Offensive Weapons Act 2019: draft statutory guidance
Statutory guidance, produced by the Home Office, which covers the implementation of the Offensive Weapons Act 2019 in England and Wales. It also covers the implementation of sections 1 to 4 of the act in Scotland.
The statutory guidance sets out how the legislation should be implemented and applied, the obligations imposed under the act, and what factors should be taken into account when making decisions on how to proceed with individual cases of the possession, sale and delivery of knives, corrosives and offensive weapons, and the use of these to threaten others.
The guidance is primarily for the police, retailers and trading standards. However, it will also be of interest to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service, manufacturers and suppliers of bladed articles, bladed products and corrosives, and members of the public.
The Offensive Weapons Act, which received Royal Assent on 16 May 2019, requires the Secretary of State to produce statutory guidance which covers the implementation of certain measures within the act in England and Wales. It also covers the implementation of sections 1 to 4 of the act, in respect of the sale and delivery of corrosive products, in Scotland.