As of today, the impact of amendments to legislation sees a heightened prison term for various knife-related crimes, reflecting the rise in knife offences and possession in recent times. Going forward, the maximum penalty for four activities linked to bladed weapons will climb. If a knife is carried in public with the intent to harm and intimidate, the relevant party can face up to seven years in prison, an increase from the previous five years.
The sentencing cap for trespassing and manufacturing a knife designed to cause serious injury has been extended from five to seven years. Increased penalties are also applicable to those found guilty of “creating, importing, vending, renting or loaning” aggressive weapons, with the potential of up to 10 years in prison, rather than the earlier seven years.
Justice Minister, Helen McEntee, said these revisions accurately mirror the seriousness of these offences and ensure that for severe cases, courts have the power to decree a penalty that aligns precisely with the crime. According to McEntee, these stricter sentencing provisions extend previous incrementations to the maximum penalties for assaults inflicting hurt, murder conspiracy and assault on a peace officer.
Recommended by the knife crime subgroup of the Expert Forum on Antisocial Behaviour led by Minister of State James Browne, stringent penalties for knife-related offences have been accepted. Browne affirmed the government’s understanding of public unease surrounding knife crime.
He stated that numerous serious—sometimes lethal—knife attacks in recent years have justifiably heightened public worry about criminal knife possession and usage. He said, “the government has received public feedback and the legislative amendments aim to ensure suitable punishment for perpetrators and decrease knife-associated crime.” Mr Browne highlighted that these changes will make it clear that such offences are fundamentally unacceptable in society.