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It is an offence for a person to have a knife or article with a blade or which is sharply pointed in his possession in a public place. It is a defence for a person to prove he had good reason or lawful authority for having the knife or article in their possession in a public place.
An offensive weapon is liable to seizure by the Garda Síochána as evidence.
No. 12/1990: FIREARMS AND OFFENSIVE WEAPONS ACT, 1990
PART III OFFENSIVE WEAPONS
Possession of knives and other articles.
9. - (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3), where a person has with him in any public place any knife or any other article which has a blade or which is sharply pointed, he shall be guilty of an offence.
(2) It shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) to prove that he had good reason or lawful authority for having the article with him in a public place.
(3) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (2), it shall be a defence for a person charged with an offence under subsection (1) to prove that he had the article with him for use at work or for a recreational purpose.
(4) Where a person, without lawful authority or reasonable excuse (the onus of proving which shall lie on him), has with him in any public place -
- any flick-knife, or
- any other article whatsoever made or adapted for use for causing injury to or incapacitating a person,
(5) Where a person has with him in any public place any article intended by him unlawfully to cause injury to, incapacitate or intimidate any person either in a particular eventuality or otherwise, he shall be guilty of an offence.
(6) In a prosecution for an offence under subsection (5), it shall not be necessary for the prosecution to allege or prove that the intent to cause injury, incapacitate or intimidate was intent to cause injury to, incapacitate or intimidate a particular person; and if, having regard to all the circumstances (including the type of the article alleged to have been intended to cause injury, incapacitate or intimidate, the time of the day or night, and the place), the court (or the jury as the case may be) thinks it reasonable to do so, it may regard possession of the article as sufficient evidence of intent in the absence of any adequate explanation by the accused.
( 7 ) ( a ) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1) shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000 (increase from £1,000 as amended by Schedule 1 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to both.
( b ) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (4) or (5) shall be liable -
- on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding €5,000 (increase from £1,000 as amended by Schedule 1 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months or to both, or
- on conviction on indictment, to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or to both.
(8) In this section "public place" includes any highway and any other premises or place to which at the material time the public have or are permitted to have access, whether on payment or otherwise, and includes any club premises and any train, vessel or vehicle used for the carriage of persons for reward.
(9) In this section "flick-knife" means a knife -
- which has a blade which opens when hand pressure is applied to a button, spring, lever or other device in or attached to the handle, or
- which has a blade which is released from the handle or sheath by the force of gravity or the application of centrifugal force and when released is locked in an open position by means of a button, spring, lever or other device.
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