173.The Crossbows Act 1987 controls the sale and hire of crossbows and this section introduces new provisions to that Act. Subsection (3) introduces a new section 1A to achieve consistency with the proof of age provisions of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 by clarifying the defences a person charged with selling an article to someone underage can rely upon. Subsection (4) introduces a new section 3A which has the effect of legalising an attempt to purchase or hire a crossbow by a young person, where the young person is acting as part of an authorised test purchasing scheme. It also makes provision to ensure the safety of young people participating in such a scheme. These provisions bring the Act into line with the test purchasing provisions of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005.
Commentary on Sections Part 2 - Criminal Law Section 35 - Sale and hire of crossbows to persons under 18