New law to ban swords

The Herald Sun(Australia) ^ | 09mar04 | Peter Mickelburough

[neverdem]

New law to ban swords Peter Mickelburough, state politics reporter 09mar04

SWORDS will be outlawed from July under new laws to curb the growing use of the weapons in street brawls.

Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said the ban would help police overcome a culture of young people arming themselves with swords. "For most people running around the street carrying swords there is absolutely no reason for them to be carrying those weapons," he said yesterday.

From July, anyone found possessing or selling a sword without a permit will face up to six months' jail and fines of up to $12,000.

Existing sword owners must surrender their weapons to police, sell them to a licensed dealer or apply to the Chief Commissioner for specific approval.

Collectors and people with legitimate cultural, religious or military reasons to own swords will be exempted from the ban, but must store them under lock and key and have a burglar alarm.

The sword ban follows a string of recent attacks and a regulatory impact statement undertaken by the State Government last year.

Last week, a 13-year-old boy was arrested and charged after allegedly charging police with a sword near Castlemaine, in central Victoria.

A 21-year-old man had his hand severed by a samurai sword in a confrontation between 40 men in the Fitzroy Gardens a fortnight ago -- the second brawl involving swords in 24 hours.

Huy Huynh, 19, was chased from the Salt nightclub and hacked to death nearby in July 2002 by a mob using samurai swords and machetes.

The new laws will make it illegal to sell swords to anyone who does not have a permit.

Sword sellers will have to keep a register of buyers' details and make it available for police to inspect.

Mr Haermeyer said groups such as highland dancers, historic re-enactment groups, bonafide collectors and people with family heirlooms could apply for an exemption from the licensing services branch of Victoria Police.

"Legitimate sword owners understand the importance of ensuring that their swords do not fall into the wrong hands," he said.

"The vast majority of the community would say, 'Look, there's no place for people just being able to go out there and buy these things and carry them around the street'."

Mr Haermeyer said the exact definition of a sword under the new regulations was still being considered.

He said machetes would remain a controlled weapon, requiring a person to have a legitimate reason for carrying them.

The Government is also looking at bans on some other weapons, such as crossbows, and greater restriction on the sale of prohibited and regulated weapons at weekend markets.

Mr Haermeyer warned that police would be actively hunting for knives and swords after being given new powers and 480 metal detectors late last year, allowing them to search people they reasonably suspected were carrying weapons.

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[Redcoat LI]

Australia will never be safe until they license the most deadly hand-held weapon of all:

The Dreaded Spork!

[KarlInOhio]

But what about lances? Surly the land down under has a problem with drive by lancings.

You can have my sword when you pry it from my cold dead gauntlet.

[rabidralph]

Just don't take my spork!

[RippleFire]

Baseball, er cricket bats are next

[Colonel_Flagg]

All right then, come at me with that banana!

You'll shoot me.

[Spok]

This isn't news. King John banned the serfs from owning swords a long time ago. You know, before all that nonsense that began with that dang Magna Carta...

[Viking2002]

'Existing sword owners must surrender their weapons to police, sell them to a licensed dealer or apply to the Chief Commissioner for specific approval.'

Go to hell, fascists!

[Darksheare]

Mr Haermeyer said groups such as highland dancers, historic re-enactment groups, bonafide collectors and people with family heirlooms could apply for an exemption from the licensing services branch of Victoria Police.
"Legitimate sword owners understand the importance of ensuring that their swords do not fall into the wrong hands," he said.

Now why does all that pleep remind me of the obfuscation they use to ban guns here in the US?

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Princess Bride also comes to mind.

[Havoc]

Outlaw them and only the outlaws will have them.. And they will have them.. Comforting, no. Is rather pythonish isn't it.

[Peter J. Huss]

9 out of 10 Samauri agree: swords in the hands of peasants leads to freedom and loss of political control.

[neverdem]

LOL

[Martin Tell]

Nah. What was I supposed to do? He threatened me with a banana.

Now brandish that strawberry! Really let me have it!

[RightWhale]

Why couldn't the marshal simply ban carrying swords east of the railroad tracks as was done with firearms in some of the wilder Wild West towns? They shouldn't ban weapons altogether; they probably can't actually get rid of weapons anyway.

[Restorer]

If you think this is different from the US, you might want to try walking around downtown with your katana on your hip.

They may not have banned owning these implements in (most of) the US yet, but I guarantee you that carrying one around is frowned on.

[Gringo1]

Well, they took all the guns away.....what did they expect?

They will eventually have to ban stones too.

[Mr. Mojo]

outlawed......to curb the growing use of the weapons in street brawls.

Interesting criteria. Would they outlaw steak knives if they were used in these brawls instead of swords? How about motor vehicles?

[Bacon Man]

Australia: Striving to make the streets safer for criminals. Sticks and stones will be next (they can break your bones you know).

[templar]

The Herald Sun(Australia)

Australian version of the Onion? This has got to be a spoof, no people on earth are actaully tht moronic.

[ZULU]

Yeah. Next they'll outlaw fists.