Firearms and Weapons Policy Unit
5th floor, Fry Building
Home Office
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
Ninja swords: legal definition and defences
- From:
- Home Office
- Published
- 13 November 2024
- Last updated
- 27 March 2025 — See all updates
This consultation has concluded
Read the full outcome
Summary
Prohibiting ninja swords: legal description and defences – government response
PDF, 318 KB, 14 pages
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Gwahardd Cleddyfau Ninja: Disgrifiad Cyfreithiol ac Amddiffyniadau – Ymateb y Llywodraeth (Welsh)
PDF, 321 KB, 14 pages
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Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Prohibiting ninja swords: legal description and defences – government response
PDF, 318 KB, 14 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Gwahardd Cleddyfau Ninja: Disgrifiad Cyfreithiol ac Amddiffyniadau – Ymateb y Llywodraeth (Welsh)
PDF, 321 KB, 14 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Detail of outcome
The majority of respondents agreed with our proposals on the legal description and extending the defences.
The main key themes from respondents were the following:
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The government is not going far enough with the proposals.
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Banning ninja swords is unlikely to reduce overall knife-enabled criminality.
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Defences should be provided to protect legitimate use.
Original consultation
Summary
We are seeking views on our proposed legal description of ninja swords to be in scope of the list of prohibited weapons.
This consultation closesran atfrom
to
Consultation description
This consultation seeks views on our proposed legal description of ninja swords to be in scope of the list of prohibited weapons and whether any defence or exemptions should be applied under Section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (CJA).
The consultation is open to the public and targeted to directly affected parties, including the police, Crown Prosecution Service, community groups, businesses and organisations with a direct interest in the proposals.
Documents
Prohibiting ninja swords: legal description and defences
PDF, 463 KB, 18 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Prohibiting ninja swords: options assessment
PDF, 234 KB, 14 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Prohibiting ninja swords: legal description and defences (Welsh)
PDF, 435 KB, 19 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Prohibiting ninja swords: options assessment (Welsh)
PDF, 224 KB, 14 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Consultation description
This consultation seeks views on our proposed legal description of ninja swords to be in scope of the list of prohibited weapons and whether any defence or exemptions should be applied under Section 141 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (CJA).
The consultation is open to the public and targeted to directly affected parties, including the police, Crown Prosecution Service, community groups, businesses and organisations with a direct interest in the proposals.
Documents
Prohibiting ninja swords: legal description and defences
PDF, 463 KB, 18 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Prohibiting ninja swords: options assessment
PDF, 234 KB, 14 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Prohibiting ninja swords: legal description and defences (Welsh)
PDF, 435 KB, 19 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Prohibiting ninja swords: options assessment (Welsh)
PDF, 224 KB, 14 pages
This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.
Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email alternativeformats@homeoffice.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.
Ways to respond
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ninja-swords-consultation@homeoffice.gov.uk
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Updates to this page
Published 13 November 2024
Last updated 27 March 2025
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Published government response in English and Welsh.
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First published.
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Update history
2025-03-27 11:00
Published government response in English and Welsh.
2024-11-13 00:01
First published.