TARGET SHOOTER LICENCE A SPECIAL RENEWALS – IMPORTANT NOTICE

As members are aware, persons who were in possession of a Target Shooter Licence A ‘SPECIAL’ in 2020 were required to particiapte in two range events in 2020 as a pre-requisite for the renewal of their licence by the Police. Shooting clubs are legally obliged to ask for evidence of such participation before ticking the ‘TSL-A(S)’ box when renewing memberships.

On 7 January 2021, AMACS wrote to the Police requesting that this requirement be waived for 2020, in view of the extraordinary circumstances arising from Covid measures and the reluctance of many members to visit the range because they fall under the vunerable category or are in regular contact with such persons. Given the exemptions granted by Governemnet in other areas, AMACS felt that this was the reasonable way forward.

However, in their reply, which we received the day after, the Police simply quoted what the law states. AMACS disagreed with this regid position but continued to follow the law to the latter byu not endorsing the TSL-A(S) if the renewing member did not attend two range events in 2020.

Much to our surpise, we have just learnt that the Minister published an exemption to this requirement, as AMACS had requested, on 5th February. While thanking the Minister for his sensible action, we are disappointed that the Police did not follow up with the correspondence and inform us that our request had been acceded to and that a LN was published.

Consequenty, as we were unaware of this LN, we continued to insist on the two range visits. We apologise to those members and invite them to renew their memberships in the normal way.