The Brazilian Supreme Court (STF) has four votes in favor of the constitutionality of the decree restricting access to weapons.
The case's rapporteur, Minister Gilmar Mendes, voted in favor of the validity of the measure.
247 - The Supreme Federal Court (STF) already has four votes in favor of the constitutionality of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's (PT) decree restricting new registrations for the purchase of firearms and ammunition. The case's rapporteur, Minister Gilmar Mendes, voted in favor of the measure's validity, as did Ministers Alexandre de Moraes, Cármen Lúcia, and Cristiano Zanin.
Decree 11.366/2023, analyzed in the Declaratory Action of Constitutionality (ADC) 85, was signed in 2023 and suspends the issuance of new registrations for the acquisition and transfer of restricted-use weapons and ammunition by Hunters, Shooters, and Collectors (CACs).
Decline in gun registrations
The registration of new firearms for personal defense fell in the first year of Lula's government. According to the National Weapons System (Sinarm), 20.822 new weapons for personal defense were registered in 2023, a reduction of almost 82% compared to 2022, when 111.044 weapons were registered. This was the lowest number of registrations since 2004, the year in which only 4.094 weapons were registered for personal defense.
Most commonly registered weapons among civilians
In 2023, handguns led in the number of registrations, with 14.277 registrations, followed by:
- Shotguns (2.309 records)
- Rifles (2.215 records)
Voting at the Supreme Federal Court (STF) is still underway, and a final decision should be reached soon.
