Western Australian Bills

[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]


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


ACTS AMENDMENT (WEAPONS) BILL 2008

                     Western Australia


     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008

                        CONTENTS


        Part 1 -- Preliminary matters
1.      Short title                                             2
2.      Commencement                                            2
        Part 2 -- The Criminal Code amended
3.      The Criminal Code amended in this Part                  3
4.      Sections 67A to 67F inserted                            3
        67A.     Being armed in or near place of public
                 entertainment                             3
        67B.     Being armed in public in company          3
        67C.     Having ready access to both weapons and
                 cash                                      4
        67D.     Meaning of "lawful excuse" in
                 sections 67A, 67B and 67C                 4
        67E.     Having ready access to both weapons and
                 illegal drugs                             5
        67F.     Proof of lawful excuse in sections 67A,
                 67B, 67C and 67E                          6
        Part 3 -- Weapons Act 1999 amended
5.      The Act amended in this Part                            7
6.      Section 6 amended                                       7
7.      Section 7 amended                                       7
8.      Section 8 amended                                       8




                          273--1                                page i
                           Western Australia


                     LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY



       Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008


                               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 2008
    Part 1       Preliminary matters

    s. 1



                    Part 1 -- Preliminary matters
    1.       Short title
             This is the Acts Amendment (Weapons) Act 2008.

    2.       Commencement
5            This Act comes into operation as follows:
              (a)   Part 1 -- on the day on which this Act receives the
                    Royal Assent;
              (b)   the rest of the Act -- on the day after that day.




    page 2
                                        Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008
                                   The Criminal Code amended        Part 2

                                                                          s. 3



                 Part 2 -- The Criminal Code amended
     3.     The Criminal Code amended in this Part
            The amendments in this Part are to The Criminal Code.

     4.     Sections 67A to 67F inserted
 5          After section 67 the following sections are inserted --
     "
          67A.     Being armed in or near place of public
                   entertainment
            (1)    In this section --
10                 "place of public entertainment" means --
                        (a) a place where the public is present and where
                              entertainment of any kind is about to be, is
                              being, or has just been provided to the
                              public, whether on payment or not; or
15                      (b) licensed premises, as that term is defined by
                              the Liquor Control Act 1988 section 3(1);
                   "prescribed place" means --
                        (a) a place of public entertainment; or
                        (b) a public place within 50 metres of a place of
20                            public entertainment.
            (2)    A person who, without a lawful excuse, is armed with
                   any dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument in, or
                   with intent to enter, a prescribed place is guilty of a
                   crime and is liable to imprisonment for 5 years.
25                 Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
                       and a fine of $36 000.

          67B.     Being armed in public in company
                   A person who, without a lawful excuse, is armed with
                   any dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument in a

                                                                      page 3
     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008
     Part 2       The Criminal Code amended

     s. 4



                    public place when in company with 2 or more other
                    persons is guilty of a crime and is liable to
                    imprisonment for 5 years.
                    Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
 5                      and a fine of $36 000.

            67C.    Having ready access to both weapons and cash
              (1)   In this section --
                    "prescribed amount" means the amount prescribed
                         for the purposes of the Firearms Act 1973
10                       section 19(1ab)(a)(ii).
              (2)   A person who, without a lawful excuse, has ready
                    access simultaneously to both --
                     (a)   a dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument;
                           and
15                   (b)   cash equal to or more than the prescribed
                           amount,
                    is guilty of a crime and is liable to imprisonment for
                    5 years.
                    Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
20                      and a fine of $36 000.

            67D.    Meaning of "lawful excuse" in sections 67A, 67B
                    and 67C
              (1)   In sections 67A, 67B and 67C, being armed for defence
                    is not a lawful excuse unless the person --
25                     (a) has reasonable grounds to apprehend that
                             circumstances necessitating defence may arise;
                             and
                      (b) is armed only for defence; and




     page 4
                                   Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008
                              The Criminal Code amended        Part 2

                                                                        s. 4



               (c)   is armed only --
                        (i) with a weapon or instrument the sole
                            purpose of which is to spray oleoresin
                            capsicum; or
 5                     (ii) with a briefcase or suitcase that is
                            commercially designed and made to
                            discharge an electric current so as to
                            deter the theft of the case.
       (2)   In sections 67A, 67B and 67C, a lawful excuse
10           includes the following --
               (a) being a police officer acting in the course of
                     duty;
               (b) being a prison officer as defined in the Prisons
                     Act 1981 section 3(1) and (2) acting in the
15                   course of duty;
               (c) being a person authorised to exercise a power
                     set out in Division 1, 2 or 3 of Schedule 2 to the
                     Court Security and Custodial Services Act 1999
                     or a power set out in Schedule 3 to that Act
20                   acting in the course of duty;
               (d) being the holder of, and engaged in activities
                     authorised by, a security officer's licence issued
                     under the Security and Related Activities
                     (Control) Act 1996 while armed in accordance
25                   with Part 3 Division 3 of that Act.

     67E.    Having ready access to both weapons and illegal
             drugs
       (1)   In this section, being armed for defence is not a lawful
             excuse.
30     (2)   A person who, without a lawful excuse, has ready
             access simultaneously to both --
               (a) a dangerous or offensive weapon or instrument;
                     and

                                                                   page 5
     Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008
     Part 2       The Criminal Code amended

     s. 4



                    (b)   a prohibited drug or a prohibited plant as those
                          terms are defined in section 3(1) of the Misuse
                          of Drugs Act 1981 that, under section 6 or 7 of
                          that Act, the person is not authorised to possess,
 5                 is guilty of a crime and is liable to imprisonment for
                   5 years.
                   Summary conviction penalty: imprisonment for 3 years
                       and a fine of $36 000.

            67F.   Proof of lawful excuse in sections 67A, 67B, 67C
10                 and 67E
                   In a prosecution for an offence under section 67A, 67B,
                   67C or 67E, the accused has the onus of proving that
                   the accused had a lawful excuse.
                                                                               ".




     page 6
                                          Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008
                                      Weapons Act 1999 amended        Part 3

                                                                             s. 5



                    Part 3 -- Weapons Act 1999 amended
     5.         The Act amended in this Part
                The amendments in this Part are to the Weapons Act 1999.

     6.         Section 6 amended
 5              Section 6(1) is amended by deleting the penalty provision at the
                foot of the subsection and inserting instead --
                "
                      Penalty: imprisonment for 3 years and a fine
                         of $36 000.
10                                                                             ".

     7.         Section 7 amended
          (1)   Section 7(1) is amended by deleting the penalty provision at the
                foot of the subsection and inserting instead --
                "
15                    Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine
                         of $24 000.
                                                                               ".
          (2)   Section 7(2) is amended by deleting the penalty provision at the
                foot of the subsection and inserting instead --
20              "
                      Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine
                         of $24 000.
                                                                               ".




                                                                          page 7
    Acts Amendment (Weapons) Bill 2008
    Part 3       Weapons Act 1999 amended

    s. 8



    8.       Section 8 amended
             Section 8(1) is amended by deleting the penalty provision at the
             foot of the subsection and inserting instead --
             "
5                 Penalty: imprisonment for 2 years and a fine
                     of $24 000.
                                                                            ".




 


[Index] [Search] [Download] [Related Items] [Help]