AN ACT jilrther to amend fM Arms OrdiNlnu, Cap. 106.

I a ~st'lIt.

AGATHA BARBARA

(L. S.)

Pre. id ellt

28th October, 1986

ACT 1\"0. XXXV of 1986

AN ACT jilrther to amend fM Arms OrdiNlnu, Cap. 106.

BE IT ENACTED by the Pn-sident, by and with the advice and

cOllsent of the HOllse of Representatives, in this present Parliament

assembled, and by the authority o fthe same, as fo11ows:-

This Act may be cited as the Arms Ordinance (Amendment)

Act) 986, and shall be read and construed as one with the Arms

Ordinance, hereinafter referred to as "the principal law".

Section 3 of the principal law shall be amended all toDows

Ca) for subecction m thereof th~ shall be snbstituted the Ibr IIfmcipol

fo11owmg

"(I) Whosoever shan, without a ~lIce from the Com.

missioner of Police, keep in any premises aDY firearm or

ammunition shan. on conviction. be liable to Imprisonment

for a term from three months to three yean

Provided Ihat where. hamll renrd to the quantity Of

quality of those fireamu or that ammunition, the Coort ..

satWied that tbey wtfO not so kepi: for the purpoee of sale 01'

other dealinl!: in the said firearms or ammunition contrary to

,han

be liable to a fine (mill/a) of not less

law, the offender

than thirty Maltese lin or 10 imptisonment for a term not

eJlceeding three months or to both IUCh fine and

imprilOll""'llt ~

{b) immediakly after subsection (1) thereot there ahatl be

u-rted tbe following new subsection

"(lA) Whosoever shall, without a liceneefrom the C0m-

missioner of Police, have in his possession or under his COIltrol.

or carry, any firearm or ommlln itioa outside any premi_ or

appurtenances theuof shall. on conviction, be liable to bnpri-

sonmeut tOI a term from two months 10 two yean

Provided that where a person contravenes the provisions

of this subsedion because of the actual necessity of lawful

seH-defence or of the lawful defence of another person. he

shall not be liable to punishment.~; and

(c) in subsection (2) thereof. for the words "Such tic:cnce"

there shall be substituted the word s "Any such licence".

FOI" section 4 of the principal law there shall be substituted

the following

M4. (\) Without prejudice to the prov isions of the Customs

Ordinance or of any other law. whosoever shan , withou t a Iicenoc

from the Commissioner of Police. import or bring into, or export

from. Malta any firearm or ammunition. and whosoever shall

cause to be imported. brouo;tll in to. or exported from Malta , Of"

shall knowingly aid or assist in any manner whatsoever in the

importation or entry into. or exportation from . Malta of any such

firearm or ammunition. shall. on conviction , he liable to imprillOll.

ment for a term from three months to five years.

(2) Whosoever shall sell or otherwise deal in any firearm or

ammunition Of" keep or expose for sale or other dealinl!: in any

such firearm or ammunition without a licence, or prior authorisation

in writ ing. from the Commissioner of Police, shan, on conviction,

be liable to imprisonment for a term from three months to five years.

(3) Whosoevcr shall deal in arms proper, other than firearms,

or shall il:e€-p or expose for sale anv such armi proper without a

licence fram the Commissioner of Police. shall. on conviction. be.

liable to a fin€" (mill/a) of not less tban twenty Maltese liri Of" to

imprisonment for a tenn not exceeding si ~ months or to both such

fine and imprisonment.".

In section 5 of the prindoal law. immediatelv after the wordJ

"fine (mulla)" there shaU he inserted the words Mor not less than OM

hundred Maltese liri".

In subsection (3) of section 9 of the prindpallaw, immediately

after the words "rine (muIID)" then! ~hall he inserted the words "of not

1e&S than tbirty Maltese liri".

In subsection (1) of section 12 of the principal law. for the

words MPcnons in the naval. military or ai( service of H is Majesty or

in the Police Force" there shaH be substituted the words "Persons in

the Armed Forces of Malta or in the Malta Police Force".

In section 18 of the principal law. immediately afl:e-r the wordJ

" licence issued ~ there shaH be inserted the words " 01" authorisation in

writing given".

.. In seetIoII. 19 of the principal Jaw, immediately after the word

" fi rearm " there shall be inscrted the word "ammunition".

Fl-artikolu 19 tal-liġi prinċipali, minnufih wara l-kliem “arma

tan-nar” għandha tidħol il-kelma, “munizzjon”.

SectiOtl 20 of the priocipal law shaD be amended as follows

in subse<;:tion (I) thereof -

(a)

ID immediately after the word' ''1irearm~ tbe:ro IhaU be

inserted the word "ammunition";

(ID for the words "arm is found" there shall be !Itlbstinrt-

ed the words "arm or ammunition is found"; aDd

(bl in sub$ection (2) thereof. immediately after the word

"firearm" there shall be inserted the word "ammunition".

In section 21 of the principal law immediately after the wool

..... 1I'eallIl .. there

shall be inserted lhe word "ammunition".

lL Immediately after section 22 of the principal law ~ $haD ...,..,., 22 of

be inserted tile following new proviso

" Provided that where such arms consist of firearms in working

condition, any person coming inlo possession thereof shall. within

three months, r<:gister the said firearms with the Commissioner of

Polioc. In default wher<:of such person shall, on convicllon, be

liable to a fine (multa).".

immediately after section 22 of the principal law there sball Addition of

1 2:.

be added the following new section

22A (i) No person shall sell or offer for sale, toys in principall.\II .

