(1)Any person who has an article to which section 49 of this Act applies with him on school premises shall be guilty of an offence.
(2)Any person who has an offensive weapon within the meaning of section 47 of this Act with him on school premises shall be guilty of an offence.
(3)It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) or (2) above to prove that he had good reason or lawful authority for having the article or weapon with him on the premises in question.
(4)Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3) above, it shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) or (2) above to prove that he had the article or weapon in question with him—
(a)for use at work,
(b)for educational purposes,
(c)for religious reasons, or
(d)as part of any national costume.
(5)A person guilty of an offence—
(a)under subsection (1) above shall be liable—
(i)on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both;
(ii)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or a fine, or both;
(b)under subsection (2) above shall be liable—
(i)on summary conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum, or both;
(ii)on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding four years, or a fine, or both.
(6)In this section and section 49B of this Act, “school premises” means land used for the purposes of a school excluding any land occupied solely as a dwelling by a person employed at the school; and “school” has the meaning given by section 135(1) of the M1Education (Scotland) Act 1980.]
Textual Amendments
F1Ss. 49A, 49B inserted (1.9.1996) by 1996 c. 26, s. 4(3)(4); S.I. 1996/2071, art. 2
Marginal Citations