[ABANDONED] Firearm Registration and Restriction Act

[The Anti-Social Socialists]

My first attempt at a GA proposal. Feedback is greatly appreciated, and I do apologise if this is illegal, obstructive or otherwise detrimental.

Firearm Registration and Restriction Act (3rd edit, additions and modifications from 2nd edit marked in red, 3rd in blue, removals are struck)
A resolution to tighten or relax gun control laws.

Category: Gun Control
Decision: Tighten
Proposed by: The Anti-Social Socialists

Description: The World Assembly,

RECOGNISING the lawful uses of firearms which many nations may benefit from, and the significance that firearms may have in a nation’s history and culture.

ASSERTS that firearms of particular lethality are of no more positive social utility in domestic circumstances than basic firearms.
CONSCIOUS of the unnecessarily significant risk of bodily harm or death that firearms of particular lethality pose domestically.
CONVINCED that the domestic stockpiling of firearms of particular lethality are antithetical to the peaceful intentions of the World Assembly.

BELIEVING that member nations are obliged to restrict their citizens’ access to firearms of particular lethality in peacetime for the purposes of minimising the risk of harm associated with domestic activities involving firearms.

Hereby,

1. DEFINES a "basic firearm”, for the purposes of this Act, as a firearm with the following properties:
(a) The inability to expel all of the bullets in the firearm’s magazine with one pull of a trigger; and
(b) The inability to propel the bullet which was designed for the firearm more than 3000 metres horizontally, measured at sea level; and
(c) The inability to propel an explosive projectile
(d) A maximum magazine size of 20 bullets or less
2. DEFINES a “bullet” as a projectile, normally composed of metallic alloys, which would reasonably be expected to pierce skin without disintegrating when projected at speed.
3. DEFINES a “firearm of particular lethality”, for the purposes of this Act, as a firearm which does not satisfy one or more of the properties stated in Clause 1.
4. DEFINES a “registered government officer”, for the purposes of Clause 8, as a person who is licensed to sell, trade and supply basic firearms for public use, or a person who has been authorised by the member nation’s government to register or repossess a citizen’s firearm(s).

5. DECLARES that it is unlawful for a citizen of a member nation to use, sell, trade, store, own or otherwise possess a firearm of particular lethality, except where;
(a) The citizen of the member nation is authorised to do so by the member nation’s military, for the strict purposes of undertaking or training for a military operation or military service; or
(b) The member nation is at war and has declared that citizens are authorised to possess firearms of particular lethality for the purposes of the war; and
(c) For the purposes of Clause 5(a) and 5(b), the citizen is at or above the member nation’s age of majority.
6. REQUIRES that any firearm which a citizen is authorised to use under Clause 3 be kept secure and beyond the reach of persons who are not authorised to use said firearms under Clause 3.

7. CLARIFIES that, in addition to Clause 3 and pursuant to GA Resolution #235, a child will, under no circumstances, be authorised to possess
a firearm of particular lethality.

8. CLARIFIES that the meaning of “child” for the purposes of this Act is the same as in GA Resolution #235.

7. DECLARES that citizens of member nations must:
(a) Register any firearms in their possession to a registered government official as soon as practically possible; and
(b) Re-register firearms in one’s possession every 3 years, taken from the date on which the citizen first registered their firearm; and
(c) Provide details of the destruction or sale of a previously possessed firearm upon demand of a registered government official; and
(d) On demand of a registered government official, surrender any firearms in the citizen’s possession, if the registered government official believes it is necessary to safeguard the community.

8. FURTHER ENCOURAGES member nations to educate their citizens about the safe use of firearms, to help minimise unnecessary bodily injuries associated with unsafe firearm use.

[Araraukar]

OOC: So paintball guns are now firearms? Good to know...

EDIT: Also, clauses 6 and 7 will be a problem. (There are a lot of other problems, but those are an obvious legality issue.)

[Essu Beti]

"No," says Iksana bluntly. "This is a horrible idea that leaves our citizens vulnerable to attack. We will not do mandatory registries, licenses, or bans on firearms. Especially since we do not have a military- we have a series of civilian militias. You would drastically reduce our nation's ability to defend itself, and for what? For you to feel good about making people helpless? Take your self-righteousness somewhere else."

[Deropia]

"Would this not be illegal due to GAR #399 clause 5, since it attempts to legislate on domestic arms trading policy?"

[Araraukar]

"Would this not be illegal due to GAR #399 clause 5, since it attempts to legislate on domestic arms trading policy?"

