New Zealand to overhaul firearms laws

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) – New Zealand announced on Friday a comprehensive reform program to update its firearms laws.

“The Arms Act has been in place for over 40 years and has been amended several times in a piecemeal and sometimes rushed manner,” said Nicole McKee, the country’s associate justice minister.

“It is time we take a good look at the whole system and make the necessary changes to ensure that it is fit for purpose for New Zealand today and into the future," she added.

This phase of the reform will involve rewriting the act to modernize it, aiming to enhance public safety and regulatory practices.

In previous phases of the reform, Wellington aimed to strengthen the role of firearms prohibition, increase search powers for gang members, review the firearms registry and transfer the firearms safety authority from the police to another government department.

Earlier, New Zealand prohibited firearms for people involved in crimes, aiming to reduce gun crime in the country in 2022.

On March 15, 2019, an Australian white supremacist killed 51 people and injured 40 more at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch city.

Later, the government formed a Royal Commission of Inquiry to find out whether there were any failings by government agencies in the attack.​​​​​​​