Review of Firearms Control in New Zealand – June 1997

In 1996, the Minister of Police commissioned an independent review of arms control arrangements in New Zealand. The independent review was borne out of recommendations made by the Police Complaints Authority following two separate police shootings in September and November of 1995.

A report, taken from an internal police review, was released by the Police Executive Conference on 28 May 1996 in relation to the recommendations from the shooting; however the Minister decided to seek this independent review by Sir Thomas M Thorp. This is provided in the form of a summary, recommendations and a full report document below.

The recommendations are taken from the 300 page review document on firearms control in New Zealand. These should be read in conjunction with the full report for more context around each recommendation.

This review summary was produced as a more digestible option than the full 300 page document due to the large interest in arms control at the time of release. The summary takes into account where we are in regards to firearms, the current changes in attitudes, and the current way forward.

The full review takes into consideration the uses and misuses of firearms in New Zealand including firearms control, the legislation which governs firearms, the effectiveness of the then present system and recommendations on improvements, and the suggested way forward with summarized recommendations.