Armed Forces Act 1996

29 Exemptions from Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 1981

(1) In Article 57 of the [S.I. 1981/155 (N.I. 2).] Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (application of Parts II and III to Crown servants), after paragraph (2) there shall be added the following paragraphs—

“(3) For the purposes of this Article, the persons specified in paragraph (4) shall be deemed to be in the naval, military or air service of the Crown, in so far as they are not otherwise in, or treated as being in, any such service.

(4) The persons referred to in paragraph (3) are the following—

(a) members of any foreign force when they are serving with any of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown;

(b) members of any cadet corps approved by the Secretary of State when—

(i) they are engaged as members of the corps in, or in connection with, drill or target practice; and

(ii) in the case of possession of prohibited weapons or prohibited ammunition when engaged in target practice, they are on service premises; and

(c) persons providing instruction to any members of a cadet corps who fall within sub-paragraph (b).

(5) In paragraph (4)—

• “foreign force” means any of the naval, military or air forces of a country other than the United Kingdom; and

• “service premises” means premises, including any ship or aircraft, used for any purpose of any of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown.”

(2) After Article 12 of that Order there shall be inserted the following Article—

“12A Possession of firearms on service premises

(1) A person under the supervision of a member of the armed forces may, without holding a firearm certificate or obtaining the authority of the Secretary of State under Article 6, have in his possession a firearm and ammunition on service premises.

(2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a person while engaged in providing security protection on service premises.

(3) In this Article—

• “armed forces” means any of the naval, military or air forces of the Crown; and

• “service premises” means premises, including any ship or aircraft, used for any purpose of the armed forces.”.