The Czech Republic’s upper house passed a new law to increase gun control within the nation months following an increase in gun violence, including the worst mass shooting in the nation’s history where a lone gunman killed 22 people at Charles University in Prague in December 2023. Debate on this legislation was already underway before the mass shooting occurred.

The law would require all gun holders and firearms licence holders to undergo a medical test every 5 years to ensure that they are still fit and able to use the weapon safely, as opposed to the current check needed every decade. Doctors would also be given access to a firearms database to learn whether their patients own guns. The law would also allow police to seize guns from individuals they believe to be a threat to prevent incidents from happening.

The law would also implement a formal firearms classification system, with restrictions on who may own what type of firearm. This would extend to types of ammunition and weapon parts as well. It would also establish new rules that allow for a background check before a person gets a firearms licence to ensure that they are both reliable and competent enough to handle a firearm without posing “an unreasonable” danger to either themselves or others.

The laws are set to come into effect should Czech President Petr Pavle sign off on them, which is considered likely given his response to the recent shootings.