Firearm Prohibition Orders, to help reduce gun harm and make communities safer, come into effect today.

The orders prohibit high-risk offenders from accessing, being around, or using firearms.

'Firearms Prohibition Orders are another measure that will help tackle and reduce gun crime and its impacts on our communities,” says Police Minister Chris Hipkins.

'The Orders empower judges to prohibit anyone convicted of firearms-related crimes and other specific crimes, including murder and serious violence offences, from accessing or using guns. These orders will help Police further reduce firearms violence and make our communities safer.

'Firearms Prohibition Orders target any violent offenders, including gang members. It gets the balance right between public safety and the right to use and own firearms– by prohibiting people with a history of offending from being near a dangerous weapon.

'The new legislation gives a judge the power to impose an order lasting 10 years and makes it a criminal offence to breach the conditions of the order. A breach is an imprisonable offence.”

Deputy commissioner Jevon McSkimming says firearms prohibition orders are an additional tool to protect the public from 'high-risk offenders”.

While Police is the lead agency for Firearms Prohibition Orders, it is a judge who will impose an order at sentencing.

When an offender is released from custody into the community, or following a non-custodial sentencing, the Firearms Prohibition Order comes into force and remains in place for 10 years.

'These orders empower judges to ban anyone convicted of murder, serious violence offences, terrorism offences, participation in an organised criminal group, and firearms-related crimes from accessing or using firearms,” Deputy Commissioner McSkimming says.

'If someone is then found to be breaching the order, that is serious imprisonable offence, as is knowingly supplying firearms to someone subject to a Firearms Prohibition Order.

'Natural justice protections are ensured by having judges make the decision on whether a Firearms Prohibition Order is appropriate and proportionate to the person's offending.”

This is about having all the necessary tools and options available to keep our communities safe from the harm that can be caused when firearms are in the wrong hands.”

'The new legislation gives a judge the power to impose an order lasting 10 years and makes it a criminal offence to breach the conditions of the order. A breach is an imprisonable offence.”