Firearms Act 1964
F24[Prohibition of use of firearms to assist or aid escape.
27.— (1) A person shall not use or produce a firearm or imitation firearm—
(a) for the purpose of or while resisting the arrest of the person or of another person by a member of the Garda Síochána, or
(b) for the purpose of aiding, or in the course of, the escape or rescue of the person or of another person from lawful custody.
(2) A person who contravenes subsection (1) of this section is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction on indictment—
(a) to imprisonment for life or such shorter term as the court may determine, subject to subsections (4) to (6) of this section F25[…], and
(b) at the court’s discretion, to a fine of such amount as the court considers appropriate.
(3) The court, in imposing sentence on a person for an offence under this section, may, in particular, have regard to whether the person has a previous conviction for an offence under the Firearms Acts 1925 to 2006, the Offences against the State Acts 1939 to 1998 or the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005.
(4) Where a person (other than a person under the age of 18 years) is convicted of an offence under this section, the court shall, in imposing sentence, specify a term of imprisonment of not less than 10 years as the minimum term of imprisonment to be served by the person.
F26[(4A) The purpose of subsections (5) and (6) of this section is to provide that in view of the harm caused to society by the unlawful possession and use of firearms, a court, in imposing sentence on a person (other than a person under the age of 18 years) for an offence under this section, shall specify as the minimum term of imprisonment to be served by the person a term of not less than 10 years, unless the court determines that by reason of exceptional and specific circumstances relating to the offence, or the person convicted of it, it would be unjust in all the circumstances to do so.]
(5) Subsection (4) of this section does not apply where the court is satisfied that there are exceptional and specific circumstances relating to the offence, or to the person convicted of it, which would make the minimum term unjust in all the circumstances, and for this purpose the court may F27[, subject to subsection (6),] have regard to any matters it considers appropriate, including—
(a) whether the person pleaded guilty to the offence and, if so—
(i) the stage at which the intention to plead guilty was indicated, and
(ii) the circumstances in which the indication was given,
and
(b) whether the person materially assisted in the investigation of the offence.
(6) The court, in considering for the purposes of subsection (5) of this section whether a sentence of not less than 10 years imprisonment is unjust in all the circumstances, may have regard, in particular, to—
(a) whether the person convicted of the offence has a previous conviction for an offence under the Firearms Acts 1925 to 2006, the Offences Against the State Acts 1939 to 1998 or the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005, and
(b) whether the public interest in preventing the unlawful possession or use of firearms would be served by the imposition of a lesser sentence.
(7) F25[…]
(8) F25[…]
(9) Section 27C of this Act applies in relation to proceedings for an offence under this section and any minimum term of imprisonment imposed under subsection (4) F25[…] of this section in those proceedings.]
Annotations
Amendments:
F24
Substituted (1.11.2006) by Criminal Justice Act 2006 (26/2006), s. 58, S.I. No. 390 of 2006.
F25
Deleted (27.12.2021) by Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2021 (36/2021), s. 5(b)(i)-(iii), S.I. No. 777 of 2021, subject to retrospective applicationby s. 10, see C-note below.
F26
Inserted (18.05.2007) by Criminal Justice Act 2007 (29/2007), s. 37(a), S.I. No. 236 of 2007.
F27
Inserted (18.05.2007) by Criminal Justice Act 2007 (29/2007), s. 37(b), S.I. No. 236 of 2007.
Modifications (not altering text):
C9
Deletion of subs. (8) applied with retrosopective effect (27.12.2021) by Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2021 (36/2021), s. 10, S.I. No. 777 of 2021.
Retrospective application of certain amendments
10. (1) Subject to subsection (2), the amendments effected by this Act (other than those effected by subparagraphs (i) and (iii) of section 5 (c) and by section 6) shall apply in respect of a relevant offence committed before the date of the coming into operation of this Act, including a relevant offence in respect of which proceedings had commenced before that date.
(2) Subsection (1) shall not apply in respect of a relevant offence committed prior to the date of the coming into operation of this Act where final judgment was given before that date in the proceedings in respect of the relevant offence.
(3) In this section “relevant offence” means— ...
(e) an offence to which section 26 (8), section 27 (8) or section 27B(8) of the Firearms Act 1964 applied, immediately before their repeal by section 5, or
...
C10
Application of section extended (1.06.1976) by Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act 1976 (14/1976), s. 2 and sch. para. 11(b), S.I. No. 112 of 1976.
Offences committed in Northern Ireland and related offences committed in State.
2.—(1) Where a person does in Northern Ireland an act that, if done in the State, would constitute an offence specified in the Schedule, he shall be guilty of an offence and he shall be liable on conviction on indictment to the penalty to which he would have been liable if he had done the act in the State.
SCHEDULE
11. Any offence under the following provisions of the Firearms Act, 1964 — ...
(b) section 27 (use of firearms to resist arrest or aid escape);
...
Editorial Notes:
E14
Offences under section designated relevant offences (1.09.2010) by Criminal Procedure Act 2010 (27/2010), s. 7 and sch. para. 18, S.I. No. 414 of 2010, for purposes of Part 3 of that Act (exceptions to rule against double jeopardy, including application for retrial order (ss. 8-14) and approval of District Court for exercise of certain powers relating to persons acquitted of relevant offences (ss. 15-18)).
E15
Minimum sentence for offences under section committed under certain circumstances provided (18.05.2007) by Criminal Justice Act 2007 (29/2007), s. 25 and sch. 2 para. 5(b), S.I. No. 236 of 2007.
E16
Power of court to make monitoring and protection orders in relation to offence under this section provided (18.05.2007) by Criminal Justice Act 2007 (29/2007), s. 26 and sch. 2 para. 5(b), S.I. No. 236 of 2007.
E17
Offence under section may be an element of terrorist activity as provided (8.07.2005) by Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 (2/2005), s. 4 and sch. 2 part 1 para. 9(e), commenced as per s. 2.
E18
Offences under section designated serious offences (4.09.1998 and 15.05.2000) by Bail Act 1997 (16/1997), s. 1 and sch. paras. 15(b), 29 and 30, S.I. No. 315 of 1998 and S.I. No. 118 of 2000.
E19
Certain offences under section committed outside the State not to be regarded as political offences as provided by Extradition (European Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism) Act 1987 (1/1987), s. 3(3A) as inserted (22.08.1994) by Extradition (Amendment) Act 1994 (6/1994), s. 2 and sch. 1 para. 9(a), S.I. No. 220 of 1994.
E20
Previous affecting provision: subs. (2) amended (1.06.1976) by Criminal Law (Jurisdiction) Act 1976 (14/1976), s. 21(6)(c), S.I. No. 112 of 1976. Subs. (2) subsequently amended (1.03.1985) by Criminal Justice Act 1984 (22/1984), s. 14(3), S.I. No. 17 of 1985. Section substituted as per F-note above.