The Firearms (Prohibition, Restriction, and Regulation) Act 2022 came into operation on the 1st of November 2022 and repealed and replaced the Firearms Act. 1967. The Act revolutionizes how the Government of Jamaica regulates the manufacture, sale, purchase, importation, exportation, trans-shipment, disposal, possession, and use of firearms and ammunition.
Firearms Licensing Authority (FLA).
This new Act allows individuals to own, carry and use firearms and ammunition. Still, they must have the appropriate firearm authorization granted by the Board of the FLA. The Act establishes the Firearm Licensing Authority as the relevant regulatory body, and its functions include receiving, screening, and processing firearm applications, for consideration by the Board; receiving and investigating complaints regarding the breach of any term or condition of a firearm authorization; and ensuring general compliance with the provisions of the Act.
The JIS video below explains some of the Dos and Don’t of the new Firearms Act 2022. First, the penalty for possessing an illegal firearm carries a minimum sentence of 15 years of imprisonment.