Firearms law under review to 'keep Jersey safe'

The head of Jersey Police said now was the time to think about what would keep the island safest

Jersey's 25-year-old firearms law is under review.

The law is being looked at by a committee of three constables - the civic heads of each parish, who are responsible for the issuing of firearms licences - with support from local police.

The constable leading the review, Richard Honeycombe, said he could not share details so far, but it was primarily about tightening up some aspects of the law.

States of Jersey Police Chief Officer Robin Smith said now was an opportune time to review the law and think about what would keep the island safest.

Mr Smith said that, although he was surprised by the amount of guns in the island, he had no great concerns about the dangers of someone using one in the way that people in other countries have, such as in a mass shooting.

However, he added: "That's not to say it couldn't happen here, it could," he said.

The other constables on the committee were Deidre Mezbourian and Karen Shenton-Stone who has previously raised concerns about the current gun laws.

The latest figures showed there were 1,162 active licences in Jersey in June 2024.

A Freedom of Information request also found there were a total of 8,378 firearms.

The majority of these were semi-automatic pistols and bolt action rifles.

How does licensing work?

In Jersey, a firearms certificate (FAC) is issued by the parish an applicant lives in.

It is a legal requirement if anyone wants to own a gun or ammunition and must be renewed every five years.

To apply for an FAC, people must fill out a parish form.

The form requires applicants to have two people outside their family act as referees.

It also asks people to declare any criminal history and any history of mental illness or addiction.

The constable will write to the applicant's GP to confirm anything declared.

Applicants must also have a "good reason" for applying for the licence, such as using a gun for pest control on farmland or target shooting for sport.

With every application or renewal, a parish official will visit that person's home to check they can be trusted with a firearm and/or ammunition and that it can be safely stored.

Once the constable has this information, they meet applicants for an interview and make a decision on the application.

There are also firearms safety officers in every parish.

At the moment, a licence costs £45.

Police Chief Inspector Chris Beechey said police do all they can to work alongside constables with the firearms law

Jersey Police Chief Inspector Chris Beechey said the force operated the island's firearms registry and could assist with any checks required from this data.

He said the law was "very clear" that gun licensing was the responsibility of the constables.

"We will do everything we can to work alongside the constables in all aspects of a firearms law and safety," he said.

Honeycombe has confirmed the review committee planned to keep firearms licensing within the jurisdiction of parish constables.

He also said changes should not affect "legitimate shooters".

Champion shooter Ben Videgrain believes aspects of the island's firearms law, particularly regarding ammunition, are key to the sport's success

Ben Videgrain is a range officer at Jersey Pistol Club. He is the Fullbore Pistol Island Champion and has won nine Island Games medals.

He said he believed the firearms law did not need to change but added the club would be happy to provide any information to the review.

He said: "Personally, I've been shooting for 10 years. In that time, I've had three constables and applied for FACs... they've done a terrific job and it's just worked perfectly well."

'Staying competitive'

He said Jersey's success in competitive shooting was due to unique aspects of the island law.

He said the fact that the law allowed significant storage of ammunition at home was "imperative" to local shooters staying competitive.

He said it was not some 50 to 100 rounds shot in a competition that meant someone won, it was potentially hundreds shot in weeks of practice beforehand.

He said: "And that's where we... [need] a regular supply of ammunition, to keep competitive and bring back the medals for the island."

Mr Videgrain said authorities did look at whether ammunition could be stored at the gun ranges but it was not deemed possible, so ammunition continued to be kept at home.