[TheForge] News for swordmakers

[Rob Fertner]

This is from Australia:
Sword ban after attacks
By Misha Ketchell
March 9, 2004
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/08/1078594297517.html

Swords will come under tough new controls from July as the State
Government cracks down on violence.

Anyone with a sword in their home will have three options: sell
it to a licensed dealer, hand it in to police, or apply to police
for permission to keep it as a collector.

Those seeking permission to keep a sword will face tough rules
on storage to ensure swords do not fall into the wrong hands.

The move to toughen laws on swords follows a series of violent
incidents involving the weapons, including a gang fight in the
Fitzroy Gardens last week in which a man's hand was chopped off.

The new regulations define a sword as "a cutting or thrusting
weapon with a long blade, a hilt, and one or two sharp edges"
but do not specify length. Swords are currently on a list of
controlled weapons, along with knives, machetes and other
implements that have a legitimate use.

Under the new rules, swords will be shifted to a list of
prohibited weapons, such as ninja stars and nunchukkas.

Police Minister Andre Haermeyer said yesterday anyone who
illegally owned a sword would face fines of up to $12,000
or six months' jail. The maximum penalty for having a
"controlled weapon" is $6000 and six months' jail. 

Samurai swords were still freely on sale at the South Melbourne
market at the weekend.

Mr Haermeyer said yesterday that once the new regulations came
into effect vendors would be allowed to sell swords only to
legitimate collectors.

Sword sellers would also have to keep a register of people who
bought swords and police would be able to inspect it, he said.

Mr Haermeyer said the new rules would help police overcome a
culture of young people arming themselves with swords.

"It is clear that the vast majority of Victorians back the push
to keep swords off the streets," he said.

"If you're a collector you wouldn't be able to carry these things
around with you. There will be very strict conditions."

Last year the Government gave police 480 metal detectors and
introduced new powers to enable them to search people suspected
of carrying concealed weapons.

Opposition police spokesman Kim Wells said the new rules were
welcome. 

"The gang mentality of owning swords has to be cleaned up,"
Mr Wells said.

"It is totally unacceptable that the gangs in Melbourne have
an unlimited supply of swords."

Mr Haermeyer said that anyone with a legitimate reason to own
a sword would be exempt from the prohibition. He said highland
dancers, who tend to use blunt swords, would have no trouble
obtaining permission to keep their swords.