Firearms And Gun Control Policies In Australia

Background of Gun Control Policies in Australia

This analysis describes various firearms and gun control legislation and the policies of Australia. This study covers the stories which include the open public shootings in shopping malls or on school campuses. This assignment covers the gun control, laws, rules, regulations and the additional statistical information.  The analysis of the firearms and gun control policies in Australia represent few reports which described the history and trends based on the gun control policies in Australia(Bjorklund, 2014). The rising of crime level and the accidents depending on the mass shooting are influencing the legislation report of the firearm control policies. The Australian states and the territories regulate the sale, possession and the use of the firearms. In the year of 1996, the central government of Australia approaches to ban the self-loading rifle, permit area of the rifles, the license of the using the rifles,  and the inspection of the firearms and the ammunitions. If anyone wants to apply to get a license, then he/she have to show a genuine reason excluding the self-defense. The National Firearms agreements prohibited the weapon programs in 1996-1997. This analysis describes the background- which describes the all legal cases related to the firearms and gun control policies.  The national firearms agreement and buyback program of 1996 is also described in this study. The trafficking and handgun agreements of 2002 are also demonstrated in this study. The statistical information analysis and the recent discussion and the actions are also described below(Cook, & Goss, 2014). By adopting many programs, the murders have declined half between 1998-2001.

The analysis of the case study involves the following factors related to the firearms and gun control policies in Australia. In a tourist area in Tasmania, Australia thirty-five people were killed, and eighteen people were wounded by a twenty-eight years old person named Gunman with the help of semiautomatic rifle shot. The Gunman survived and appealed guilty to the multiple homicides. Without the possibility of the parole thirty-five life sentences are received by him.  According to this incident, the Australian gun law showed many variations in the regulations across six states and two mainland territories. Any explicit gun ownership rights are not involved in the Australian Constitution(Feldman, 2008)  The central news governs the import and the export of the firearms, and the imports of the weapons are governed by the foreign trade and the commerce power of the central parliament. The individual Australian states and the territories are responsible for the firearms regulation.  In the year of 1996, the laws of the state and the territories considered the implementation and the National Firearms Agreements. The further shooting incidents happened after 1996 which includes the action of the state, and the central government was the National Handgun agreement of 2002, National firearms trafficking policy of 2002 and so on. The Prime Minister John Howard promotes a national plan which can regulate the firearms and gun control policies(Halbrook, 2013).  

Case Study Analysis of Firearms and Gun Control Policies in Australia

Limitations and licensing supplies relating to that of the acquiring, possession and using of firearms in Australia are presently controlled by the following state and country instruments. New South Wales that is Firearms Act 1996 said that Weapons Prohibitions Act 1998 and that it is connected with regulations. In Victoria that Firearms Act in 1996, that controlling of Weapons Act in 1990 and it is associated with instruction(Henderson, 2005).  In Queensland that Weapons Act in 1990 and it is associated with rules and regulations. In Western Australia that Firearms Act in 1973 and it is also associated with several rules and regulations. In South Australia the Firearms Act in 1977 which is also connecting with rules and regulations with the organization. In Tasmania the Firearms Act in 1996 which is associated with several rules and regulations. In a Northern region that Firearms Act and associated with different types of rules and regulations. Lastly, in Australian Capital regions that are Firearms Act in 1996, the Prohibited Weapons Act in 1996 that is also connected with several rules and regulations. Total that are provided in an appendix of this statement is a full list of current legal instruments for each state and regions(Neill, & Leigh, 2007). The significance of firearms is subjected to the restrictions in Regulations 4F and program 6 of the Customs that it was regulations in 1956.

According to the meeting of APMC held on 10^th may 1996, approach the firearms regulations which include the following factors like:

The entire semi-automatic and the self-loading rifle were banned as per the opinion of central government. The pump actions, long arms, and the magazines also become banned to import according to the central order. To control of importation, sale, resale, ownership, manufacturing and the uses of such rifles the central and state government banned the trade license of the traders (Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, 2005).

