(no subject)

[theweaselking]

Not news: Autralian arrested for going 120 in a 50 zone.
News: ...while carrying crystal meth, $26,000 in cash, and a weapon
Really funny news: .... on one wheel

Comments

[mrbankies.livejournal.com]

Dude was stupid in many, many ways, but calling a 10cm long knife a controlled weapon is a stretch in my book.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

When carried concealed, it undoubtedly meets the legal definition.

[mrbankies.livejournal.com]

I'll go with that, but it's a slippery slope. If I get picked up for loitering, technically I could be charged with carrying a concealed weapon because I had a swiss army knife in my pocket.

If he had a switch blade (illegal in the US, I'd assume the same for AUS) it'd be nice to have that specified.

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

Last I checked, swiss army knives didn't have 10cm blades.

The rule in Canada is that a concealed knife is illegal when the blade is longer than 20cm, or when it's a folding blade that can be opened one-handed. If it's not concealed, it's legal to carry a longer knife, but "flick" knives, butterfly knives, and switchblades are all still illegal.

(This commented edited because 10 is not 30.)

[mrbankies.livejournal.com]

No, but I'm fairly certain you can get them with 7.5cm. The difference of 2.5cm, to my mind, isn't all that much. I'm also pretty certain you can get fold open knives with a 10cm blade, which I still consider to be small bladed. Hence, I wonder what sort of knife that's referrenced in the article is.

Anyway, yon motorcyclist is in much more trouble over the speeding, drugs and cash. The weapons charge is sort of like the cherry on top of his crime sundae

[theweaselking.livejournal.com]

It's a massive difference when the knife is sticking out of you.

Admittedly, there the critical 2.5cm is not the difference between 7.5 and 10, but that's not the point. The point is that pocketknives are legal and necessary, and they had to stick a distinction there *somewhere* as to the difference between a legal pocketknife and an illegal weapon.

[jerril]

I suspect Australian weapons law is similar to canadian in this case - 1) it's probably a 10 cm blade, handle not included in the measurement and 2) it's a controlled weapon here, and likely is there as well.

In Canada it's controlled because a bunch of idiot teenagers got into gang fights in the '20s and '30s (iirc) and used daggers/knives. Public became outraged yadda yadda yadda, knives are now controlled. Legal, under many circumstances, but only if carried correctly, usually only if they have one edge or are an art object, I'm sure there's a bunch of waffly red tape that I'm not thinking of.

Perfectly legal to carry a broadsword on the bus here, though, as long as you don't hide it. So freaking out the little old lady in the bench behind you is cool :D

[sivi-volk.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I have to carry my swords on the bus to and from class. Some people assume it's a pool-cue case, but I always try and walk softly when I'm carrying them.

[xrmndml.livejournal.com]

For the record, there are 111mm swiss army knives. Not that it really matters, but it came up.