Failure to declare in Northern Ireland

Countryside Alliance Ireland would like to remind members that every time you fill in a firearms application you are duty bound to declare if you have any convictions, no matter how long ago it may have been. Furthermore, you must disclose any current or previous medical conditions in the last five years even if you have previously declared them. If you are unsure about any of your current or previous medical conditions, please contact your doctor to discuss them before completing your application.

Failure to do so could result in firearms being seized and your case being escalated to a Senior Licensing Firearms Manager to determine if you are fit to continue to hold a Firearms Certificate. This can not only be a lengthy process but also a drain on PSNI and FEB resources that could be better used.

In a recent case, after seizing and waiting on third party information, some five months later FEB stated that the member in question would not have been prevented from holding a Firearms Certificate. However, their letter went on to say that as they failed to declare, such an untruth is in itself a criminal offence under Article 73 of the Firearms (NI) Order 2004. It reflects a standard of behaviour not expected of a Firearms Certificate holder and casts doubt on their suitability to possess firearms.