Chemical Weapons Act 1996

Introduction

1 General interpretation

(1) Chemical weapons are—

(a) toxic chemicals and their precursors;

(b) munitions and other devices designed to cause death or harm through the toxic properties of toxic chemicals released by them;

(c) equipment designed for use in connection with munitions and devices falling within paragraph (b).

(2) Subsection (1) is subject to sections 2(2) and (3), 10(1) and 11(2) (by virtue of which an object is not a chemical weapon if the use or intended use is only for permitted purposes).

(3) Permitted purposes are—

(a) peaceful purposes;

(b) purposes related to protection against toxic chemicals;

(c) legitimate military purposes;

(d) purposes of enforcing the law.

(4) Legitimate military purposes are all military purposes except those which depend on the use of the toxic properties of chemicals as a method of warfare in circumstances where the main object is to cause death, permanent harm or temporary incapacity to humans or animals.

(5) A toxic chemical is a chemical which through its chemical action on life processes can cause death, permanent harm or temporary incapacity to humans or animals; and the origin, method of production and place of production are immaterial.

(6) A precursor is a chemical reactant which takes part at any stage in the production (by whatever method) of a toxic chemical.

(7) References to an object include references to a substance.

(8) The Convention is the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction, signed at Paris on 13 January 1993.

(9) This section applies for the purposes of this Act.