—

(1) A reference to the Chief Secretary shall be substituted for any reference to a Secretary of State :

(2) The expressions " police district " and " chief officer of police" respectively mean in the police district of Dublin metropolis that district and any of the commissioners of the police for that district, and elsewhere any district for which a county inspector of the Royal Irish Constabulary is appointed and such county inspector :

(3) For the purposes of this Act, a court of summary jurisdiction shall, except in the police district of Dublin metropolis, be constituted of a resident magistrate sitting alone or with one or more other resident magistrates, and the decision of a court of summary jurisdiction on a prosecution for an offence under this Act shall be final :

(4) " One year " shall be substituted for " three years " as the maximum period during which a firearm certicate may continue in force or for which a firearm certificate may be renewed :

(5) In the provisions as to penalties " two years " shall be substituted for " three months " as the maximum term of imprisonment:

(6) In the provisions restricting the purchase, possession, and use of firearms by persons under fourteen, " sixteen years " shall be substituted for " fourteen years " :

(7) A reference to the enactments relative to pawnbrokers in Ireland shall be substituted for the reference to the [35 & 36 Vict. c. 93.] Pawnbrokers Act, 1872.

(8) Section eighteen of the [4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 58.] Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914, so far as it limits the aggregate term of imprisonment where two or more sentences of imprisonment passed by a court of summary jurisdiction are ordered to run consecutively, shall not apply in any case where any of the sentences is passed for an offence under this Act:

(9) Provisions as to appeals shall not apply:

(10) The exemption in favour of any person conducting or carrying on a miniature rifle range or shooting gallery or using a miniature rifle or ammunition at any such range or gallery shall not apply :

(11) Any constable authorised in writing in that behalf by the chief officer of police shall have the same powers as if the authority were a search warrant issued by a justice of the peace under this Act:

(12) In addition to any other powers conferred on him under this Act, or otherwise, any constable may arrest without warrant any person whom he believes to be in possession of, or to be using or carrying, a firearm or ammunition in contravention of any of the provisions of this Act, and may search any such person, and whether arresting him or not may seize and detain any firearm or ammunition in his possession or used or carried by him :

(13) For the purposes of the Explosives Substances Act, 1883, any firearm within the meaning of this Act shall be deemed to be an explosive substance.