Police Unannounced Visits

[SportingShooter 0]

Interesting if they're removing guns/revoking certificates when they've already been granted,

 

Unless there's new information, then it sounds like dodgy ground to me.

[charlie caller 3,654]

Yes and me, I think there will be rather more to the tale than meets the eye

[hutchey 147]

Has anyone had any conversations with their FLO about what they have been told?

[Alsone 789]

Couple of friends have had there guns taken off them recently, to do with past convictions and were talking years ago, there clamping down a lot.

 

 

They can't do that. If they've granted them a licence as a fit and proper person to hold a firearm, then I understand they cannot revoke that unless they can show the person is no longer a fit and proper person through their actions since the grant or undeclared issues prior to the grant ie they lied on the application.

 

A change to the law that renders previously acceptable spent convictions as no longer acceptable might also have this effect but even then whether or not it could be enacted retrospectively on someone who has behaved in an otherwsie lawful manner since a perviously lawful grant, is doubtful.

 

I'd advise your friends to take legal advice from their shooting organisation.

 

I'd personally sue if the legal opinion backed me in those circumstances.

 

Otherwise as Charlie says, maybe there' something else here you don't know about....

 

If they lied on application fair enough if not and they are B.A.S.C members I'm sure that they would be interested in there story.

 

Exactly and if innocent in this, they should approach a Shooting Organisation for advice.

[SportingShooter 0]

There is a long standing legal principle, enshrined in various laws, that you cannot be convicted if the act was not illegal at the time, even if a subsequent law makes it so,

 

So if a new law has been passed that some spent convictions now count, which I don't believe there has been, it would have no effect on existing certificate holders,

 

Besides, no conviction is ever "spent" for licensing processes, every recorded encounter with the police is retained and can/will be used to base the grounds for grant or refusal.

 

I would suggest there is more to it with these chaps

[danw 1,748]

Was it not just Recently the threshold to whom becomes a prohibited person changed it was made clear at the time existing certificates wold be honoured till renewal then they would not be renewed https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/318162/Draft_HOME_OFFICE_CIRCULAR_05.06.14.doc

[SportingShooter 0]

Just had a read through that one Dan,

 

It seems that they will honour them until renewal and will then refuse if they are still prohibited,

 

If someone is receiving that length of suspended sentence, you would have to consider whether they are still fit to hold firearms, but again, they can't impose it on those who already have certificates, so their hands are tied until the applicant applies for a renewal.

 

Can't see there being too many people in that boat.