Explained | Gun laws in countries outside the U.S.

Acquiring a license in Japan requires the applicants to undergo an almost month-long training in handling and storage of the firearm, followed by an examination. Countries as U.K., Canada and Australia ask applicants to undergo mandatory training and conduct a thorough background check before according a license.

The story so far: The United States recently witnessed two episodes of mass shootings in a span of 11 days that killed more than 30 people including elementary school children. According to Education Week, which has been tracking school shootings since 2018, there have been a total of 27 instances of shooting inside a school premises this year alone—putting the question back on the table: How are guns so easily accessible? 

President Joe Biden echoed this in his address to the nation, asking why these kinds of mass shooting happen rarely elsewhere in the world. “Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen? Where in God’s name is our backbone to have the courage to deal with it?” he said. 

Several public policy experts point to the Second Amendment of the U.S. constitution, which states that “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed”, as the root cause of all firearm-related violence. Regulation of firearms in the U.S. is convened through the shared authority between the federal, State and local governments. The U.S. Supreme Court previously held that the amendment protects the right to “keep and bear arms” for self-defence, whilst federal courts argue about a potential infringement if federal, state and local firearm regulations circumvent this right. 

U.S. recorded a total of 24,576 homicides in 2020, of which approximately 79%, or 19,384 incidents, involved the use of a firearm.  

Public policy think tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) mentioned in an assessment in July 2021 that many gun control advocates have suggested that U.S. “should look to the experiences of its wealthy democratic peers that have instituted tighter restrictions to curb gun violence.” Gun laws in countries as the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada are stringent and require applicants to meet a host of criterions for acquiring a firearms licence with Japan having the most cumbersome process laden with complex documentations and training.  

Countries like Uruguay, on the other hand, are more open in according licenses.  

The British House of Commons Library’s report on firearms licensing and safety states that legislative framework for acquiring a gun license has been criticized for being incoherent and difficult to find. License applications are processed by the police in compliance with 35 pieces of primary legislation and numerous pieces of secondary legislation.