The psychological basis for Firearm-Relates Evaluation according to the new firearm law: An Investigation of psychological constructs for the operationalisation of the legal terms personal eligibility and mental maturity, and the evaluation of a test-battery for the evaluation of these notions

Abstract

The tragic events of Erfurt in 2002 have shaken up society. As a result being under high social pressure the government enacted a supplementary law to prevent others from committing comparable crimes.Legal owners of weapons and their associations as well as people occupied with firearms by profession reacted spontaneously and intensely upon this act. An acute and emotional discussion was set going. The Author (Institute of Psychology of law, Universität Bremen) has made it his business to investigate the psychological dimension of this psychological construct of personal eligibility.The present doctoral thesis focuses on the not sufficiently defined legal term of personal eligibility as a precondition for the ownership of and handling with firearms as a direct answer of legislation to the violent act of Erfurt. By psychological methods of testing the legal term of personal eligibility is made operative and thus psychological testings makes the legal term personal eligability operative and finaly provides a strong basis for forensic evaluations.