In July, 25-year-old Brit Sam Jacques had his home searched and was <\/span>charged<\/span><\/a> with possession of a knife\u2014in his own home\u2014and was fined the equivalent of about $900. The knife fit the criteria of a <\/span>category<\/span><\/a> called a “zombie-style knife” and was therefore illegal in the United Kingdom, even though there was no evidence of wrongdoing or evidence that Jacques had any intention to harm anyone.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Named for blades commonly seen in zombie films, zombie knives are <\/span>legally defined<\/span><\/a> in the U.K. as a weapon with “(i) a cutting edge;\u00a0 (ii) a serrated edge; and\u00a0 (iii) images or words (whether on the blade or handle) that suggest that it is to be used for the purpose of violence.” They were originally designed for collectors and survivalists. Jaques told the court he used the knife for bushcraft, building shelters, and other outdoor activities, and that the serrated part was used for cutting wires.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2016, under Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, a new amendment to the Criminal Justice Act 1988 banned zombie knives after the fatal stabbing of an 18-year-old. <\/span>Headlines<\/span><\/a> named the assaulter the “Zombie Killer.” Such knives are <\/span>now categorized<\/span><\/a> as “offensive weapons,” along with more than 20 other weapons, including knuckledusters, butterfly knives, and telescopic truncheons. “Any person who manufactures, sells or hires or offers for sale or hire, exposes or has in his possession for the purpose of sale or hire, or lends or gives to any other person,” can face <\/span>six months to two years<\/span><\/a> in prison.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2021, the government expanded the law further still, adding a ban on cyclone knives, <\/span>defined<\/span><\/a> as a “blade with a handle, a sharp point at the end and one or more cutting edges that each form a helix.” Conservatives <\/span>bragged<\/span><\/a> about having some of the toughest knife crime laws in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

When a violent incident makes the news, politicians are quick to react with new regulations. Following the horrendous <\/span>murder of three young Southport girls<\/span><\/a> at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a host of further knife restrictions. In an <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> for <\/span>The Sun<\/span><\/i>, Starmer wrote, “It remains shockingly easy for our children to get their hands on deadly knives.” The root cause of the issue, Starmer said, was that the Southport murderer “was still able to order the murder weapon off of the internet without any checks or barriers.”<\/span><\/p>\n

In response, the government has <\/span>announced<\/span><\/a> new laws requiring online retailers, such as Amazon, to ask for two types of identification from anyone seeking to buy a knife. Customers would also face requirements to record a live video or selfie to prove their age.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the U.K., politicians have chosen to focus on the tools criminals use rather than the criminals themselves. The flaw with this approach is that it assumes people intending to break the law to assault someone will, for some reason, obey the law banning a certain weapon. By definition, criminals do not follow the law. Indeed, despite the various new bans, zombie-style knives remain readily <\/span>available<\/span><\/a> for purchase online, and violent attacks with zombie knives have still <\/span>occurred<\/span><\/a> since the ban. Incidents involving knives or other sharp instruments have not decreased. Between 2023 and 2024, there were more than 50,000 offenses involving a sharp instrument in England and Wales (excluding Greater Manchester), representing a 4.4 percent increase from the previous year.<\/span><\/p>\n