Statutory Instruments
CRIMINAL LAW
Made
4th December 1996
Laid before Parliament
11th December 1996
Coming into force
1st January 1997
In exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 141A(3)(c) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988(1), the Secretary of State hereby makes the following Order:
1. This Order may be cited as the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) (Exemption) Order 1996 and shall come into force on 1st January 1997.
2. Section 141A(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (sale of knives or certain articles with blade or point to persons under sixteen) shall not apply to —
(a)a folding pocket-knife if the cutting edge of its blade does not exceed 7.62 centimetres (3 inches).
(b)razor blades permanently enclosed in a cartridge or housing where less than 2 millimetres of any blade is exposed beyond the plane which intersects the highest point of the surfaces preceding and following such blades.
David Maclean
Minister of State
Home Office
4th December 1996
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order, which comes into force on 1st January 1997, exempts from the offence, in section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988, of selling a knife or certain other articles with a blade or point to persons under sixteen, the sale of a folding pocket-knife with a blade of less than 7.62 centimetres (3 inches) and a razor blade permanently enclosed in a cartridge or housing.
1988 c. 33: section 141A was inserted by section 6 of the Offensive Weapons Act 1996 (c. 26).