Order Signed To Increase Penalties For Knife Offences.

Maximum jail sentences for those using knifes and other identified offensive weapons increased.

It was announced today (Monday) that a Commencement Order has been signed under the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 which will increase the maximum sentences for knife related offences, with effect from September 30th, 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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Section 11 offence of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury: increased from 5 years to 7 years.
4. 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, established in 2020, with first chaired meeting only taking place on September 29th 2021.
Four sub-groups have now been established by the Forum to consider the specific issues of the misuse of scramblers and quadbikes, knife crime, responses to Anti-social behaviour (ASB) impacts on housing complexes managed by Local Authorities (LA) or Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), and the powers available to An Garda Síochána in relation to public order offences.
Members of the Forum are drawn from a number of State agencies, including An Garda Síochána, the Probation Service and key Government Departments, as well as a broad representation of community, business, academic and other experts.

This new order is seen as long overdue.