Do You Shoot?
It's time to protect yourself
If you are a shooter in NSW, you are probably aware that using firearms requires that you follow very strict laws that cover everything you do to pursue your pastime.
What you might not know, is that if you breach any of the laws, even accidentally, you might be exposing yourself to serious risk.
Breaking the law can be catastrophic, many breaches are accompanied by heavy fines and long periods of imprisonment.
Understanding the law is important and it’s your responsibility to make sure you know what those issues are.
Why Are Our Laws So Strict
In 1996, a man shot 35 people in Port Arthur in the countries worst mass shooting. In response, the politicians of the day took steps to ensure this would never happen in Australia again.
The changes were led by the federal government but taken on by the politicians in each state, leading to changes in each state, NSW included.
The laws have been effective in many ways, Australia has never seen another mass shooting of that magnitude, during the same period, countries that have not tightened their gun laws certainly have.
– For Example –
In the 18 years before our firearms laws were tightened, there were 13 mass shootings.
In the years after 1996, there has been just one, the murder suicide of his family.
Why Is This Site Here?
Dr Robert Cavanagh is a well-known barrister in NSW and over the years, has been involved in representing people being prosecuted for crimes related to the Firearms Act, other acts and the regulations related to firearms. One thing became clear, the legislation, while well intentioned, is in many ways difficult to comprehend for legal experts, and would be barely intelligible for people without legal training.
The firearms safety courses in NSW refer attendees to the legislation without an adequate explanation, or specific teaching to address these complex issues.
This site is here to address these problems. We want you to not only know what a gun is and to not point it at the wrong person, we want people to learn about the law, and how to protect yourself from breaching the law.
Go ahead and read our articles, we will be adding to them from time to time, and will focus largely on legal issues related to firearms use.
Meet Us
Dr. Robert Cavanagh
BA, LittB, LLB, LLM, PhD
Areas of Interest
Coronial Law
Anti-terrorism Law
Human Rights
Criminal Law
Fundamental Legal Rights
Biography
Dr Cavanagh has practiced as a barrister since 1985 and worked predominantly in the areas of coronial and criminal law in Australia. He has completed post graduate research in coronial law and practice, anti-terrorism laws, human rights, and fundamental legal rights.
His career interests have focused on the importance of human rights and assisting both people and systems in areas of need. These interests have seen him carry on a wide array of activities including instructing for veterans at the Royal Commission into British Nuclear Tests in Australia, appearing for the Committee to Defend Black Rights and families at the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Senior Public Defender Solomon Island, advising for aid agencies on legal issues in East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe, senior lecturer in law.
Dr. Neil Schultz
JD, GDLP, MB, BS, MMed(Psych), FRANZCP(Ret.)
Areas of Interest
Conflict Management Education
Mediation
Trading & Market Psychology
Forensic Psychiatry
Dynamic Psychology
Biography
Dr Schultz’s career has spanned a broad range of interests including general medicine, psychological medicine, forensic psychiatry, market psychology, and more recently, the law, conflict management, and mediation.
A considerable part of his career has involved moderating conflict in various forms, including those who have shot and injured or killed others during periods of illness, some state of psychological agitation, or, as a deliberate decision. Understanding how people interact and engage with their own psyche, and how that plays out when an opportunity presents itself, are critical factors in understanding how firearms can be misused.