The standard category prohibits category C and category D which includes the semi-automatic and self-loading rifles and the shotguns also.

As per this agreement, to issue permission every firearm permits twenty-eight days of incubation period. This firearm helps to establish the worldwide firearms registration system.

For self-defense, the firearms are considered as the genuine reason for owning and possessing as per the law of the state and central level.  

The quantity of ammunition become restricted, and it is notified that the dealer can only sell the ammunition for firearms with the presence of license which will be considered as the legal way(Roleff, 2007).

Limitations and Licensing Supplies for Firearms in Australia

The firearms license should carry the photograph and the address of the owner. The waiting period of issuing the license should be not less than twenty-eight days, and the license will be valid only for the coming five years.

The resolutions which are mentioned above are developed by the application of the legislations, and the state and territory regulate the resolutions.   The Australian Institute of Criminology review of 2008 was responsible for the implementation of the laws related to the agreement of 1996. The national firearms buyback programs help to implement the resolution mentioned in the agreement programs. On 1^st October 1996, the National Agreement and buyback program started in Australia and the other states and ended on the 30^th September 1997.

In July 2002, the APMC decided to several declarations aimed at scheming the illegal operate in the weapon in Australia. The National Firearm Trafficking Policy conformity called for the escalating the border fortifications(Taylor, 2007). The opening of nationally dependable regulations of the legal construct of firearms weapons, the establishment of innovative offenses or considerable penalties for a substance that it is relating to the many ownership. The unlawful possession and contribute of firearms weapons, the disfiguring of serial numbers, scheme of committing an expressway firearms weapons that it is mistaken doings.  The tighter footage and coverage provisions for dealer contact involving a firearm and most important firearm parts. In addition to following changes to circumstances and territory legislation in answer to the resolutions, an adjustment to the federal Criminal Code Act 1995 was performed to make it an illegal offense. Later in 2002, on October 21, two public were killed and five wounded as a consequence of an execution incident in a classroom at University of Melbourne, Victoria. The gunman, who had been prepared with numerous loaded handguns, was a qualified pistol possessor and component of the Sporting Shooters involvement of Australia. The occurrence led to transformed debate about gun organizes laws, particularly about the handguns(Utter, 2016).  Different resolutions were decided to, which incorporated restricting the classes of legal handguns that can be introduced or obsessed for sporting reason; altering licensing supplies for handguns, and investigate options for a buyback curriculum for those guns deemed illegitimate(Filindra,Kaplan,2016). A caliber that is better than .38, except the handgun is used to contribute in a particularly accredited sporting occasion in that case a caliber of up to .45 will be allowable. A container extent of less than 120 mm for semi-automatic handgun and less than 100 mm for pistol and single-shot revolver, unless the handgun is an extremely specialized aim pistol.  The central Parliament also endorse the National Handgun Buyback Act 2003, which offer for financial support to be decided by states in connection with the completion of a buyback curriculum for handguns that did not conform with the innovative limitations. The buyback series, which was put into practice by the individual states and country, resulted in about 70,000 handguns and other than 278,000 parts and trappings being surrendered(Roleff, 2007).

The National Agreement and Buyback Program of 1996

The statistical analysis and information include the governmental and non-governmental studies.

1. Governmental information: according to the agreement of APMC of 1996, the Australian Institute of Criminology establish a national firearms programs which can monitor the whole program and can include the analyzing and the tracking the information about the firearm. The homicide rate and the violent crimes are monitored by the AIC that can include the weapon related to the programs. The factors of national significant crime are analyzed by the Australian crime commission (ACC). It also helps to prepare the report of a crime to the government.  The government reports include the following illegal firearms market(Wellford, Pepper, & Petrie, 2005). As per the ACC report of 1988, 3.5 million of Australian used private guns. All the licensed, non-licensed, registered and non-registered guns are included under this category.  The ACC report of 2008, excluding South Australia the number of guns by criminals in Australia is increased 32% than the ACC report of 2006. Only 130,903 handguns are registered in Australia.

