Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997

4 (1) After section 28 there shall be inserted the following section—

“28A Certificates: supplementary

(1) A certificate shall, unless previously revoked or cancelled, continue in force for five years from the date when it was granted or last renewed, but shall be renewable for a further period of five years by the chief officer of police for the area in which the holder resides.

(2) The provisions of this Act apply to the renewal of a certificate as they apply to a grant; but, subject to the power of renewal conferred by this subsection, a certificate granted or last renewed in Northern Ireland shall not continue in force for a period longer than that for which it was so granted or last renewed.

(3) The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (1) above so as to substitute for any reference to a period for the time being specified in that subsection a reference to such other period as may be specified in the order.

(4) An order made under subsection (3) above shall apply only to certificates granted or renewed after the date on which the order comes into force.

(5) The power to make orders under subsection (3) above shall be exercisable by statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(6) A person aggrieved by the refusal of a chief officer of police to grant or to renew a certificate under this Act may in accordance with section 44 of this Act appeal against the refusal.

(7) It is an offence for a person knowingly or recklessly to make any statement which is false in any material particular for the purpose of procuring (whether for himself or another) the grant or renewal of a certificate under this Act.”

(2) In Part I of Schedule 6 (prosecution and punishment of offences), in the entry relating to section 26(5) (making of false statement in order to procure grant or renewal of certificate) for the words “Section 26(5)” there shall be substituted the words “Section 28A(7)”.