Scottish Parliament's proposed ban on the sale of weapons

Monday 20 December 2004 at 6:55 pm Union Secretary tells us:

I recently received an email from Eva Koskuba who, from one of her students in Scotland, had received details concerning the Scottish Parliament’s proposed ban on the sale of weapons. Being a long-time resident of Glasgow and being aware of a long-standing tradition of the mis-use of weapons I found myself in the position of understanding the Scottish Government’s concern and being concerned as a tai chi practitioner and someone who was in a position of promoting all aspects of the art of tai chi chuan including weapon practice. Because of this I decided to approach the situation in an open, non-confrontational manner, seeking the advice of the Scottish Government for the continuance of the practice of TCC weapons. My correspondence to the Scottish Executive is in italic and their reply to me is in dark green.



I encourage members, particularly those in Scotland, to write to the Scottish Executive adopting a similarly gentle but firm tone, requesting clarification on our position. The more voices that are heard perhaps the more positive the outcome.



Ronnie Robinson

Secretary TCUGB

Dear Sirs

I read with some concern your recent proposal to introduce a ban of the sale of swords and felt I should, on behalf of our members introduce you to the use of swords as an integral part of tai chi practice.



Tai Chi Chuan is, as I'm sure you are aware, a universally accepted system of Chinese sports exercise enjoyed by practitioners of all ages throughout the world. In Scotland, we also have a large tai chi population and play an integral part in the promotion of the art at home and abroad.



I act as Secretary of the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain (www.taichiunion.com) , Secretary of the Taijiquan and Qigong Federation for Europe (www.tcfe.org) and organiser of one of Europe's largest gatherings of tai chi players, hosted annually at Stirling University (www.taichicaledonia.com). Sword play is taught and practiced regularly in the art of tai chi chuan, as well as the staging of regular competitions in this category.



I appreciate the concern of the Scottish Executive concerning the misuse of weapons and would appreciate advice on how best to continue the safe practice by responsible adults.



Yours sincerely



Ronnie Robinson





Dear Mr Robinson



Thank you for your e-mail to the First Minister about the proposed ban on the sale of swords. This has been passed to me with a request to reply direct to you.



Scots law has always regarded an attack with an offensive weapon as a serious aggravation of assault. Successive legislation has introduced tighter and more specific controls to tackle the carrying of knives and therefore help the prevention of crime. A wide range of powers is now in force.



Nevertheless, the Executive remains deeply concerned about the continuing high incidence of knife crime and its contribution to violent crime. In the recently published homicide figures for Scotland for 2003, as in previous years, the use of a sharp instrument, e.g. knives swords, was the most common method of killing, accounting for 55 victims (51 per cent of the total). The role of knives and other sharp instruments in homicides and assaults needs urgent and effective action. Accordingly the Executive is drawing up a strategy on violence which will include a review of knife crime law and enforcement, as promised in the Partnership Agreement. This concern was reinforced by the First Minister on 22 November when he set out a programme of measures to address the unacceptably high level of knife crime in Scotland



These measures include a possible licensing system to restrict the sale of non-domestic knives: discussions are taking place with Local Authorities and ACPOS on the detail and feasibility of such a scheme. We are looking at how police powers might be strengthened, for example by giving the police an 'unconditional' power of arrest where they suspect a person is carrying a knife. We are also considering proposals to ban the general sale of swords and at increasing the penalties for carrying knives.



The Executive will be consulting on these various proposals in the New Year and will bring forward legislation as appropriate at the earliest opportunity. You may wish to keep a watch in the media or on the Executive website for an announcement on the launch of this consultation. We have, however, noted your interest in this issue and we will try to alert you to this event.



We recognise that, in strengthening the law on the sale, ownership and use of non-domestic knives and sharp implements, exceptions may have to be built into the legislation to cover legitimate aspects on knife/sword sale and ownership, for example for sporting or cultural purposes. The shape of these exceptions will be finalised in the light of comments received during the consultation.



I hope you find this helpful.



Yours sincerely





Allison Wood

JD-Criminal Justice Division

Criminal Law Branch

1-WR

St Andrews House

Edinburgh

EH1 3DG