Firearms deaths - As per the report of 1988 of AIC firearms committed 69% of all reported murders in Australia. In fact, the most common cause of death was the wounds by gunshots(Neill, & Leigh, 2007). The report of 2003 shows the comparison between the firearm related deaths on 1991 and 2001. The AIC record that in 2007 and 2008, the rate of homicides committed by handguns decreases average 20%.

2. Non-governmental information: The Sydney school of public health at the University of Sydney describes the range of the firearms statics of the Australia. It is also available on the website of GunPolicy.org. Associate Professor Philip Alpers was the author of the website. According to him the published of 2013 can relate the impact of the multiple gun buybacks and can estimate the number of gun in Australia(Filindra, & Kaplan,2016). The author in the paper of 2007 shows differences between the Australian firearms buyback and the scales of the counties. According to the series data, the author also concludes the important studies which are related to the suicides in Australia committed with the help of firearms(Bjorklund, 2014). As per the author, there was evidence that suggests the relatively high ownership of the firearms.  The agreement of 1996 estimates the reflecting combination of the removal of the firearms and the relative strengthening of the enforcement and the legislation.

Deliberations about Australia's gun laws sustained in 2012, together with in answer to some of the above information and conclusion and following a variety of incidents connecting with firearms(Merry, Merry,2016). The arranged measures contain a federal crime of motivated firearms trafficking across nationwide and state limitations that would take a maximum punishment of life captivity. The establishment of a countrywide Firearms Register and expansion of Australian Crime Commission’s weapons tracing capacity. The nationwide rollout of the Australian Ballistics recognition Network, presently used by the Australian centralized Police and New South Wales Police(Halbrook, 2013).  This will contain seeking support from the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to offer training on the newest developments in firearms and technological advice. And a nationwide campaign to raise population awareness regarding unlicensed weapon.  Other actions relating to handgun control rule in the states and country in 2012 incorporated the following(Bloomberg, 2013).  In New South Wales, legislation was performing in June 2012 to place additional restrictions on the transaction and procure of bombs. In Queensland, the police force minister established an advice-giving panel in August 2012 to scrutinize gun laws and certify with the aim of falling red tape for qualified firearms owners, produce a strong unhelpful response from the Queensland Police unification(Bjorklund,2014). In December 2012, the New South Wales administration announced that it had recognized a committee to offer advice on proposed original gun organize legislation that would constrict restrictions in several areas. The Queensland administration also introduced adjusts legislation in November 2012 to begin new obligatory in minimum punishment for weapons crime.  It also proclaims gun forgiveness for people to either hand or in schedule their firearms. The bill was approved in December 2012.  

Statistical Analysis and Information of Firearms and Gun Control Policies in Australia

Conclusion

In this description, we have to investigate the relevant linkages for Europe, the hub on lethal gun violence and the associations between this violence, gun ownership, and firearms. Many revisions have been carried out in current decades on the linkages between violent deaths, gun possession. While European policy-makers are paying growing attention to gun violence, there is a lack of consistent and comprehensive in sequence on the linkages between gun ownership and legislation on the one dispense, and gun aggression on the other hand, in Europe and this in revolve impedes the development of suitable and useful firearms policies. Surroundings into largely unfamiliar territory they took the lessons of the numerous earlier studies in Australia. In demand of the more urbanized body of confirmation from other fraction of the world.  We have to examine the available data on gun ownership in Australia and talk about the methodological boundaries of this data (Barry, McGinty, Vernick & Webster, 2013). There seems to be no universal trend of rising or decreasing in the rates, that particularly in countries with customary in high rates of gun possession. The ownership of handguns is not equally extensive in Australia. The obtainable data that are owning guns for expert reasons or some defense was probably more common before than it is nowadays. This will powerfully enhance the authorities' scene of knowing the numbers and types of officially held firearms in attendance in their country(McGinty,Webster,Barry,2014). The total number of illegally-held firearms in Australian societies is harder to approximation. There is a vital need for solid investigate into the illicit firearms market in Australia.    

