Government consultation on banning large knives and machetes
- Thread starter Kiri
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Hi TD, I'm good thanks mate
Nice to speak to you guys again. Hope things are good with you also.
One of my good friends is a serving Police Officer and she was telling me that one of the favoured "tools" that are used these days are sharpened bicycle spokes, easy to carry, easy to hide, easy to lose in a hurry, but cause awful deep wounds.
I think there are different issues here. If we use the Knotting Hill Carnival as an example, there was clearly a VERY small number of people that were out to create their 'show' by wielding knives; it wouldn't have been a show with a screwdriver, a kitchen knife, or a bicycle spoke - it had to be a big, curvy, ugly knife. To some of these youths, the 'show' part of the weapon is important - what percentage, I don't know.
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Obviously this is ( to us at least ) common sense, but it seems clearly that all that is required of any new knife legislation is a heavy sentence for possession with intent to commit further offences of fear or violence with the item concerned. That and better education of police officers and in schools.
The rest all just seems to be posturing for the pr machine leading to the next election.
The rest all just seems to be posturing for the pr machine leading to the next election.
The draft SI has been published now. It looks like it will come in to force on 24 September.
www.legislation.gov.uk
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Amendment, Surrender and Compensation) Order 2024
Section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (“section 141”) provides that any person who manufactures, sells or hires or offers for sale or hire, exposes or has in his possession for the purpose of sale or hire, or lends or gives to any other person, a weapon to which that section applies shall...
I think you are right. The zombie knifes have no practical purpose other than ‘show’. I’d imagine someone coming at you with a machete would be a terrifying experience.
Are they still not allowed own them?Derr... I've just skimmed through, so correct me if I'm wrong but - it's a defence if charged for the little yobs to claim they have made their zombie knives by hand?
I must have got that wrong; I'll read again in the morning
Interesting to point out that they are defining blade length as follows:
“(iii)a blade of over 8 inches in length (the length of the blade being the straight-line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade)”
This is contrary to what people have said with regards to pocket knife exemption. For example if this is the interpretation to be made regarding blade length on a more general basis, it would make things like the Boker Plus XS folder illegal to carry as a pocket knife.
“(iii)a blade of over 8 inches in length (the length of the blade being the straight-line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade)”
This is contrary to what people have said with regards to pocket knife exemption. For example if this is the interpretation to be made regarding blade length on a more general basis, it would make things like the Boker Plus XS folder illegal to carry as a pocket knife.
Are they defining all knifes with that blade length description or as a characteristic of zombie knifes?
Edit - see text below. It’s how they describe a zombie knife or machete.
Edit - see text below. It’s how they describe a zombie knife or machete.
sa)the weapon sometimes known as a “zombie-style knife” or “zombie-style machete”, being a bladed article with—
(i)a plain cutting edge;
(ii)a sharp pointed end; and
(iii)a blade of over 8 inches in length (the length of the blade being the straight-line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade),
(i)a plain cutting edge;
(ii)a sharp pointed end; and
(iii)a blade of over 8 inches in length (the length of the blade being the straight-line distance from the top of the handle to the tip of the blade),
Yes, this legislation is regarding zombie knives, but my fear is that this is an indication of how the government is wanting to define blade length in general.
It’s very specific; it’s used as part of the description of zombie knifes and not all knifes in general. The zombie knife also has to have other features as detailed in the wording.
which also has one or more of the features specified in paragraph 1A and which is not a weapon that falls under paragraph 1(s);”
(3) After paragraph 1, insert—
“1A.—(1) For the purposes of paragraph 1(sa), the specified features are—
(a)a serrated cutting edge (other than a serrated cutting edge of up to 2 inches next to the handle);
(b)more than one hole in the blade;
(c)spikes;
(d)more than two sharp points in the blade (other than a sharp point of a kind specified in sub-paragraph (2)).
(2) The kinds of sharp point mentioned in sub-paragraph (1)(d) are—
(a)a sharp point where the angle between the edges which create the point is an angle of at least 90 degrees (where there is a curved edge, the angle will be measured by reference to the tangent of the curve);
(b)a sharp point on the cutting edge of the blade near the handle.”