'1'0)" ..

..... wp< the shape of firearms. arms proper. ammunition 01" knuckle

dusters.

" t UTNI.

(2) Whoever Shall contravene the provisions of

subsection (I) of this section. shall on conviction be l:iable to

a fine (multa) of not less than ten Maltese liri and not mor<

than (Wo hundred Maltese liri.

(3) The provisions of sections 27 and 30 of this

Ordinance shall nOl apply in r<:\atioo to offences under this

section.".

Minnufih wan hartikolu 22 tal-liji priOClp&1i gblIwtha

di D iJ..provilo idida

.. It.da meta da.wa krmi jtunu jitlollliltu ranni tan-DIf Ii w'!iCi

jkun u gbadOOm jil{u n!jonaw. kull min jiji rpusses:s ta' xi arm.

bha l din gbandu . fi lmien !liet ~bur. jim:jislra dawn 1-arm; tan-fiar

ghaud il·Kummissarju tal.Puiizija, u fin·nuqqu Ii jagbme1 daD,

;eflel, meta jinsab hali, multa,".

11. M innufib wara l-artikolu 22 tal·UBi prinfipali gbaudu jidhol

l-arti kolu tdid li lej

22A m Ebda pemlna ma lilta' tbicgh jcw toffri

glial bcigll , guga relli rgl\amla ta ' armi tau-nar, armi ~olari.

muniujon jew ponnijieltal-1ladid jcw la' material iebcs iebor.

(2) Kun min jikser id-dispotiujonijiet tas-subar·

tikolu (J) ta' dan l-arti kolu, jel\cl meta jinslIIb bati multa la'

mh ux an((as minn gl'Iaxa r l iri M~Hi n u mhu;l; aklllr minn milejn

lira Mal tija ,

(31 Id-dispoti zzjonijiet ta' l-arlikoli 27 u 30 ta'

din I-On:iinanza rna gbandhORu japplikaw dwar reali taht

dan J-artikolu,",

Fl-artikolu 19, fil·parawafu It) UlHubartikolu (I) ta ' l-,artikolu

tn section 19. in paragraph (c) of subsection (\) of section 25 Amendment 10

and In subsc:<:tlon (2) of secllon 2!1 or !be principal law. in the Maltese the AWte.e

tell!, for the words "ponn tal.rtadid~ lber<: shall be substituted the words 19

"ponn tal·nadid jew ta' materjal iebes ienor".

(c)(2) ofthe

principal law.

For seclion 27 of the principal law there shaH be substituted Sub. titution of

the following

2:7. The provisions of the Probation of Offenders Act,

"Non_oppli_

<ohility of 1957 and of section 23A of the Criminal Code sball nol be

Probation

applicable for any offence against any of the provisions of

OffendeD this Ordinancc.".

1957 0Jtd

ofs ection

23A ofthe

Criminol

Code.

Immediately after section 27 of the principal law there shall Addition of

Ix- added the following new sections

Id-dil potiujonijiet la ' I.An ta' }.1957 dwar iJ. 1aI..Qi ~

I:o"'1 I· ... n Probafion ta' " al,'; n uta' Hlrlikotu 23 A tal-Ko,liriKIllnimli

ma japplikaw glial ebd. real konlta d-d ispofuzjonijiet ta' din

I-On:iinanza. " ,

IS, Minnufib wara I .. "iko lu 27 tal·tiii prinfi pali gllandbom jit- tlc<Io la'

diedu da.WlI l.artikoli jodda

Nothwithstanding tbe provisions of ileCtion 382 of 1.\11.

"Offence.

copizohle the CrimiDaI Code. the Coon of Magistn.1eS fA. 1t1diciaJ

Police shall be competent to try all offences against !hill

Ordinance.

Court of

Judicio!

Police ..

Court of

Criminol

Judicature

Subject to the provisions of section 28, proceedings

against any person for any offence against any of the provi-

sions of this Ordinance shall be taken before the Court of Magistrates of

Judicial Police as a Court of Criminal Judicature in accordance with the

provisions of the Criminal Code.

Provided that. notwithstanding the provisions of section

388(1) (b) of the Criminal Code, the Court shall, at the request

of the prosecution or of the accused, take down the evidence

given by the witnesses in the manner provided for either in

section 403(6) of the said Code or in any law for the time being in force.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the Criminal

Code, the Attorney General shall always have a right of appeal

to the Court of Criminal Appeal from any judgement given

by the Court of Magistrates of Judicial Police in respect of

proceedings arising out of the provisions of this Ordinance.”.

16. (1) The provisions of sections 29 and 30 of the principal law

shall apply to any proceedings pending before any Court of Criminal

Justice on the date of the coming into force of this Act.

(2) Where a person is already in possession of a firearm men-

tioned in section 22 of the principal law on the coming into force of

this Act, the period of three months laid down in the proviso to that

section shall commence to run from the day of the coming into force of

Passed by the House of Representatives at Sitting No. 391 of the 22nd October, 1986.

PAUL XUEREB

Speaker

P. MUSCAT TERRIBILE

Acting Clerk to the House of Representatives

Ippubblikat mit-Taqsima tat-Tagħrif – Kastilja – Published by the Information Division – Kastilja