OOC: The clause in question:

5. Assures member nations of the exclusive right to determine purely internal arms trading and firearm policy, excepting:

1. those regulations recognized by the terms of this resolution or extant international law,
2. future regulations which seek to prevent firearms from being sold to or used by individuals that pose a danger of performing imminent lawless action, or
3. future resolutions which seek to relax regulations on purchasing firearms for recreational reasons only;

[Imperium Anglorum]

Imminent lawless action? Well, if we make not having a background check illegal... then that would certainly be an imminent lawless action... to purchase a weapon without one.

[Fauxia]

Corwin emerges with an AR-15. “What is this right here? I’ll give a solid ‘Hell no’ to this. People should be able to have assault weapons if they are trained and psychologically stable. It will lower crime. In any case, this isn’t the business of the WA, but you can take my massive arsenal of weapons when you pry them from cold, dead, hands, which won’t happen because I will have shot you, you damn thief, by then.”

[Wallenburg]

"Cera, get me my submachine gun. Better grab one for yourself while you are at it."

[The Anti-Social Socialists]

Alrighty! Not too many fans of this one, I see... ah well.

OOC: So paintball guns are now firearms? Good to know...

EDIT: Also, clauses 6 and 7 will be a problem. (There are a lot of other problems, but those are an obvious legality issue.)

I've inserted a new clause 2 to try and leave paintball alone. I do hope it is satisfactory.
Also, I've inserted clause 5(c) and eliminated the old clauses 7 and 8 to get rid of references to and/or reliance upon GA #235.

"Would this not be illegal due to GAR #399 clause 5, since it attempts to legislate on domestic arms trading policy?"

I'm going to try to utilise 5(a) of resolution 399 to try and justify this. The purpose of the resolution includes the statement 'Recognizing the extreme hazard to national populations posed by the unregulated trade of armaments,'. Though I am aware of the overarching international context to this purpose, it would appear inconsistent to me to avoid recognising the same potential hazard through internal lack of regulation.
Perhaps weakly, therefore, I will argue that 5(a) implicitly permits this kind of regulation so long as it concerns itself with the risk to national populations.

[Jarish Inyo]

How is this an international issue? How does nation A's gun policies affect nation B's and C's gun policies?

[Imperial Polk County]

"Vehemently opposed. Clause 1(b) would outlaw nearly all shotguns, since shotgun slugs weigh much more than eight grams, as well as .30-06 and larger rifles, which are quite commonly used for big-game hunting." Drane mutters to himself, "Pacifists, ugh, I hate them."

[Giant Bats]

"Vehemently opposed. Clause 1(b) would outlaw nearly all shotguns, since shotgun slugs weigh much more than eight grams, as well as .30-06 and larger rifles, which are quite commonly used for big-game hunting." Drane mutters to himself, "Pacifists, ugh, I hate them."

"Some of my best friends are pacifists," Ikiti said, looming behind the human ambassador on her way back to her seat. She opened her jaws slightly to scan him with her more powerful hunting sonar. "They are the ones who always tell me I should not take people who offend me on short one-way flights."

[Sierra Lyricalia]

Steph runs her eyes through the draft, shaking her head and <tsk>ing occasionally.

"Ambassador, based on your definition of 'bullet' you've made a an air-powered BB gun a 'weapon of particular lethality' due to its magazine size. And Clause 7(d) is truly unbelievable. We ourselves have firearm restrictions not much different from what I think you're going for here, but this shit is downright draconian. I would lose it if I were you. There's no need for anything more restrictive than temporarily confiscating the firearms of arrested suspects, and making it permanent on conviction. The way you have it now is a scary precedent for doing almost anything in the name of 'public safety' - it's extremely ham-handed."

[The Anti-Social Socialists]

Steph runs her eyes through the draft, shaking her head and <tsk>ing occasionally.

"Ambassador, based on your definition of 'bullet' you've made a an air-powered BB gun a 'weapon of particular lethality' due to its magazine size. And Clause 7(d) is truly unbelievable. We ourselves have firearm restrictions not much different from what I think you're going for here, but this shit is downright draconian. I would lose it if I were you. There's no need for anything more restrictive than temporarily confiscating the firearms of arrested suspects, and making it permanent on conviction. The way you have it now is a scary precedent for doing almost anything in the name of 'public safety' - it's extremely ham-handed."

*sigh* Probably should have seen that one. Thank you for pointing out my nonsense! The draft has been altered, and I do hope it is more reasonable to those who have found the draft disagreeable. In hindsight, several provisions that previously existed were just a tad heinous.

[Separatist Peoples]

"I don't see why this is an international issue. Domestic firearms laws are just that: domestic. It doesn't effect the Anti-Social Socialists if C.D.S.P. firearms laws are lax."

[The Anti-Social Socialists]

"I don't see why this is an international issue. Domestic firearms laws are just that: domestic. It doesn't effect the Anti-Social Socialists if C.D.S.P. firearms laws are lax."

