Roger Fuller (fullerfamily@sprintmail.com)
Tue, 1 Aug 2000 09:21:47 -0400
-----Original Message-----
From: Allan McVie <amv2f@udcf.gla.ac.uk>
To: histrenact@novar.co.uk <histrenact@novar.co.uk>
Date: 01 August 2000 06:43
Subject: Re: [Histrenact] - Re: [Histrenact] : Wearing a sword in public
>Hi
>
>At 10:47 01/08/00 BST, Rob wrote:
>>HI there,
>
>SNIP
>>>
>>> > Let's not forget: there is no legal right to own or carry an offensive
>>> >weapon in the UK. (Check with the Home Office or the local police about
>>> >that one.)
>>>
>>>Wrong! In the UK under certain situations you have the legal right to
carry
>>>an offensive weapon (ie knife,sword)
>>
>>Which situations is it legal to carry a sword in the park at night. If you
>>walked down the street with a sword in your hand not swinging it - you
could
>>be stopped and arrested quite easily.
>
>I was not refering to carring a sword in the park at night as a legal
>situation.However there are situations that are covered ie when wearing
>highland dress a skian dubh can be legally carried.
I should imagine members of the Royal family at Balmoral wouldn't be
hassled, nor would Highland reenactors, but would some guy on the streets of
Edinburgh or Glasgow (or even south of the border.... :^) ) be afforded the
same privilege, even if wearing a kilt?
A Sikh at any time can
>carry the knife that is part of their religious observance (sorry I do not
>know the name of this knife).As part of certain processions were swords are
>carried down streets(again Sikh and other religious processions.
Are these edged devices in both situations allowed to be carried with
sharpened blades? My wife, who is from near Glasgow, says not, and that only
govt. or religious ceremonies would allow the carrying of anything in public
(carrying of ancient swords and halberds at Glaswegian Battle of the Boyne
celebrations by the Orangemen is proscribed, it seems, so not all groups are
granted this privilege), so, in a narrow sense, you are quite correct. In a
more useful sense, should some National Front types decide to attack the
Sikhs, could they legally defend themselves with their swords? (Of course,
the NF types would probably leave them alone, seeing their quarry as being
armed.... :^) )
>
>I was correcting Rogers statement that in the UK you have no legal right to
>carry an knife or sword.
It depends on what that knife or sword is meant to be used for, and the
appropriateness of having it on one's person or easy access thereto in a
given situation. The discussion was started by Leia who seemed to think that
it is OK to have it both ways: defend herself (or have her friends defend
her) with a knife or sword meant for reenactment, and get away with carrying
it on her person or keeping it in her car if caught by a policeman/woman by
saying, "Oh, it's alright, I'm a reenactor". This policy as above will get
one eventually into serious trouble. Are reenactors granted laissez-faire by
virtue of their position in society? I don't believe so.
Roger
>
>
>Allan
>
>
>
>
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