The amendment to the Act on Weapons and Ammunition submitted by Interior Minister Daniel Lipšic in response to the shooting spree in the Bratislava borough of Devínska Nová Ves last month violates the Constitution in more ways than one, said Ludovit Miklánek and Daniel Tureček from the Gun Owners Association (Legis Telum) at a press conference held on Monday, September 13, the TASR newswire wrote.
They said the amendment applies the principle of collective guilt and that there are plans to dispossess people of their property without compensation. The confiscations will affect approximately 60 percent of all firearms in Slovakia, ruining whole sporting disciplines and firearm collections while causing losses of thousands of euros. They also said the amendment will affect 157,000 people, whose integrity has been validated by a prosecutor and confirmed by law.
The association also said the amendment will not improve people's safety, while opening the way for the uncontrolled proliferation of illegal guns. The association called on MPs to vote against the proposal which is to be discussed in Parliament via a fast-tracked procedure. The association's representatives told TASR newswire that the issue needs to be discussed by experts without any political and time pressure in order for a new proposal to be drawn up, one that would not generalise a universal ban but rather redefine the conditions for a firearms certificate.
Tureček said that the issue with which the amendment deals is too serious and complex for the document in question to be drawn up within seven days. Also, the seven-day period during which the amendment was submitted for comments was too short for any professional evaluation.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
