Knife laws in Ireland

thehippopop

hi I was wondering is there any kind of knife that is illegal in Ireland like otf knifes or any kind of knife. And can you by knifes online. Thank you Thehippopop

Peetrik

If you have a specific legal question you'd be much better off seeking legal advice than asking on a public forum.

Here is the relevant info regarding knives in public
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1990/en/act/pub/0012/print.html#sec9

Here is the relevant info involving what types of knives are prohibited
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1991/en/si/0066.html

Again, there is a lot of legalise there, the cost of legal advice would be much lower than the fine for guessing wrong.

ColinJennings

The law in relation to knives is contained in the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990. What it sets out is that it is an offence to carry a knife or an article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed in a public place. It is up to you to show lawful authority or a good reason to have the knife. It also explicitly says that it is a defence to show that you had it for work or a recreational purpose. The Act also has a separate section dealing with "flick-knives" which OTF Knives would probably fall into. Again you need to show lawful authority or reasonable excuse to have them in a public place, but the maximum penalty is higher if you are convicted.

In relation to the sale and importation, there are two lists of weapons prohibited for importation - one made in 1991 and a second in 2009. This list includes flick knives and several types of disguised knives. Other type of knives can be imported, however I would think that an OFT Knife would fall within the meaning of a "flick knife".

Sources: http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1990/en/act/pub/0012/sec0009.html; http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1991/en/si/0066.html; http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2009/en/si/0338.html; http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Firearms_and_Ammunition_FAQ

Chemical Byrne

If you're thinking of carrying a knife, just don't. Legal or not.

If you do it's more likely to be used against you and even if you use it in defence you will very likely come out the worst and end up charged with assault or GBH or whatever.

Just because something's legal doesn't make it's a good idea. It's a scummy practice anyway.

Mellor

An OFT Knife is illegal. It's illegal to import, to buy on online. It's illegal to sell.
It's ilegal to have in your possession.

This is all pretty clear in the above regulations.