6 June 2007
We received a petition asking:
"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Reconsider an outright ban on swords."
Details of petition:
"The proposed ban on the import, sale and manufacture of swords will have an adverse effect on legitimate practitioners, collectors and manufacturers. Actual sword related crime is very rare and does not warrant a ban that affects the cultural activities of thousands of legitimate martial artists, collectors and smiths. Current legislation is quite adequate to deal with violent crime connected with bladed weapons. New legislation is merely for show. Enforcing such a ban will also affect cultural events such as Scottish Sword Dancing and many Sikh festivals. We urge the PM to reconsider this knee jerk reaction to media influenced scaremongering."
Read the Government’s response
Thank you for signing the epetition against any ban on samurai swords.
The Government accepts this is a difficult area where there may be conflict between the safety of the public and the legitmate interests of law-abiding people. But it is important to remember that the decision to consult on whether the law on samurai swords should be tightened follows police concern over their increasing use in violent crime, including murders. Their advice is that the availability of samurai swords makes them the weapon of choice for growing numbers of young men with criminal intentions.
It was in response to these concerns that the Government has consulted on whether to ban samurai swords. Views were also asked on whether it was practical to exempt collectors and martial arts enthusiasts from any such ban given the difference between genuine "samurai swords" and cheap imitations.
The consultation period which finished at the end of May generated a large volume of responses. We hope to publish a summary of the views expressed by the autumn. The Government will then decide what action should be taken in its continued drive to tackle violent crime and protect the public.
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