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This is a Bill, not an Act. For current law, see the Acts databases.


ACTS AMENDMENT (WEAPONS) BILL 2009

                     Western Australia


     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009

                        CONTENTS


        Part 1 -- Preliminary matters
1.      Short title                                              2
2.      Commencement                                             2
        Part 2 -- The Criminal Code
             amended
3.      The Criminal Code amended                                3
4.      Sections 68A to 68E inserted                             3
        68A.     Provisions about lawful excuses under
                 s. 68B, 68C, 68D and 68E                   3
        68B.     Being armed in or near place of public
                 entertainment                              4
        68C.     Being armed in public in company           5
        68D.     Having ready access to both weapons and
                 cash                                       5
        68E.     Having ready access to both weapons and
                 illegal drugs                              6

        Part 3 -- Weapons Act 1999 amended
5.      Act amended                                              7
6.      Section 6 amended                                        7
7.      Section 7 amended                                        7
8.      Section 8A inserted                                      7
        8A.      Selling and supplying controlled weapons
                 to children                                7
9.      Section 8 amended                                        8
10.     Section 10 amended                                       8
11.     Section 11 amended                                       9
12.     Section 12 amended                                       9




                           088--1                                page i
                           Western Australia


                     LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY



       Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009


                               A Bill for


An Act to amend The Criminal Code and the Weapons Act 1999.



The Parliament of Western Australia enacts as follows:




                                                          page 1
    Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
    Part 1       Preliminary matters

    s. 1



1                   Part 1 -- Preliminary matters
2   1.       Short title
3            This is the Acts Amendment (Weapons) Act 2009.

4   2.       Commencement
5            This Act comes into operation as follows --
6             (a) Part 1 -- on the day on which this Act receives the
7                   Royal Assent (assent day);
8             (b) section 8 -- on the 28th day after assent day;
9             (c) the rest of the Act -- on the day after assent day.




    page 2
                                        Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
                                   The Criminal Code amended        Part 2

                                                                          s. 3



 1               Part 2 -- The Criminal Code amended
 2   3.     The Criminal Code amended
 3          This Part amends The Criminal Code.

 4   4.     Sections 68A to 68E inserted
 5          After section 67 insert:
 6


 7        68A.     Provisions about lawful excuses under s. 68B, 68C,
 8                 68D and 68E
 9          (1)    In a prosecution for an offence under section 68B, 68C,
10                 68D or 68E, the accused has the onus of proving that
11                 the accused had a lawful excuse.
12          (2)    In sections 68B, 68C and 68D, being armed for defence
13                 is not a lawful excuse unless the person --
14                   (a) has reasonable grounds to apprehend that
15                          circumstances necessitating defence may arise;
16                          and
17                   (b) is armed only for defence; and
18                   (c) is armed only --
19                            (i) with a weapon or instrument the sole
20                                 purpose of which is to spray oleoresin
21                                 capsicum; or
22                           (ii) with a briefcase or suitcase that is
23                                 commercially designed and made to
24                                 discharge an electric current so as to
25                                 deter the theft of the case.
26          (3)    In sections 68B, 68C and 68D, lawful excuse includes
27                 the following --
28                   (a) being a police officer acting in the course of
29                         duty;


                                                                      page 3
     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
     Part 2       The Criminal Code amended

     s. 4



 1                   (b)   being a security officer, as defined in the Public
 2                         Transport Authority Act 2003 section 3, acting
 3                         in the course of duty;
 4                   (c)   being a prison officer, as defined in the Prisons
 5                         Act 1981 section 3(1) and (2), acting in the
 6                         course of duty;
 7                   (d)   being a person authorised to exercise a power
 8                         set out in Division 1, 2 or 3 of Schedule 2 to the
 9                         Court Security and Custodial Services
10                         Act 1999, or a power set out in Schedule 3 to
11                         that Act, acting in the course of duty;
12                   (e)   being the holder of, and engaged in activities
13                         authorised by, a security officer's licence issued
14                         under the Security and Related Activities
15                         (Control) Act 1996 while armed in accordance
16                         with Part 3 Division 3 of that Act.
17          68B.    Being armed in or near place of public
18                  entertainment
19            (1)   In this section --
20                  lawful excuse has a meaning affected by section 68A;
21                  place of public entertainment means --
22                    (a) a place where the public is present and where
23                           entertainment of any kind is about to be, is
24                           being, or has just been provided to the public,
25                           whether on payment or not; or
26                    (b) licensed premises, as defined by the Liquor
27                           Control Act 1988 section 3(1);
28                  prescribed place means --
29                    (a) a place of public entertainment; or
30                    (b) a public place within 50 metres of a place of
31                           public entertainment.
32            (2)   A person who, without lawful excuse, is armed with
33                  any dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument in, or

     page 4
                                  Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
                             The Criminal Code amended        Part 2

                                                                       s. 4



 1           with intent to enter, a prescribed place is guilty of a
 2           crime and is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.
 3           Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
 4               and a fine of $36 000.

