Related documents
- Is amended by Firearms and Ammunition (Amendment) Act, 2021
Seychelles
Firearms and Ammunition Act
Act 9 of 1973
- Commenced on 1 November 1973
- [This is the version of this document as it was at 30 June 2012 to 26 July 2021.]
Part I – Preliminary
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Firearms and Ammunition Act.2. Interpretation
In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires—"acquiring" means hiring, accepting as a gift and borrowing, and the expressions "acquire" and "acquisition" shall be construed accordingly;"ammunition" includes—(i)every shell, cartridge case, bomb, hand grenade, or projectile, whether containing any explosive or gas or chemical or not, and whether intended to be discharged from or by any gun or other propelling or releasing instrument or mechanism or not, except hand grenades which can be used only for the purposes of extinguishing fires;(ii)every part of any such shell, cartridge case, bomb, hand grenade or projectile, whether such shell cartridge case, bomb, hand grenade or projectile may have been completely formed at any time or not;(iii)every fuse, percussion cap, or priming cap, which could be used for the purpose of exploding any shell, bomb, hand grenade or other projectile;(iv)every bullet or cartridge clip;(v)an explosive when enclosed in any case or contrivance, or otherwise adapted or prepared so as to form a cartridge, charge or complete round of small arms, cannon, or any other weapon, or to form any tube for firing explosives, or to form a detonator, a projectile, or contrivance other than a firework, which can be used either singly or in suitable combinations, as, or in connection with, a missile;(vi)everything which may be declared by regulations made by President to be ammunition,but does not include anything declared by regulations made by the President not to be ammunition;"approved carrier" means a carrier approved by the Licencing Authority;"approved servant" means an employee approved by the Licencing Authority;"arms of war" means artillery of all kinds, apparatus for the discharge of all kinds of projectiles explosive or gas-diffusion, flame-throwers, bombs, grenades, machine-guns and rifled small-bore breech-loading weapons;"customs control" means the control of the Seychelles Customs Department;"customs officer" means an officer of the Seychelles Customs Department;"firearm" means any lethal barrelled weapon of any description from which any shot, bullet, spear or other missile can be discharged or which can be adapted for the discharge of any shot, bullet, spear or other missile, and any weapon of whatever description designed or adapted for the discharge of any noxious liquid, gas, spear or other thing, and includes the barrel, bolt and chamber, and any other essential component part, of any such weapon as aforesaid, but does not include anything which may be declared by regulations made by the President not to be a firearm;"firearms licence" means a firearm licence granted under section 5;"firearms dealer" means a person who, by way of trade or business, sells, transfers, repairs, tests or proves firearms or ammunition;"immigration officer" has the same meaning as in the Immigration Decree and includes an assistant immigration officer;"Licensing Authority" means the Commissioner of Police and every police officer delegated under section 3;"munitions of war" means ammunition for use with arms of war;"slaughtering instrument" means a firearm which is specially designed or adapted for the instantaneous slaughter of animals or for the instantaneous stunning of animals or for the instantaneous stunning of animals with a view to slaughtering them;"transferring" includes letting on hire, giving, lending and parting with possession, and the expressions "transfer" "transferee" and "transferor" shall be construed accordingly.3. Licensing Authority
Part II – Regulation of purchase, possession, manufacture and sale of firearms and ammunition and other transactions
4. Penalty for purchasing, etc., firearms or ammunition without firearm licence
5. Grant, etc., of firearm licences
6. Fees in respect of firearms licences
7. Exemptions from holding a firearm licence
8. Power to refuse firearm licence or permit unless firearm or ammunition produced
9. Prohibition of manufacture of firearms and ammunition
10. Production of firearm licence
11. Production of and accounting for firearms and ammunition
12. Penalty for dealings in firearms without being registered
13. Registration of firearms dealers
14. Certificates of registration
15. Registration of places of business of firearms dealers
16. Restrictions on sale, repair, etc. of firearms and ammunition
17. Register of transactions in firearms and ammunition
18. Storage and safe custody of firearms and ammunition
19. Powers of court in case of offences by registered firearms dealers
