Brits have until August 1 to surrender all their ninja swords as the U.K.’s Labour government aims to combat knife crime.
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that ninja swords will be banned this summer following the tragic murder of 16-year-old Ronan Kanda, who was stabbed to death by a ninja sword near his home.
“Confirmed: Ninja swords will be banned by this summer,” Starmer stated on X. “When we promise action we take it.”
The new legislation, known as “Ronan’s Law,” will prohibit the possession, sale, manufacture, or importation of ninja swords.
“Since losing our beautiful boy Ronan, we have fought tirelessly for a ban on ninja swords, the deadly weapon that took his life,” lamented Pooja Kanda, the mother of Ronan. “We believe ninja swords should not exist in our society except to cause serious harm or death.
“Every step towards tackling knife crime is a step towards justice for our boy Ronan.”
The British government has established a process for surrendering any ninja swords, defined as blades between 14 and 24 inches with one straight cutting edge and a tanto-style point.
“From August 1, individuals caught possessing a ninja sword privately could face up to 6 months in prison, which may increase to 2 years under new measures in the Crime and Policing Bill,” the government stated. “There is already a penalty of up to 4 years for carrying any weapon in public.”
Knife crime has long been a serious issue in the U.K., and although offenses involving a “sharp instrument” fell last year compared to a 15-year peak in 2019, the numbers remain significantly higher than in 2010, when 33,800 such crimes were reported, compared to 50,500 cases in 2024.
A sharp instrument in the U.K. includes knives and can also refer to using a broken bottle as a weapon.
The U.K. experienced a notable decrease from 52,000 cases involving a “sharp instrument” in 2019 to 41,700 cases the following year.
However, these incidents have been on the rise each year since.
Currently, nearly two dozen types of knives are banned in the U.K., including swords not part of a national uniform, switch blades, zombie knives, belt buckle knives, and butterfly knives, among others.
Allowed knives are those used for cooking or work that have a cutting edge of no more than three inches.
The government emphasizes that “it’s illegal to use any knife or weapon threateningly.”
Under Ronan’s Law, jail sentences for selling knives to minors and the illegal sale of prohibited knives have also been increased.
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“Knife crime is ruining young lives as too many teenagers are embroiled in violence, and it is far too easy for them to access dangerous weapons,” stated Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. “Ronan Kanda was only 16 when he was brutally killed by two boys just a year older than him.
“We are urgently implementing measures to prevent deadly weapons from falling into the wrong hands and will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect young people from violence on our streets as part of our goal to reduce knife crime by half over the next decade.”
