WEAPONS AND THE LAW

If you openly carry a traditional weapon in a public place, then you are liable to be arrested and charged. As the law now stands, you must be able to show good reason for carrying something like nunchaku.

This being the case, you should always wrap your weapon in your training uniform or even better carry them in a proper carry case provided for this purpose.

Carry your WKO licence with you at all times when you are in posession of any weapons. Be prepared to produce your WKO licence for inspection by the authorities.

Showing your licence along with the careful way you have concealed your weapons for training show a great deal of responsibilty on your part.

However, your WKO licence will have little value if you are found twirling the weapon about in a public place.

 

It is widely accepted that the carrying of weapons has become an issue of considerable concern over recent years.

The law has developed in a slightly untidy fashion. It has to be considered that different offences and restrictions exist when it comes to various weapons and the law.

Although it is convenient to refer to the possession of offensive weapons, that word has a wide meaning which goes beyond the expressions used in most offences involving carrying weapons.

It is also useful to bear in mind the differences between offensive weapons and weapons of offence. The latter are specifically concerned with the entry onto premises as a trespasser and are slightly wider in their definition than offensive weapons.

Offensive weapons fall into three categories for the purpose of this offence, namely articles:

Offensive weapons per se are those which have been manufactured for use for causing injury and include Truncheons, PR-24 Batons and Bayonets.

Weapons adapted for causing injury can include virtually anything.

Weapons intended to be used for causing injury can also include virtually anything.

We can look at 3 categories here:-

Having an offensive weapon in a public place- Prevention of Crime Act 1953,s.1(1)

Having an offensive weapon on school premises - Criminal Justice Act 1988 s. 139A(2)

Trespassing with weapon of offence - Criminal Law Act 1977,s. 8(1)

As opposed to the carrying of weapons in a public place, or the carrying of them on school premises, this offence is concerned with preventing people trespassing with weapons in much the same way as aggravated burglary.

Looking at the Prevention of Crime Act 1953, s 1 it states:-

Any person who without 'Lawful authority' or 'Reasonable excuse' , the proof whereof shall lie on him, has with him in any public place any offensive weapon shall be guilty of an offence.

 

Keynote:

'Lawful authority' means those occasions where people from time to time are required to carry weapons as a matter of duty, such as police officers or members ot the armed forces. Security guards carrying truncheons, even required to do so by their contract of employment, are not covered.

'Reasonable excuse' may arise from a number of circumstances.

People having tools with them in the course of their trade.

If a person passing the scene of a recent disturbance sees a weapon lying on the ground and he/she picks it up and is in the process of taking the said weapon to the nearest police station, would amount to a reasonable excuse for having the weapon with him/her.

It is not reasonable however to have a weapon with you as a general precaution in case you are attacked.

It may, however, be reasonable to have a weapon if you have good grounds to anticipate an unprovoked or unlawful attack(eg. for a person guarding cash transits)

**Disclaimer**

Please note that any information given regarding Weapons and the Law (and references to certain points of the Law) by our club, should be regarded as an informed opinion and not a full statement as to how the law stands. It is given to impress upon all the importance of understanding the possible consequences of having in their possession any type of potential weapon.