Government Sword Ban

Their importation, sale and hire will be made illegal following a series of crimes committed using the weapons, Home Office minister Vernon Coaker said. Collectors of genuine Japanese swords and martial arts enthusiasts will be exempt from the ban. (Posted 12/12/2007)

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Sword Ban Update - The Government has posted a response to the recent petition at the following url http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page11849.asp

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Sword Ban - Go to www.http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/swords to sign this petition. The details of the petition are given below and you have till the 15th May to register your objection.

"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." (Posted 08/03/2007)