Mandatory firearm sentences ‘will not affect jail terms’

NEW mandatory minimum sentences for firearms offences will not make much of a difference in the sentences handed down by the courts, a legal expert said yesterday.

The sentences come into effect today following the end of the Government’s weapons amnesty last night.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell has said the new mandatory minimum terms, enshrined in the Criminal Justice Act 2006, would have a major impact on gun crime in the country.