Where a registered firearms dealer is convicted of an offence under this Act, or under any law for the time being in force in Seychelles relating to customs in respect of the import or export of firearms or ammunition, the court may order—20. Penalty for taking in pawn firearms or ammunition
21. Provisions as to converting imitation firearms into firearms
22. Loss of firearms or ammunition to be reported
Any person having possession of a firearm or ammunition, whether or not he holds a firearm licence therefor or is entitled to have possession thereof without holding a firearm licence, shall, if such firearm or ammunition is lost, stolen or destroyed, report such loss, theft or destruction as soon as possible after its occurrence to the police officer in charge of the nearest police station, and if he fails to do so, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding Rs. 2,000, or to both such imprisonment and fine.23. Appeals under this Part
24. Application of this Part
Part III – Miscellaneous provisions as to firearms and ammunition
25. Special provisions relating to certain types of weapons and ammunition
26. Importation and exportation of firearms and ammunition
27. Places of importation of firearms or ammunition and removal therefrom
28. Removal and transportation of firearms and ammunition within Seychelles
29. Firearms and ammunition in transit through Seychelles
Notwithstanding anything in this Act contained, the Licensing Authority may, at his discretion, grant, with or without conditions, refuse, suspend or revoke transit permits for the importation or exportation, or the removal within or transportation through Seychelles, of any firearms or ammunition in transit through Seychelles to any place outside Seychelles, and the importation, exportation, removal, transportation and possession of any such arms or ammunition under and in accordance with the terms of any such transit permit shall be lawful and shall not constitute any offence under this Act.30. Restrictions on possession of firearms and ammunitions by young persons
31. Carrying firearm while drunk or disorderly
Any person who is drunk, or who behaves in a disorderly manner, while carrying a firearm to which Part II applies, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding Rs. 2,000, or to both such imprisonment and fine.32. Penalty for use and possession of firearms or imitation firearms in certain cases
33. Appeals under this Part
Part IV – General
34. Convicted persons not to possess firearms or ammunition; forfeiture of firearms and ammunition, and cancellation of firearm licences
35. Search warrants and disposal of firearms and ammunition seized
36. Disposal of firearms and ammunition
37. Appeals in connection with disposal of firearms etc.
38. Power to inspect premises
Any police officer may at all reasonable time enter upon any premises with a view to ascertaining whether or not the provisions of this Act are being complied with, and may inspect such premises and any firearm or ammunition, book, account, register, document or thing found therein, and may require any person appearing to be in control thereof or employed therein to give such information as such police officer may require in order to ascertain whether or not the provisions of this Act are being complied with.39. Penalty for obstructing a police officer
Any person who obstructs a police officer in the exercise of any of the powers conferred on him by or under section 35 or section 38, or who fails to give to such police officer any information which he is lawfully required by such police officer under the said section to give to him, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to a fine not exceeding Rs.2,000 or to both such imprisonment and fine.40. Arrest without warrant
Any police officer may arrest without warrant any person whom he suspects on reasonable ground of having committed an offence under this Act.41. Jurisdiction of Magistrate's Court
An magistrate shall have power to try any offence under this Act, other than an offence under the proviso to subsection (3) of section 26 or under subsection (1) of section 32 and to award any punishment provided therefor.42. Service of documents, notices etc.
Save where otherwise expressly by this Act provided, any demand or notice required or authorized by this Act to be made of or given to any person shall be served either—43. Evidence
44. General exemptions
Notwithstanding anything elsewhere contained in this Act a firearm licence shall not be required to be taken out in respect of firearms or ammunition by:—45. President may prohibit use of firearms
46. Power to make regulations
The president may make regulations—47. Savings
History of this document
27 July 2021 amendment not yet applied
30 June 2012 this version
Consolidation
01 November 1973
Commenced