Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review whether the mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence for possession of prohibited firearms under the Firearms Act 1968 continues to deliver proportionate justice and effective public safety outcomes in all circumstances.
My petition asks for a review of whether the current legislation remains the most effective and proportionate approach in all circumstances, rather than calling for the removal of serious penalties altogether.
While I understand aspects of firearms legislation are reserved to the UK Parliament, I believe the Scottish Parliament still has an important role in considering the impact of sentencing policy on Scotland’s justice system and in making representations where concerns about proportionality and fairness arise.
Petitioner: Sharon Wilson
Status: Closed
Date published: 24 June 2026
Click here to view and sign the full petition
SPICe Briefing (288KB, pdf) posted 18 August 2026
10 September 2026: The Committee agreed to close the petition under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Scottish Government response states that the subject of the petition is reserved and therefore not achievable. The Committee agreed to write to the UK Parliament Scottish Affairs Committee highlighting the issues raised in the petition.
Meeting of the Public Petitions Committee, 10 September 2026
PE2219/A: Scottish Government written submission, 3 August 2026 (124KB, pdf) posted 18 August 2026
PE2219/B: Petitioner written submission, 28 August 2026 (92KB, pdf) posted 02 September 2026