Norway’s conservative government coalition, running for re-election, announced on Friday that it will propose a new and stricter gun law that will ban semi-automatic weapons. That’s the type of weapon that was used by the young ultra-right wing Norwegian behind the massacre on the island of Utøya on July 22, 2011.
Justice Minister Per-Willy Amundsen said the ban on semi-automatics would apply to those already issued licenses. Only those who use such weapons for sport, along with some collectors, will be able to apply for an exemption.
The goal, according to Prime Minister Erna Solberg, is to improve security in Norway. The government commission that evaluated the police response to the July 22 attacks had presented 31 recommendations for improvements. Solberg, whose government has been criticized for failing to follow through on the recommendations, said that all have now either been carried out or introduced.
newsinenglish.no staff
