Being a gun lawyer is one thing, but being a firearms specialist quite another. For firearms law specialist Nicholas Taylor, he may just be both, but certainly the media firestorm over TV3’s gun-by-mailorder story has elevated Mr Nicholas and his specialty into the public eye.
His Auckland practice has specialised in firearms law for 17 years, involved in licence revocations, customs and import issues and charges relating to firearms.
But the TV3 story, which lead to the police search of reporter Heather du Plessis-Allan’s Wellington home following her admitted purchase of a firearm from Gun City by mail, using a false name, has been a unique case for more ways than one.
The Herald reported him saying that in a case history of over 10,000 gun cases, he has never encountered anyone who has done what du Plessis-Allan did.
“What I discovered is I haven’t had a single case in 18 years of being a barrister specialising in firearms law in which a firearm has been found by police or in someone’s unlawful possession that has been obtained this way. There isn’t a case I can name or have come across.”
He told the Herald that the mail order system – set out in a section of the Arms Act – spelled out a series of steps which had always given a perception that anyone breaching it would be caught, “and most likely would be.”
Mr Taylor, who has acted for most New Zealand gun dealers including previously representing Gun City, said: “It seems to be a problem that never was a problem until now. It seems they have presented a way to everyone in the community to get a gun unlawfully.
“I don’t think there is any public service being done here. It’s almost coaching people to do something if they’re prepared to break the law. This way of obtaining a firearm is not a loophole and is not, and has never been, a real problem. The reason is that the risk of being caught is, or has been, too high.”
The case has thrust ‘gun law’ into the local spotlight, an area that Mr Taylor has loved for his 18 years.
As his site says:
I quickly realised that firearms law was specialised and complex and local Arms Officers had numerous and varied viewpoints and interpretations of the law.
I have become very skilled at firearm identification and classification, and developed extensive knowledge in regards to gunsmithing, ammunition, ballistics, firearm function and operation. I have read widely and have expertise in regards to ballistics, metallurgy and forensic aspects of firearms. I have practical experience in all aspects of metalworking and machine tool engineering. This knowledge is vital in order to properly cross examine police expert witnesses in court and understand the intricacies of each case.
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