Crime: Knives
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of exemptions relating to the carrying of kirpans in preventing misuse.
Answered by Sarah Jones
I was deeply saddened to hear about the abhorrent circumstances in which Henry Nowak was killed, and I would first like to express my deepest condolences to his family for their unimaginable loss.
The Criminal Justice Act 1988 makes it an offence to have an article with a blade or point in a public place. The law allows for a person found in a possession of a bladed article to claim a defence of having a good reason for having the article in public. One of the examples of a good reason listed in the legislation is for religious reasons. A court would reach a judgement on whether that defence is valid, based on the evidence.
The defence for the carrying of knives for religious and ceremonial purposes use has been a long-standing arrangement, as a way of balancing public safety and religious freedom.
We keep all legislation under review, but we are clear that should any bladed article be used to threaten or harm others, it will be met with the full force of the law.
We will discuss current legislation with the police, the Sikh community and knife crime campaigners.
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