LEGAL ISSUES INVOLVING KNIVES

Knives have had so many uses through time. They have been used as a religious and national symbol, as in the case of the Gurkha people. They have been used in combat and warfare as well. When guns and gunpowder came on the scene, knives became less useful in wars and became more useful in the kitchen. Some people still collect knives but they do so because they love the knives’ design or are aware of the knives’ worth and value.

Unfortunately, knives have not completely outgrown their bloody past. In fact, knives are a favorite weapon of criminals and thugs. Knives are easy to conceal and pose enough danger to be an effective tool for intimidation.

As such, many legal issues have come up regarding the use of pocket knives and blades. These, after all, are increasingly becoming a cause of potential harm as more and more people are using it as a concealed weapon rather than a mere useful tool in the kitchen.

Some Facts

There is no legal age to carry a pocket knife. The law stresses that the practice of carrying an open bladed knife or a cutting tool which may open by means of a lever or spring is an offense – whatever the age of the carrier.

Many schools employ a zero-tolerance policy regarding knife carrying. It is illegal to bring a knife to school or carry around one in school. Doing so can be sufficient ground for expulsion.

Some Issues

Many laws abound regarding use of and carrying knives. To help clarify matters, such laws usually deal with defining what kinds of knives are illegal to carry around and which can be casually brought around. Such definitions usually deal with the type of knife, the length of the blade, etc. For instance, pen knives tucked to a key chain can be carried anywhere and everywhere. Such knives are meant to be general-purpose utilities and are not big or sharp enough to cause any great harm. Such knives are carried around primarily for their aesthetic value; their limited uses are just secondary considerations.

Laws treat concealed knives differently. Concealed weapons, especially those with adequately long blades, pose a graver threat to others. As such, most laws prohibit carrying around such knives. There’s a problem, here, though. Even if a person is caught carrying a concealed knife, the jury may be hard put to prove that this person is in fact intended causing any harm using the knife.

There are certain laws, however, that grant to some people the right to carry concealed weapons. The license to carry knives for security purposes has to be acquired through the proper channels and license-giving bodies. Moreover, even if license to carry has been granted, certain restrictions still apply.

This ambiguity of knives is the main source of the problem. A knife is very useful, yes. However, it is still a weapon that can be used quickly and easily against another person. Compounding the problem is the fact that it is very difficult to determine whether a person carrying a knife merely wants to protect himself or whether he is actually planning to do something criminal with it.

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