Weapons and firearms
Sale of knives etc to persons under 18
Criminal Justice Act 1988, s.141A
England & Wales. Elements, mode of trial, maximum and defences — not a charging or outcome predictor.
- Triable
- Summary only
- Maximum penalty
- 6 months’ custody
Actus reus
- Sells a knife, blade, razor blade, axe, or other bladed/pointed article made or adapted for causing injury, to a person under 18 (CJA 1988, s.141A — age and article list as currently in force, including later sword amendments where they apply).
Mens rea
- The sale is the conduct. Statutory age-belief defence: believed the purchaser was 18 or over and had taken reasonable steps to establish age, or nobody could reasonably have suspected from appearance that the purchaser was under 18.
Defences
Article not within s.141A · Purchaser was 18 or over · Statutory age-belief / reasonable-steps defence · Domestic-use 16+ exception if that paragraph applies on the current text
Sentencing Council
Sentencing Council guideline effective 01 April 2023. Offence range: Discharge – community order Use this guideline when the offender is an individual.
At the police station
Till CCTV and ID-check policy first. This is a seller offence, not possession in public.
When to involve a rep or solicitor
Police station advice is free under legal aid and is not means-tested.
Authoritative sources for this page
Statute plus Sentencing Council (and CPS where listed) are the two primary sources we used for mode of trial, maximum and elements. Case links are from our verified registry only.
- Statute:Criminal Justice Act 1988, s.141A ↗
- Sentencing Council:Sentencing Council definitive guideline ↗
- CPS:CPS — Offensive weapons, knives and firearms ↗