New Law to Tighten Regulations on Knife Sales Online
Background: High-Profile Knife Crimes
A new law, introduced in response to a spate of high-profile knife crimes, aims to make it more difficult for young people to purchase knives online in the UK. The law follows several fatal knife crimes involving young people, including the 2024 murder of three girls by teenager Axel Rudakubana, who was able to purchase the blade he used on Amazon, bypassing age verification rules.
Ronan’s Law: Strengthening Age Verification Checks
The new law, named after Ronan Kanda, a 16-year-old murdered in 2022, will require retailers to report "suspicious" and bulk blade purchases to authorities, as well as bolster age verification checks. The jail terms for retailers who sell knives to under-18s will also be increased from six months to up to two years under the new law. The punishment could apply to an individual who has processed the sale or a CEO of the company.
New Regulations for Online Retailers
Under the new rules, online sellers will be required to verify photo identities and ages at the point of sale and delivery. This is a significant step forward, as the current law only requires retailers to verify the age of the customer before selling a knife and, for those bought online, at the point of collection or delivery.
Government’s Commitment to Reducing Knife Crime
The UK government has pledged to halve knife crime in the next decade and has banned zombie-style knives and machetes. While Britain has some of the strictest gun controls in the world, rampant knife crime has been branded a "national crisis" by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Statistics: The Scale of the Problem
In the year leading up to March 2024, there were 262 murders in England and Wales using a knife or sharp instrument, according to the Ben Kinsella Trust, an anti-knife crime charity. Of those murdered, 57 were under the age of 25.
Registration Scheme for Online Retailers
The government is also considering a registration scheme that would allow "responsible" online retailers to sell knives. This scheme aims to strike a balance between protecting public safety and allowing responsible businesses to operate.
Conclusion
The new law is a significant step forward in addressing the issue of knife crime in the UK. By tightening regulations on knife sales online, the government is taking a proactive approach to reducing the number of young people who are able to access these deadly weapons. The law is named after Ronan Kanda, who was killed three years ago by teenagers who bought knives online and collected them from a post office, without having their identities or ages checked.
FAQs
- What is the new law?
The new law, named Ronan’s Law, aims to make it more difficult for young people to purchase knives online by requiring retailers to report "suspicious" and bulk blade purchases to authorities, as well as bolster age verification checks. - What are the new regulations for online retailers?
Online retailers will be required to verify photo identities and ages at the point of sale and delivery. - What is the government’s commitment to reducing knife crime?
The UK government has pledged to halve knife crime in the next decade and has banned zombie-style knives and machetes. - What is the scale of the problem?
In the year leading up to March 2024, there were 262 murders in England and Wales using a knife or sharp instrument, with 57 of those murdered being under the age of 25.