Sentences for knife crime increase
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From: Department of Justice
- Published on: 30 September 2024
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has signed a Commencement Order under the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 to increase the maximum sentences for four knife related offences with effect from 30 September 2024.
The Commencement Order gives effect to Part 9 of the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024, which amends the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 to increase the maximum penalties for the following offences under that Act:
- Section 9(5) offence of possession in a public place of an article intended to cause injury to, incapacitate or intimidate a person: increased from 5 years to 7 years
- Section 10 offence of trespass with a knife, weapon of offence or other article which has a blade or sharp point: increased from 5 years to 7 years
- Section 11 offence of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury: increased from 5 years to 7 years
- Section 12 offence of manufacture, importation, sale, hire or loan of prescribed offensive weapons: increased from 7 years to 10 years
These changes in the law follow recommendations from the knife crime sub-group of the Expert Forum on Anti-Social Behaviour, which is chaired by the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, James Browne.
Minister McEntee said:
“Knife crimes are serious criminal offences, which can have far reaching and devastating consequences. These amendments represent a necessary strengthening and rebalancing of the penalties for knife crime under the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.
“These amendments reflect the true gravity of the offences in question and will ensure that, in the most serious cases, the courts can impose a sanction that fully matches the crime."
Minister Browne welcomed the commencement of these provisions and said:
“I want to thank the members of the Forum on Anti-Social Behaviour for their work, and particularly the Subgroup on knife crime. These increased penalties are a result of the recommendations made to me by the Forum.
“The offences in question involve a clear and significant degree of criminal intent. They represent a significant threat to community safety, both in their own right, and because they can be precursors to serious and sometimes fatal assaults. These increases in the maximum sentences will send the message that the offences in question are wholly unacceptable behaviour in our society.”