MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union
MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union
MISSING PIECES - Inter-Parliamentary Union
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<strong>MISSING</strong> <strong>PIECES</strong><br />
fully automatic fire. 58 Many also ban civilian possession of semi-automatic<br />
variants of fully automatic firearms because of their lethality and limited<br />
utility for civilian purposes. For example, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh,<br />
Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Guyana, Lithuania, New Zealand, and<br />
the UK prohibit selective-fire and some semi-automatic military assault<br />
rifles, although definitions vary.<br />
Handguns<br />
Access to handguns is frequently banned or severely restricted, given their<br />
concealable nature and prevalence in criminal violence. 59 Some countries,<br />
such as Botswana and the UK, have completely banned civilian handgun<br />
ownership. 60 Others, such as Australia and Canada, allow handguns only<br />
for professional security guards and for target shooters who can prove that<br />
they are regularly involved in pistol sports.<br />
Safety devices<br />
One US state (New Jersey) passed a law in December 2002 mandating that<br />
only handguns that are personalised (‘smart handguns’) will be available<br />
for purchase in the state. 61 Personalised guns can use a range of technology,<br />
including unique biometric data, such as fingerprints and retina scans, to<br />
permit firing only by their authorised user.<br />
Record keeping and registration of firearms<br />
Record keeping and registration of small arms help prevent diversion to<br />
illegal markets. They also support the efforts of law enforcement to trace<br />
guns, investigate crime, and support criminal prosecution. Most nations<br />
have some method of registering guns in the hands of their citizens. Yet<br />
inconsistencies exist; for example, Austria and New Zealand require the<br />
registration of handguns, but not rifles and shotguns. 62<br />
The level of information required and the tools used also vary considerably.<br />
Mexico requires that owners are licensed and all guns registered. 63<br />
Thailand provides a good standard by requiring that the gun itself should<br />
be marked to indicate the province of registration and a number. 64 Some<br />
jurisdictions have even begun to introduce ballistics testing as part of the<br />
record-keeping process. For example, Maryland and New York State in the<br />
US have laws requiring all new guns to have ballistics tests before they can<br />
be sold. 65<br />
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