It surprised me by reading in the other thread how many places in the world make it illegal to own a firearm. That’s a very rare thing in the U.S. and very few jurisdictions have such a policy. So, what sort of fine/jail time would you be looking at in your home country in the following scenarios.
You are having a gathering and the police knock on your door to tell you to quiet down. In plain view, they see a rifle sitting in the corner. Trouble? How about a handgun on the coffee table?
You are walking down the street and you fit the description of a person of interest that law enforcement needs to question. They pat you down and find you with a loaded pistol in a waistband holster. (Let’s assume that the search was legal) Big trouble?
Basically would you go to jail for the above, pay a fine, or have your gun confiscated and told not to do it again?
In the UK the rifle would be ok with a license (though just having it in the open, rather than in a locked cabinet would be contravening the conditions of your license), serious trouble without one (though not necessarily jail for the first offense). Hereis a case where someone got a suspended sentence first time round (then proceeded to get caught again).
All handguns are banned in the UK, so you are is serious trouble if caught with one. There is a mandatory 5-year custodial sentence (though apparently judges are not always enforcing it).
You can get a shotgun license in the UK without too much hassle - the ease depends somewhat on your local police force. It would still be subject to regulations concerning the gun storage etc. so having one just lying around would not be legal. But they’re obviously common on farms etc in rural areas.
A firearms license for a rifle is a lot more difficult AFAIK - you need a compelling reason to own one, like you own 50 acres and are being beseiged by deer.
In Sweden the punishment for illegal possession of a firearm is a fine or up to 6 months in prison for small offenses, and between 6 months and 4 years for serious offenses. I do not know how the severity is judged though, but from some googling it seems that people often come off quite lightly. There are calls for longer sentences after gun related crimes have increased in some cities, and people there who are caught with a gun in public only seem to receive fines or a few months in prison.
You need to be a member of a shooting club for 6 months, be >= 18 years old, pass some exams, have a clean police record, and actively participate in your club to get a license. There are also specific storage rules (locked cabinet).
In relation to the Republic of Ireland, this answer from this site looks the clearest. In fact a lot of guns have found their way from thirty years of minor civil war in the North into criminal hands and gang assassinations are too common, though some people suspect that since they are not usually turned on the general public, the police are happy enough not too make much effort and let the gangsters take each other out.
I also beleive that Northern Ireland was the only bit of Britain where it was ever legal to have hand guns for self defence. I don’t know if there were special laws to allow this (AFIAK you could never claim “I need it for self defence” on your gun certificate application in mainland UK), and if they are still in force.
In Israel, if you’d been issued the rifle legally by some official body (such as the military) or if you have a license to the specific handgun you’re carrying, the police won’t give you any problems. Otherwise, you’re in deep trouble.
Also, shotguns are virtually unheard of here; it’s easier to get a pilot’s license than it is to get a hunting license.
Here in France, and as a general rule : very, very illegal. Unless we’re speaking about hunting shotguns, which aren’t well regulated, if at all - it’s just a matter of paying for a hunting license, few questions asked. Handgun licenses on the other hand require significant hoop jumpage, and as for assault rifles, SMGs and the like, forget about it. You probably have to tell the cops if you wield one in a dream.
Here’s the actual lowdown :
First category : semi auto handguns with a caliber above 7.65mm, every auto or semi-auto rifle, weapons designed for war use - very heavily restricted unless you’re a cop or soldier.
Second category : tanks, warplanes, tracked artillery etc… : forbidden to the public. Duh.
Third : Protection against chemical weapons (i.e. a gasmask) : forbidden barring special cases (e.g. firefighter).
Fourth : guns that aren’t in the first category, but not in the fith either, which in practical terms means pump action shotguns, 22LR carbines (or not, depending on magazine size, barrel length… lots of criteria can put a weapon right back in first category)
Fifth : smoothbore hunting guns, single or double shot shotguns. Need a hunting permit.
Sixth : Knives, teargas, blackjacks, etc… : can get you in trouble, but generally you don’t need a license. However, machetes, war swords etc… can be rated higher category. I once got into light trouble for carrying a historical two handed Scottish claymore in the subway without a proper license/without warning the cops, because according to them it was a first category weapon. Yes, a sword is still a war weapon in France.
