Stop VicPol's COVID threat to shooters
Victoria Police do a difficult job. Let's face it, they've got a huge task in making sure that people do the right thing during the COVID crisis.
However one thing they don't do well is manage the firearms registry - which is in the Licensing and Regulation Division (LRD). Like other registries, the LRD's approach to shooters is not helpful. In fact it is sometimes hostile.
Shooters need legal help - and certainty
In late August, the LRD issued this email which threatens shooters with reprimand, suspension and loss of licence if they breach the COVID-19 restrictions.
It means shooters could lose their licence even if their breach is trivial - and completely unrelated to using firearms,
It's overreach, by a mile.
Several shooting organisations and a number of Victorian MPs have spoken up about this, and the need for Victoria's Police Minister to bring LRD under control!
NSC launches legal action
In the meantime, the National Shooting Council has launched legal action to defend one young shooter, "R" who lost his licence because he visited a friend in July. The police allege that because he got a fine (which he has not yet received), that Ris no longer a 'fit and proper' person to hold a licence.
We don't advocate breaking any laws. However what VicPol are doing - and threatened to do for trivial matters - is a bit rich. So we want this to be a test case for shooters by using hte legal system to determine what 'fit and proper' should mean.
We want our legal system to put some sensible boundaries around what Victoria Police does, because it is a phrase that is being abused to cancel licences without any real accountability.
What the funds will be used for?
We've already filed legal proceedings to help R get his licence - and guns - back.
However we also want to obtain a Supreme Court injunction to stop LRD doing the same to other shooters. Such a court action has never been done before and the case would set a precedent Australia wide and create legal history.
It'll also help shooters in other states who are also facing hostile registries who have been using weak excuses to take licences off decent people.
Getting an injunction is going to cost us more than we have, so we need to raise $10k to get this started - and we need to do it NOW.
Help us STOP Victoria Police targeting shooters - and help us put some boundaries on what 'fit and proper' means to help shooters in Victoria and elsewhere keep the licences they have fought hard to get.