I think the same could be said of GA Resolution #235 (the only current resolution pertaining exclusively to firearm restrictions). I'm aware that such legislation would be difficult to quantify meaningfully in a truly international context. With that said, should C.D.S.P's gun laws be lax and a citizen of the Anti-Social Socialists be shot from just over the border, it could easily become an international issue.

The general premise is safety with respect to the weapons we are, arguably, most acquainted with, which I believe would be a positive thing to encourage, or even mandate, internationally.

[Separatist Peoples]

I think the same could be said of GA Resolution #235 (the only current resolution pertaining exclusively to firearm restrictions).

"An example of a bad resolution hardly bolsters your case."

I'm aware that such legislation would be difficult to quantify meaningfully in a truly international context. With that said, should C.D.S.P's gun laws be lax and a citizen of the Anti-Social Socialists be shot from just over the border, it could easily become an international issue.

"In which case this individual has committed murder, for which there is an appropriate national punishment. The availability of guns is irrelevant."

The general premise is safety with respect to the weapons we are, arguably, most acquainted with, which I believe would be a positive thing to encourage, or even mandate, internationally.

"Except none of the acquisition laws in one nation affect another. Control of use is a separate issue entirely."

[Bears Armed]

1. DEFINES a "basic firearm”, for the purposes of this Act, as a firearm with the following properties:
(a) The inability to expel all of the bullets in the firearm’s magazine with one pull of a trigger;

"Do you hrreally consider it necessary to ban civilian ownership of single-shot weaponry ?!?"

5. DECLARES that it is unlawful for a citizen of a member nation to use, sell, trade, store, own or otherwise possess a firearm of particular lethality, except where;
*<snip>*
(c) For the purposes of Clause 5(a) and 5(b), the citizen is at or above the member nation’s age of majority.

"So you would bar children from inheriting family heirlooms, where those heirlooms happen to be -- as you phrase it -- 'firearms of particular lethality'' ?
"Even if my government was willing to consider the civilian ownership of weapons an appropriate matter for international regulation, we would object strongly to those two aspects."

Artorrios o SouthWoods,
ChairBear, Bears Armed Mission at the World Assembly.

[Tzorsland]

I feel the urge to nit pick here ...

1. DEFINES a "basic firearm”, for the purposes of this Act, as a firearm with the following properties:
(a) The inability to expel all of the bullets in the firearm’s magazine with one pull of a trigger;

So, according to your definition a "single shot" weapon isn't a "basic firearm" because when you pull the trigger the entire magazine of one bullet is expelled.

And yes, these things exist.

[The Greater Siriusian Domain]

Teran Saber: "I fail to see how this is an international issue, and furthermore it fails to take into account the needs of individual nations. What's good for the Achemar Waterfowl isn't necessarily good for the whole flock."

[Araraukar]

"What's good for the Achemar Waterfowl isn't necessarily good for the whole flock."

OOC: Even if they're all the same species?

[Kenmoria]

Support, by I would change the wording from clause 5.b to the citizen being in an area affected by war. This is because in a large country such as Russia being at war with Germany at one end has no effect on the other end.

[Fauxia]

1. DEFINES a "basic firearm”, for the purposes of this Act, as a firearm with the following properties:
(a) The inability to expel all of the bullets in the firearm’s magazine with one pull of a trigger;

"Do you hrreally consider it necessary to ban civilian ownership of single-shot weaponry ?!?"

5. DECLARES that it is unlawful for a citizen of a member nation to use, sell, trade, store, own or otherwise possess a firearm of particular lethality, except where;
*<snip>*
(c) For the purposes of Clause 5(a) and 5(b), the citizen is at or above the member nation’s age of majority.

"So you would bar children from inheriting family heirlooms, where those heirlooms happen to be -- as you phrase it -- 'firearms of particular lethality'' ?
"Even if my government was willing to consider the civilian ownership of weapons an appropriate matter for international regulation, we would object strongly to those two aspects."

Artorrios o SouthWoods,
ChairBear, Bears Armed Mission at the World Assembly.

“I can’t believe I’m talking to a speaking Bear,” Corwin says, before continuing, “Single-shot weaponry is not being banned.”

[Pilarcraft]

defined Weapons of Mass Destruction aside, A natural person, citizen of Pilarcraft, will not be restricted from owning, stockpiling, or carrying any form of weapons. this nation is opposed to this Act in any form, way, or shape.

[Separatist Peoples]

Support, by I would change the wording from clause 5.b to the citizen being in an area affected by war. This is because in a large country such as Russia being at war with Germany at one end has no effect on the other end.

"What a terrible thing to support, ambassador. Have you actually read this, or do you just not understand how the World Assembly fits into the framework of law?"