Justice Minister Morten Bødskov has been accused of 'rushing to legislate' by introducing new air gun restrictions without a political debate.
From the 1st of June it will no longer be permitted to own or use a a high-calibre air gun unless you're a policeman, a member of a rifle club, or own a hunting licence. Until now anyone over the age of 18 could buy an air gun, but Justice Minister Morten Bødskov has said he wants to avoid an 'American-like' situation in Denmark where anybody with a penchant for guns or rifles can just go out and buy one.
A spokesman for the opposition Liberals said that with 'one swoop of the pen' Mr Bødskov has potentially criminalised hundreds of thousands of people, while the Liberal Alliance (LA) said it was unheard of for a cabinet minister to bypass parliament.
"He was a bit too quick on the trigger," said LA spokesman Simon Emil Ammitzbøll who questioned the need for a new law. "It reflects a growing problem: That parliament is too willing to give wide-ranging powers to ministries, who are then able to decide too much without the approval of elected officials."
According to the new law, all air guns with a 5.5mm calibre or more will have to be registered with the police. It's estimated that there are around 800,000 air guns in Danish homes.