Final part of Ronan's Law introduced in Parliament thanks to campaigning of Kanda family.
In a further move to break the cycle of young people carrying knives and to better protect the public from knife-related crime, from 1 August, ninja swords will be banned. This will make it illegal to possess, manufacture, import or sell these deadly weapons.
The majority of ninja swords have a blade between 14 inches and 24 inches with one straight cutting edge with a tanto style point. From 1 August, anyone caught in possession of a ninja sword in private could face 6 months in prison, and this will later increase to 2 years under new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill. There is already a penalty of up to 4 years in prison for carrying any weapon in public.
Ahead of the ban coming into place, the government, in partnership with law enforcement and members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, will run its most ambitious surrender scheme yet. The scheme will run across the country, targeting young people most vulnerable to knife crime.
The surrender scheme will run from 1 to 31 July to allow any member of the public to hand in these weapons safely.
There will also be new safeguards to prevent exploitation of the scheme. For the first time, there will be a cut-off date and no weapons bought after today (27 March) will be eligible for compensation and we will have stronger value checks. There will also be further guidance released advising where a sword can be surrendered if the owner does not wish to visit a local police station or claim compensation. This will offer the greater use of knife surrender bins and their locations.
The government is exploring every avenue to protect young people and break the behaviour of carrying knives as part of its Plan for Change. The mission to halve knife crime is a cross-Whitehall mission to:
- restrict the availability of knives online
- hold those responsible for selling knives irresponsibly to account
- better support young people at an early stage who are vulnerable to a life of crime
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
Knife crime is destroying young lives as too many teenagers are being drawn into violence and it is far too easy for them to get hold of dangerous weapons.
Ronan Kanda was just 16 when he was ruthlessly killed by 2 boys only a year older than him. Today we are introducing the final part of Ronan's law in his memory - banning the ninja swords that his killers should never have been able to use.
We are acting with urgency to bring forward measures to prevent deadly weapons from getting into the wrong hands and will continue to do whatever is needed to prevent young people being killed on our streets as part of our mission to halve knife crime over the next decade.
Pooja Kanda said:
Today marks a very important day for us as a family and our campaign. Since losing our beautiful boy Ronan, we have relentlessly campaigned for a ban on ninja swords - the lethal weapon which took his life. We believe ninja swords have no place in our society other than to seriously harm and kill.
We are so grateful to our government for hearing us and for recognising how important and urgent it is to get these dangerous weapons off our streets. Each step towards tackling knife crime is a step towards getting justice for our boy Ronan.
Patrick Green, CEO, Ben Kinsella Trust said:
The Ben Kinsella Trust welcomes the government's decision to ban ninja swords and implement Ronan's Law. These weapons, with no practical purpose beyond violence, are simply instruments of war and have absolutely no place in our society or on our streets. The ease with which such dangerous items have been available has contributed to far too many tragedies.
The additional measures under Ronan's Law, designed to hold those who sell these weapons to account, are critical in breaking the supply chain that fuels this violence. We commend the government for listening to victims' families, and for taking decisive action.
Sandra Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Word 4 Weapons said:
Word 4 Weapons stands firmly behind the introduction of Ronan's Law. Ronan's tragic death at the hands of a ninja sword highlights the urgent need to tighten legislation around dangerous weapons, online and otherwise. This law is a crucial step toward reducing violence and protecting lives in our communities.
The ninja ban forms part of Ronan's Law, which aims to tackle the online sale of knives. Last month, the government announced a series of measures to tackle online sales, including a 2-step verification process for the sale of knives online and significant fines for executives who fail to remove knife crime content for their platform. It also announced tougher penalties for being caught with a knife in public and for selling a weapon to any person under 18.
Ronan's Law will also require online retailers to report any bulk or suspicious-looking purchases of knives to the police. This will apply to all online sales of knives, including those who operate through online marketplaces. In the spring, the government will also consult on the introduction of a licensing scheme for retailers who wish to sell knives.
