South Australian Current Acts

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SUMMARY OFFENCES ACT 1953 - SECT 21F

21F—Prohibited weapons

        (1)         A person who—

            (a)         manufactures, sells, distributes, supplies or otherwise deals in, prohibited weapons; or

            (b)         uses or has possession of a prohibited weapon,

is guilty of an offence.

Maximum penalty: $20 000 or imprisonment for 2 years.

        (2)         It is a defence to prosecution for an offence against subsection (1) to prove that the defendant was, in accordance with—

            (a)         Schedule 2; or

            (b)         a declaration made by the Minister under subsection (3),

an exempt person in the circumstances of the alleged offence.

        (3)         The Minister—

            (a)         may declare a person or a class of persons to be exempt from subsection (1) in the circumstances specified in the declaration; and

            (b)         may, on the Minister's own initiative, vary or revoke such a declaration.

        (4)         The declaration by the Minister under subsection (3) may be conditional or unconditional.

        (4a)         A declaration made by the Minister under subsection (3) in respect of a class of persons—

            (a)         must be notified in the Gazette; and

            (b)         has effect for the period specified in the declaration (being a period not exceeding 1 month); and

            (c)         has effect despite any provision of Schedule 2.

        (4b)         A variation or revocation of a declaration under subsection (3) is of no effect unless—

            (a)         in the case of a variation or revocation of a declaration in respect of a person—the person has been given notice of the variation or revocation; or

            (b)         in the case of a variation or revocation of a declaration in respect of a class of persons—the variation or revocation is notified in the Gazette.

        (5)         An application to the Minister for a declaration must be—

            (a)         in a form approved by the Minister; and

            (b)         accompanied by the fee prescribed by regulation.

        (6)         The Minister must not make a decision on an application for a declaration unless he or she has consulted with the Commissioner.

        (7)         A person aggrieved by a decision of the Minister to vary or revoke a declaration may appeal against the variation or revocation to the District Court.

        (8)         The Minister may delegate his or her powers under this section to any person or body.

        (9)         A delegation under subsection (8)—

            (a)         must be in writing; and

            (b)         may be conditional or unconditional; and

            (c)         does not derogate from the Minister's ability to exercise the power under this section; and

            (d)         is revocable at will by the Minister.

        (10)         If the Minister has not given the person reasons in writing for making the decision appealed against, the Minister must do so on request made within 28 days after the person received notice of the decision.

        (11)         If a decision was made because of information that is classified by the Commissioner as criminal intelligence, the only reason required to be given is that the decision was made on public interest grounds.

        (12)         An appeal under this section must be made—

            (a)         within 28 days after the person received notice of the decision appealed against; or

            (b)         if a request for reasons in writing is made under subsection (10)—within 28 days after the person received the reasons in writing.

        (13)         On an appeal under this section, the Court

            (a)         must, on the application of the Commissioner, take steps to maintain the confidentiality of information classified by the Commissioner as criminal intelligence, including steps to receive evidence and hear argument about the information in private in the absence of the parties to the proceedings and their representatives; and

            (b)         may take evidence consisting of, or relating to, information that is so classified by the Commissioner by way of affidavit of a police officer of or above the rank of Superintendent.

        (14)         A person (being a person who is otherwise entitled to do so) must not use or have possession of a prohibited weapon unless he or she does so in a safe and secure manner.

Maximum penalty: $1 250 or imprisonment for 3 months.



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