Signed this 31st day of December, 1974

SIAKA STEVENS. President.

The Arms and Ammunition (Amendment) Act, 1974

Being an Act to provide for more drastic penalties for the unlawful possession of Arms and Ammunition

[31st December, 1974.]

Be it enacted by the President and Members of Parliament in

this present Parliament assembled, as follows: —

1. Section of the Arms and Ammunition Act, 1955 is. hereby repealed and replaced by the following new section—

19. (1) Any person—

(a) who possesses any small arm, other than a small arm in the possession of the Comptroller of Customs or the Sierra Leone Ports Authority under the provisions of subsection (1) of section 2 or stored in a public or private warehouse; or

(/)) who uses or attempts to use any small arm, unless he is the holder of a current licence issued under section 18 to own and use such small arm, or to bear and use a small arm of that type,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable—?

(i) on summary conviction to a fine not less than one thousand leones and not exceeding two thousand leones or to imprisonment for a term not less than three years and not exceeding five years or to both such fine and imprisonment; or

(ii) on conviction on information to a fine not exceeding ten thousand leones or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fifteen years or to both such fine and imprisonment:

Provided that it shall be lawful for the holder of a licence to repair small arms to possess, without taking out a licence in respect thereof under section 18, any small arm entrusted to him by the licensed owner thereof for repair, and for the holder of a licence to manufacture and repair smooth bore cap guns and flintlock guns to possess, without taking out a licence in respect thereof under section 18, any such cap gun or flint-lock gun manufactured by him or entrusted to him bv the licensed owner thereof for repair:

Provided further that it shall be lawful for the holder of a permit issued under section 24 to have in his possession, without a licence therefor issued under section 18, the small arm in respect of which such permit was issued but only for the period of validity of such permit.

(2) Any person—

(a) who not being the holder of a licence issued under section 18 to own and use a small arm or to bear and use a small arm of a specified type, who owns or possesses any small arms ammunition; or

(b) who is the holder of a licence issued under section 18 to own and use a small arm or to bear and use a small arm of a specified type who possesses small arms ammunition for such small arm. or type of small arm, in excess of the maximum endorsed on his licence; or

(c) who possesses small arms ammunition for a type of small arm in respect of which he does not hold a licence under this Act,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(i) on summary conviction to a fine not less than one thousand leones and not exceeding two thousand leones or to imprisonment for a term not less than three years and not exceeding five years or to both such fine and imprisonment: or

(ii) on conviction on information to a fine not exceeding ten thousand leones or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fifteen years or to both such fine and imprisonment:

Provided that nothing contained in this Act shall be construed as making it unlawful for any person to own or possess any explosive which he is authorised to own or possess in pursuance of the provisions of the Explosives Act, 1955:

Provided further that nothing contained in this subsection shall apply to any small arms ammunition in the possession of the Comptroller of Customs or the Sierra Leone Ports Authority under the provision of subsection d) of section 2 or stored in a public or private warehouse."

2. Section 32 of the principal Act is hereby repealed and replaced by the following new section—

32. Any person who commits or attempts to commit any offence under this Act for which no penalty is specified shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not less than one thousand leones and not exceeding two thousand leones or to imprisonment for a term not less than three years and not exceeding five years or to both such fine and imprisonment.".

Passed in Parliament this 5th day of December, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventy-four.

M. MUNU, Acting Clerk of Parliament.

this Printed Impression has been carefully compared by me with the Bill which has passed Parliament and found by me to be a true and correctly printed copy of the said Bill.

M. MUNU,

Acting Clerk of Parliament.