Mauritius - Saferworld

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Foreword THIS COUNTRY STUDY forms one chapter of a comprehensive study on firearms legislation in Southern Africa, conducted by <strong>Saferworld</strong> and SaferAfrica which aims to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the firearms control legislation in Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states. The full study contains an introductory chapter providing an overview of the firearms legislation in 12 of the SADC member states and the regional perspective. Each of the following 12 chapters covers one SADC member state. The chapter provides an in-depth analysis of each state’s firearms legislation against the commitments contained in the four key international and regional small arms agreements for the SADC member states: • ‘Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against ‘Transnational Organised Crime’ (‘UN Firearms Protocol’); • ‘United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light weapons in All Its Aspects’ (‘UN Programme of Action’); • ‘Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons’ (‘Bamako Declaration’); and • ‘SADC Protocol on The Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials’ (‘SADC Firearms Protocol’). The study is intended as a reference document to assist law-makers and others involved in reviewing national legislation. For every country, the existing national firearms laws are unpacked and their provisions detailed, by issue, alongside the requirements of the international and regional small arms agreements. This analysis is presented in an individual table for each country, in which it is possible to adjudge the level of conformity with the requirements of the international and regional agreements.
6 THE LAW OF THE GUN: AN AUDIT OF FIREARMS CONTROL LEGISLATION Sources The information contained in this report was collected through field research. During the research visits to each country the research team consulted a wide range of government departments, including: • The Ministry of the Interior/Home Affairs • The Ministry of Justice • The Ministry of Defence • The Attorney General’s Office • The Police • The Army / Defence Forces • Customs and Immigration • Wildlife and Parks Local civil society actors were also consulted. Using this document The country-study reports contain four sections: • Overview of the firearms situation and legislation in the country. The information in this overview was collected during research trips to the country. • General Information about the country is contained in a table following the overview of the firearms situation in the country. This includes information relating to the international and regional agreements that the country has signed up to, information on the current firearms control legislation and information on the number of firearms in the country. • Definitions are contained in a table which presents the definitions contained in the country’s national legislation, presenting them alongside the definitions contained in the SADC Firearms Protocol and the UN Firearms Protocol. • Legislation Breakdown is contained in a table which forms the main body of the country study. The breakdown of the legislation is done against 9 analytic categories. The following broad categories were identified in order to facilitate a uniform approach to the analysis of very different pieces of legislation: • Controls on civilian possession and use • Record keeping and tracing • Import, export and transit • Brokering • Manufacture • Trade • Seizure, disposal, and enforcement • Arms embargoes • State-owned firearms This breakdown of the national legislation is presented alongside the commitments contained in the four key regional and international agreements. A comment on conformity, to these agreements has been included. Throughout this report, where we talk of ‘conformity’, ‘commitments’, ‘requirements’ or similar terms, we do so with regard to the importance of fully implementing the provisions of these agreements and the need to ratify them and hasten their entry into force. By noting the ‘conformity’ or otherwise of existing national legislation we are not indicating a legal commitment to the SADC Firearms Protocol and UN Firearms Protocol, before these are ratified and have entered into force. Full conformity with the provisions of these regional and international small arms agreements is, nonetheless, important in laying the foundations for the effective control of firearms across the SADC region. The presentation of the analysis is intended to
Page 1 and 2: REPORT Small arms and security in S
Page 4 and 5: Contents Foreword 5 Overview of fir
Page 8 and 9: MAURITIUS 7 facilitate cross-refere
Page 10 and 11: MAURITIUS 9 • All these reports m
Page 12 and 13: Definitions in Mauritius’ firearm
Page 14 and 15: Breakdown of Mauritius’ firearms
Page 16 and 17: MAURITIUS 15 Controls on civilian p
Page 18 and 19: MAURITIUS 17 Controls on civilian p
Page 20 and 21: MAURITIUS 19 Record keeping and tra
Page 22 and 23: MAURITIUS 21 Import, export and tra
Page 24 and 25: MAURITIUS 23 Import, export and tra
Page 26 and 27: MAURITIUS 25 Brokering Offences / p
Page 28 and 29: MAURITIUS 27 Manufacture Marking An
Page 30 and 31: MAURITIUS 29 Manufacture Offences /
Page 32 and 33: MAURITIUS 31 Trade Licensing Analyt
Page 34 and 35: MAURITIUS 33 Trade Pawning / pledgi
Page 36 and 37: MAURITIUS 35 Seizure, disposal and
Page 38 and 39: MAURITIUS 37 Arms embargoes Overvie
Page 40 and 41: MAURITIUS 39 State-owned firearms I

Mauritius - Saferworld

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