References

Barry, C. L., McGinty, E. E., Vernick, J. S., & Webster, D. W. (2013). After Newtown—public opinion on gun policy and mental illness. New England journal of medicine, 368(12), 1077-1081.

This book contains the theory about the opinion of common people regarding gun policies and the mental illness of the people who use the firearms for anti-social activity.

Bjorklund, R. (2014). Gun control. New York: Cavendish Square.

The policies regarding the firearms and the gun controls which are present in this book are seems to be useful for the study.

Bloomberg, M. R. (2013). Reducing gun violence in America: informing policy with evidence and analysis. D. W. Webster, & J. S. Vernick (Eds.). JHU Press.

This book shows the gun violence, the evidence and the analysis regarding the firearms control.

Cook, P., & Goss, K. (2014). The Gun Debate. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Non-governmental Information of Firearms and Gun Control Policies in Australia

The issues and the debates surrounding the gun control are described in this book.

Feldman, R. (2008). Ricochet. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.

The main theme of this book is the National Rifle Association and the gun control.

Filindra, A., & Kaplan, N. J. (2016). Racial Resentment and Whites’ Gun Policy Preferences in Contemporary America. Political Behavior, 38(2), 255-275.

The gun policies preferences are discussed in this book.

Haerens, M. (2006). Gun violence. San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven Press.

The violence of society related to the firearms and the gun controls are described in this book.

Halbrook, S. (2013). Gun control in the Third Reich. Oakland, California: The Independent Institute.

The hidden history of gun controls is recorded in this book.

Henderson, H. (2005). Gun control. New York: Facts On File.

This book represents the background, legal and criminological history related to the gun control.

Henigan, D. (2009). Lethal Logic. Dulles: Potomac Books Inc.

This book describe the dark side of the society, it described that gun cannot kill people only people has the capability to kill other people.

Kiesbye, S. (2008). Gun violence. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

It describe the gun violence in the different work place  like, school, college, shopping malls, and so on.

McGinty, E. E., Webster, D. W., & Barry, C. L. (2014). Gun policy and serious mental illness: priorities for future research and policy. Psychiatric services, 65(1), 50-58.

According to this book the mental illness is majorly related to the gun policy and the policies are also described in it.

Merry, M., & Merry, M. (2016). Making friends and enemies on social media: the case of gun policy organizations. Online Information Review, 40(5), 624-642.

As per this book, the gun policy organization includes the making friends and enemies on social Medias.

Neill, C., & Leigh, A. (2007). Weak tests and strong conclusions. Canberra: Centre for Economic Policy Research, Australian National University.

As per this book Firearms agreements prohibited the weapon programs gun policy and the policies are also described in it.

Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. (2005). Washington.

This book provides the protection acts on the gun policies.

Roleff, T. (2007). Gun control. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

The gun policies preferences are discussed in this book.

Taylor, I. (2007). Genetically engineered crops. New York: Haworth Food & Agricultural Products Press.

This book describes the genetically engineered crops related to the gun policy.

Torr, J. (2002). Gun violence. San Diego, Calif.: Greenhaven Press.

The violence of society related to the firearms and the gun controls are described in this book.

Utter, G. (2016). The Gun Debate. Amenia, NY: Grey House Publishing.

The issues and the debates surrounding the gun control are described in this book.

Webster, D. (2013). Reducing gun violence in America. Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press.

The reduction of gun violence is discussed in this book.

Wellford, C., Pepper, J., & Petrie, C. (2005). Firearms and violence. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

The main theme of this book is the National Rifle Association and the gun control.