In a recent article you said that firearms ownership is a right not a privilege. I’ve just had a letter from North Yorkshire police saying the holding of a certificate is a privilege not a right. Who is correct?
FIREARMS OWNERSHIP
David Frost
I am! The word privilege has several meanings but is generally taken to mean a special right or immunity.
The police are required by law to grant a certificate to every resident of this country who is of good character and has a good reason for possessing a gun.
Provided you?re not a jailbird or a danger to public safety or the peace every citizen meets the good character requirement.
You are entitled, as of right, to be assumed to be of good character unless there is proof to the contrary. It is not a privilege to be of good character.
All you need to show good reason is that you have some right of shooting over a piece of land, usually either by ownership or payment.
The legal term for this is shooting rights, not shooting privilege.
The police would like you to think they are doing you a great favour by granting a certificate but they?re not ? it?s your right.
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