Posted on 04/05/2008 9:24:23 PM PDT by james500
Legislation against selling, making, hiring or importing samurai swords in England and Wales has come into force.
Those breaking the law face six months in jail and a £5,000 fine. Carrying a sword in public is already illegal.
Exemptions will cover swords which are used for re-enactments or antique weapons kept on display by collectors.
Eight years ago a councillor was killed by a man wielding a samurai sword in the office of Cheltenham Liberal Democrat MP Nigel Jones.
Anyone found guilty of importing samurai swords will face up to seven years in prison and an unlimited fine.
...
Currently 17 weapons, including knuckle dusters and batons are on the Offensive Weapons Order, which was created by the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Only criminals will have samurai swords.
This is just too much. Where’s Gilbert & Sullivan? We could call this the “snickersnee ban.”
How many people have been killed in the UK by samurai swords vs. killed by islamofacism?
“I’ve got them on the list, I’ve got them on the list...”
So they plan on nipping any possible “Highlander” instances in the butt?
What next, karate classes made illegal? One can kill with their bare hands. Will hands be outlawed?
Odd news ping.
I just had one delivered last friday, made in china but authentic looking and sharp as a razor.Thought about puting it on ebay and call it an OJ special. Think ebay would frown on that????LOL!
Why not? Apparently brains are!
And it took 8 years to enact this law, huh?!
At least everyone will be safe now!/sheesh
ONE man is killed and they pass this law. Sheesh. I did read further where the article list a few instances in which youths have attacked people with repro swords. How about, oh maybe, prosecuting the little b@st@rds for assualt with a deadly weapon instead of passing a useless law?
I guess the lords and ladies are getting paranoid.
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/SI/si1988/Uksi_19882019_en_2.htm
Statutory Instrument 1988 No. 2019
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988 - continued
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SCHEDULE
Article 2
1. Section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (offensive weapons) shall apply to the following descriptions of weapons, other than weapons of those descriptions which are antiques for the purposes of this Schedule:
(a) a knuckleduster, that is, a band of metal or other hard material worn on one or more fingers, and designed to cause injury, and any weapon incorporating a knuckleduster;
(b) a swordstick, that is, a hollow walking-stick or cane containing a blade which may be used as a sword;
(c) the weapon sometimes known as a “handclaw” , being a band of metal or other hard material from which a number of sharp spikes protrude, and worn around the hand;
(d) the weapon sometimes known as a “belt buckle knife” , being a buckle which incorporates or conceals a knife;
(e) the weapon sometimes known as a “push dagger” , being a knife the handle of which fits within a clenched fist and the blade of which protrudes from between two fingers;
(f) the weapon sometimes known as a “hollow kubotan” , being a cylindrical container containing a number of sharp spikes;
(g) the weapon sometimes known as a “footclaw” , being a bar of metal or other hard material from which a number of sharp spikes protrude, and worn strapped to the foot;
(h) the weapon sometimes known as a “shuriken” , “shaken” or “death star” , being a hard non-flexible plate having three or more sharp radiating points and designed to be thrown;
(i) the weapon sometimes known as a “balisong” or “butterfly knife” , being a blade enclosed by its handle, which is designed to split down the middle, without the operation of a spring or other mechanical means, to reveal the blade;
(j) the weapon sometimes known as a “telescopic truncheon” , being a truncheon which extends automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring or other device in or attached to its handle;
(k) the weapon sometimes known as a “blowpipe” or “blow gun” , being a hollow tube out of which hard pellets or darts are shot by the use of breath;
(l) the weapon sometimes known as a “kusari gama” , being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at one end to a sickle;
(m) the weapon sometimes known as a “kyoketsu shoge” , being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at one end to a hooked knife;
(n) the weapon sometimes known as a “manrikigusari” or “kusari” , being a length of rope, cord, wire or chain fastened at each end to a hard weight or hand grip;
2. For the purposes of this Schedule, a weapon is an antique if it was manufactured more than 100 years before the date of any offence alleged to have been committed in respect of that weapon under subsection (1) of the said section 141 or section 50(2) or (3) of the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979[2] (improper importation).
If they are going to differentiate between types of swords, you’d think they’d just ban the actual indicted model the case revolved around- the heinous Pachinko brand Banzai 666 samurai with the blue flock grip and hidden cigar caddy.
So, a legislator by the name of Cheryl Jacques ("rhymes with fakes"), sponsors a bill to outlaw crossbows on that one incident.
Don't remember the outcome
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