Thread: License vetting and medical information

Anyone else here experienced the new vetting requirements for household members needing to provide medical certificates in support of someone else's licensing application?

Son and I are each prescribed medication - his is a long term thing, mine is short term. I'm an endorsed license holder and it is my partner who is applying for her license for the first time.

The vetting officer supplied forms to go to respective doctors to determine if my partner can get her license. This is under the premise that we are each "reasonably likely" (S24 of the Arms Act) to gain access to her firearms. So assuming for a second I am not a license holder myself, with ongoing access to my own firearms...

Anyone here a privacy / medical / legal whizz who can give some advice on the legality of this?

1. There is a fundamentally flawed assumption that a non-licensed person in the home is reasonably likely to gain access and this is the premise of the request for medical information to determine if others in the home are fit and proper. Vetted physical security (ie gun safe and ammo storage) should mean it is reasonably UNLIKELY that a non-license holder is going to gain access to firearms.
2. The legislation and the form are framed towards the license applicant but are now being used to compel medically confidential information from other members of the home. I don't believe this is provided for in law.
3. If this vetting process is all legit in order to test household members as being fit and proper given their likely access to firearms in that home, then it can be argued they are actually fit and proper to hold a license!

Arms Legislation Act 2020 No 23, Public Act 42 New sections 24A to 24D inserted – New Zealand Legislation

Let me hear your thoughts!