Owning a ninja sword in UK will soon be illegal amid surge in knife crime

• The United Kingdom is moving toward banning the possession of ninja swords by this summer. The move comes as the government says it faces an “epidemic” of “knife crimes.”
• Roughly 55,000 knife crimes reportedly occurred in Wales and England in 2024.
• The new measure is part of Ronan’s Law, which was implemented in honor of a 16-year-old killed in a 2022 stabbing in the U.K.

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Ninja sword owners, beware. Having one, even in a person’s private home, could soon land them behind bars — that’s if it’s owned in the U.K.

The announcement comes from U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer as part of a more significant effort to combat what the government has declared a crisis of “knife crimes.”

Starmer said, “Knife crime is at epidemic levels and is ruining lives across Britain.”

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What happens now?

Beginning on Aug. 1, 2025, owning, possessing, producing, importing or selling ninja swords will be illegal in the United Kingdom.

The new rule was introduced in Parliament on Thursday, March 27, after Conservatives rejected a ninja sword ban last year.

Why are some opposed to the law?

Opponents of the law say law-abiding sword owners should not have to give up their weapons, citing their use among historians, collectors and hobbyists.

Conservatives also point out that less than 1% of deaths by a knife in the nation come by way of such swords.

What is the punishment for breaking this law?

Any person caught with these swords by authorities starting on Aug. 1 faces up to six months in prison, and that sentence could reportedly go up to two years, depending on the fate of a new crime bill in Parliament.

A law enforcing a sentence of up to four years for carrying a weapon in public in Britain is already in place.

As the new measure is implemented, sword owners will be reimbursed for willingly handing over their weapons as a way to get the swords out of the hands of citizens.

What is Ronan’s Law?

The latest sword ban is part of Ronan’s Law, which is meant to prevent online sales of knives.

The statute is named in honor of a 16-year-old who was stabbed to death in an incident of mistaken identity in 2022.

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Investigators said the two teens who killed the boy purchased the swords used in the stabbing on the internet.

What are the latest numbers?

The ban also comes as officials say knife violence is at an all-time high. There were reportedly around 55,000 such incidents in Wales and England last year.