7th : compressed air weapons above a given power threshold, so-called “alarm guns” (i.e. handguns that can only fire blanks)
8th : antique guns, black powder muskets and neutralized military weapons (e.g. spiked barrel)
You need a specific permit to own weapons of 4th category and above, everything else is relatively free to own and use, though you might need hunting permits and the like. Not anyone can get the 1-4th permit either, here are the specific criteria :
Must be and have been a member of the French Shooting Federation for over 6 months
Must have passed at least three separate official shooting exams, with at least 2 months between each
Must have a favorable recommendation from the local shooting league
Can justify owning a safe (i.e. you are rich enough, or threatened enough, or own secrets of some kind - not sure how that works in practical terms these days)
Have passed a “morality enquiry” from the local PD (doubt this has to do with you being gay anymore, it mostly means you can’t own a gun if the neighborhood thinks you’re a troublemaker, or if you’ve been affiliated with violent groups in the past)
Can’t have a file at the DDASS (social services - wife beatings, child beatings…)
For the rifle, the person need a firearms possession licence. As well, the rifle has to be registered. If either of those requirements is not met, the person is likely committing an offence contrary to s. 91(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada, the federal criminal law.
Even if the person meets those requirements, the person may be guilty of the offence of careless use of a firearm, or possibly be in breach of the storage regulations enacted under the Criminal Code. (See section 86(1) and 86(2), respectively.)
For the handgun, the person needs to hold a restricted firearms possession licence, and the handgun needs to be registered. There would be the same possibilities of an offence of careless use or breach of the storage regulations.
From your description, I assume that you mean that the handgun was not visible, and was only discovered by the pat-down?
As with the previous examples, if the person doesn’t have a restricted firearms possession licence, and the handgun isn’t registered, that’s two separate offences the person has likely committed. And, even if the person does meet those requirements, the holder of restricted weapon licence is only allowed to transport a restricted weapon between places specified on the restricted firearm possession licence (normally the person’s home and the gun range) so the person would have to show that the person is transporting it between those permitted places. If not, the person is likely committing an offence under s. 19 of the federal Firearms Act.
In addition, since the handgun is loaded, the person may be charged with careless use, under s. 86.
And, since the handgun was concealed, the person is likely looking at a charge of carrying a concealed weapon: Criminal Code, s. 90.
Since these are all Criminal Code offences, jail is a possibility, but the Code has a wide range of sentencing options - suspended sentences, conditional sentences, conditional discharges, fines, community service - so it would depend heavily on the circumstances of the offender. If the offender does get a jail or fine, it carries a criminal record.
However, in addition to those punishments, there’s also the possibility of prohibition and forfeiture orders. If the person is convicted, the judge has discretion to impose a ten year prohibition order under s. 110 of the Criminal Code. If the person was already under an order restricting use of firearms at the time of the offence, the prohibition order is mandatory, under s. 109, and for a second offence, is a lifetime prohibition.
If a prohibition order is made, then any weapon which the person owns which is subject to the prohibition order is forfeited to the Crown, under s. 115 of the Criminal Code, unless the judge making the prohibition order makes an exception. Forfeited weapons are disposed of as directed by the Attorney General of the province.
NOTE: I am not your lawyer, and none of this is intended as legal advice. It’s simply to explain, in general terms and as a matter of public interest, the Canadian law dealing with firearms. If anyone needs legal advice about a firearms issue in Canada, they should speak to a lawyer in person. They should not rely on anonymous postings on a message board.
Guns here are totally forbidden for private ownership, be they handgun, shotgun or rifle.
Also, if you were seen with a hunting knife in plain view you would be in for a lot of trouble (people are regualrly charged with bringing them back across the border)
You may hit further trouble for even keeping a replica or bb gun in you home, although some of these are allowed (I would have to google for a better cite than my memory to comment further though)
I don’t have the time to look it up, but in the Netherlands I’m pretty sure no one has privately owned weapons, if you’re member of shooting/gun club you leave your weapon at the club. I am not even sure what the penalties for owning a gun are, but I don’t think there is a place where you can buy regular hand guns.
No civilians except those on law enforcement are allowed to carry guns or unless they have the A&E license
Soldiers are not allowed to have live rounds on them outside of the firing range (unless you are part of the ammo squad)
Soliders are not allowed to bring out their firearm (someone did and I guess he’s thrown into military prison for 40 years)
I pretty sure you need a license for replica guns or those fancy movie sword props (I gather from looking through Casear’s). As long as you don’t bring out your parang in plain view I’m sure it’s fine.
To answer the OP, for both cases, you’re screwed if that happens in Singapore
The Lord Chief Justice has laid down, in an appeal, that possession of an unregistered firearm was an exceptionally serious offence which should nearly always merit a jail sentence (itself pretty unusual these days).