Defence

[Goosebaby]

What exactly is a defence and what's the difference between that and a ukara

[Monty]

Ukara is the defence

[proffrink]

tl;dr - not all defences are UKARA, but UKARA is a valid defence.

 

UKARA was a reaction to the VCRA changes in 2007 that added legislature regarding realistic imitation firearms (basically anything that looks like a real gun). In short, it meant you needed a 'defence' (a valid reason) to buy one.

 

A defence could be many things: An airsoft site membership, producing films or plays, reenactments etc. - anything that you could use to prove that you had purchased an RIF (mentioned earlier) for reasons other than to hold up a post office.

 

This is a very grey area though, so the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association (UKARA) database was created as a way of unifying airsoft site memberships so that a retailer (particularly online ones) could look up players without having to make numerous phone calls to site owners. Bear in mind that an important stipulation of the VCRA amendment was that is was the seller who was liable for finding out if the buyer had a valid defence - retailers were afraid at the time of being shut down (or worse) for not doing their due diligence.

 

UKARA made it much quicker for retailers to sell their items to people that they had some knowledge of being genuine players, reenactors or media producers. 7 years on and not a single airsoft player has ever been prosecuted (nor retailer, to my knowledge) for owning an RIF.

 

Edit:

Just in case you're not aware, when people say 'UKARA', they basically mean the UKARA database of players and the sites they're registered at. Basically every skirmish site can approve a form for you granted that you attend twice over a period of less than 3 months. Any retailer that's a member of UKARA will then add your name to a database (along with the address you've provided) and give you a number that you can use for purchases.

 

Many make the mistake of thinking UKARA is a license to own an RIF - it isn't. It's just a valid defence and there are many others out there. In fact if you have receipts for frequently attending a site then there's no reason that this couldn't be accepted as a valid defence too, but most retailers (online ones in particular) won't accept this as it's a lot of effort to verify and not worth it when they're liable for the sale of that gun. If you rob a shop with it and it's traced back to them then questions will be asked about what steps they took to make sure that you had a legitimate (and legal) reason to own one.

[two_zero]

tl;dr - not all defences are UKARA, but UKARA is a valid defence.

 

UKARA was a reaction to the VCRA changes in 2007 that added legislature regarding realistic imitation firearms (basically anything that looks like a real gun). In short, it meant you needed a 'defence' (a valid reason) to buy one.

 

A defence could be many things: An airsoft site membership, producing films or plays, reenactments etc. - anything that you could use to prove that you had purchased an RIF (mentioned earlier) for reasons other than to hold up a post office.

 

This is a very grey area though, so the United Kingdom Airsoft Retailers Association (UKARA) database was created as a way of unifying airsoft site memberships so that a retailer (particularly online ones) could look up players without having to make numerous phone calls to site owners. Bear in mind that an important stipulation of the VCRA amendment was that is was the seller who was liable for finding out if the buyer had a valid defence - retailers were afraid at the time of being shut down (or worse) for not doing their due diligence.

 

UKARA made it much quicker for retailers to sell their items to people that they had some knowledge of being genuine players, reenactors or media producers. 7 years on and not a single airsoft player has ever been prosecuted (nor retailer, to my knowledge) for owning an RIF.

 

Edit:

Just in case you're not aware, when people say 'UKARA', they basically mean the UKARA database of players and the sites they're registered at. Basically every skirmish site can approve a form for you granted that you attend twice over a period of less than 3 months. Any retailer that's a member of UKARA will then add your name to a database (along with the address you've provided) and give you a number that you can use for purchases.

 

Many make the mistake of thinking UKARA is a license to own an RIF - it isn't. It's just a valid defence and there are many others out there. In fact if you have receipts for frequently attending a site then there's no reason that this couldn't be accepted ad a valid defence, but most retailers (online ones in particular) won't accept this as it's a lot of effort to verify and not worth it when they're liable for the sale of that gun. If you rob a shop with it and it's traced back to them then questions will be asked about what steps they took to make sure that you had a legitimate (and legal) reason to own one.

well, "UKARA is believed to be a valid defence." if we'd be real pedantic - As its a private organisation and as far as I am aware it has not been tried in court.

 

 

^^

[proffrink]

You'd be right, but as a country with a common law legal system neither is very close to right nor wrong until it's taken to court; I can see reason why UKARA cannot be admissible given the obvious conflict of interest it implies, but then again the signed forms you have to present are pretty much the closest we ever get to a 'license application' (sorry).

 

He's hoping no one does anything dumb and we have to change things up too much.

[sp00n]

You'd be right, but as a country with a common law legal system neither is very close to right nor wrong until it's taken to court; I can see reason why UKARA cannot be admissible given the obvious conflict of interest it implies, but then again the signed forms you have to present are pretty much the closest we ever get to a 'license application' (sorry).

 

He's hoping no one does anything dumb and we have to change things up too much.

 

 

you said "licence" ...... /giggles

[proffrink]

Worse still is that I've spelt it the American way and not noticed. I really must add the British dictionary to my browser again.

[two_zero]

 

 

you said "licence" ...... /giggles

and you :o XD

 

 

You'd be right, but as a country with a common law legal system neither is very close to right nor wrong until it's taken to court; I can see reason why UKARA cannot be admissible given the obvious conflict of interest it implies, but then again the signed forms you have to present are pretty much the closest we ever get to a 'license application' (sorry).

Sure thing. Can't cover your back fully in this country^^

 

"Actually, we thing your intention for carrying that RIF is to hit someone over the head with it...... OFFENSIVE WEAPON HURR DURR!!!!"

 

 

He's hoping no one does anything dumb and we have to change things up too much.

This. In reality thou, I can't see that airsoft would be legal in England for all future, it's just too fragile the way it is now.