(1) A person who without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, the proof whereof shall lie on him or her, has with him or her any offensive weapon at any public meeting or any public place along the route of any public march or while taking part in any public march commits an offence.
(2) A person who at any time when a public meeting is in progress has with him or her any gun in any public place from which any speaker addressing such meeting is visible is deemed to have had such gun while present at such meeting unless he or she proves that his or her presence in such public place was neither directly nor indirectly consequent on the fact that such meeting was in progress at that time.
(3) For the avoidance of doubt it is expressly declared that the lawful possession of any licence to carry a gun in any public place shall not in itself afford a defence to any proceedings under this section.
(4) For the purpose of this section a person is not deemed to be acting under lawful authority unless—
(a) if the offensive weapon involved is a gun, he or she is acting in his or her capacity as a police officer, the Volunteer Force, the Cadet Corps or of any other armed forces of the Crown; or
(b) if the offensive weapon involved is not a gun, he or she is acting in his or her capacity as a police officer, or of the Fire Service or otherwise as a peace officer.
(5) Where a person is convicted of an offence under this section he or she is liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term of 2 years and the Court in addition—
(a) may make an order as to the forfeiture or disposal of any offensive weapon in respect of which the offence was committed; and
(b) where the offence was committed in respect of a gun, may also make an order as to the forfeiture of any ammunition found in possession of such person and revoke any licence held by him or her under the Firearms Act, 2001.