 5   68C.    Being armed in public in company
 6     (1)   In this section --
 7           lawful excuse has a meaning affected by section 68A.
 8     (2)   A person who, without lawful excuse, is armed with
 9           any dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument in a
10           public place when in company with 2 or more other
11           persons is guilty of a crime and is liable to
12           imprisonment for 5 years.
13           Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
14               and a fine of $36 000.

15   68D.    Having ready access to both weapons and cash
16     (1)   In this section --
17           lawful excuse has a meaning affected by section 68A;
18           prescribed amount means the amount prescribed for
19           the purposes of the Firearms Act 1973
20           section 19(1ab)(a)(ii).
21     (2)   A person who, without lawful excuse, has ready access
22           simultaneously to both --
23             (a) a dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument;
24                  and
25             (b) cash equal to or more than the prescribed
26                  amount,
27           is guilty of a crime and is liable to imprisonment for
28           5 years.
29           Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
30               and a fine of $36 000.


                                                                page 5
     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
     Part 2       The Criminal Code amended

     s. 4



 1          68E.    Having ready access to both weapons and illegal
 2                  drugs
 3            (1)   In this section, being armed for defence is not a lawful
 4                  excuse.
 5            (2)   A person who, without lawful excuse, has ready access
 6                  simultaneously to both --
 7                    (a) a dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument;
 8                         and
 9                    (b) a prohibited drug or a prohibited plant, as those
10                         terms are defined by the Misuse of Drugs
11                         Act 1981 section 3(1), that, under section 6 or 7
12                         of that Act, the person is not authorised to
13                         possess,
14                  is guilty of a crime and is liable to imprisonment for
15                  5 years.
16                  Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
17                      and a fine of $36 000.
18




     page 6
                                              Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
                                          Weapons Act 1999 amended        Part 3

                                                                            s. 5



 1                Part 3 -- Weapons Act 1999 amended
 2   5.         Act amended
 3              This Part amends the Weapons Act 1999.

 4   6.         Section 6 amended
 5              In section 6(1) delete the Penalty and insert:
 6

 7                    Penalty: imprisonment for 3 years and a fine of
 8                       $36 000.
 9


10   7.         Section 7 amended
11        (1)   In section 7(1) delete the Penalty and insert:
12

13                    Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine of
14                       $24 000.
15

16        (2)   In section 7(2) delete the Penalty and insert:
17

18                    Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine of
19                       $24 000.
20


21   8.         Section 8A inserted
22              After section 7 insert:
23


24          8A.       Selling and supplying controlled weapons to
25                    children
26              (1)   In this section --
27                    child means a person under 18 years of age.



                                                                          page 7
     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
     Part 3       Weapons Act 1999 amended

     s. 9



 1            (2)   A person who sells a controlled weapon to a child
 2                  commits an offence.
 3                  Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine of
 4                     $24 000.
 5            (3)   A person who supplies a controlled weapon to a child
 6                  commits an offence.
 7                  Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine of
 8                     $24 000.
 9            (4)   It is a defence to a charge of an offence under
10                  subsection (3) to prove the accused believed on
11                  reasonable grounds that --
12                     (a) possession by the child of the weapon would be
13                           lawful under section 7; or
14                    (b) the child supplied with the weapon intended to
15                           use it only --
16                              (i) to commit lawful acts in the course of a
17                                   sporting or recreational activity; or
18                             (ii) in circumstances, if any, prescribed by
19                                   the regulations.
20


21   9.       Section 8 amended
22            In section 8(1) delete the Penalty and insert:
23

24                  Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine of
25                     $24 000.
26


27   10.      Section 10 amended
28            In section 10(3) delete "7 or" and insert:
29

30            7, 8A or
31


     page 8
                                     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2009
                                 Weapons Act 1999 amended        Part 3

                                                                         s. 11



 1   11.   Section 11 amended
 2         In section 11 delete "7 or" and insert:
 3

 4         7, 8A or
 5


 6   12.   Section 12 amended
 7         In section 12(1) in the definition of offence delete "7 or" and
 8         insert:
 9

10         7, 8A or
11


12




 


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