New Laws To Tackle Threats And Knife Crime

Friday, 24 November 2023 11:13

New laws could make it a crime in Jersey to threaten to kill or rape someone.

Politicians will be asked to pass new laws to tackle knife crime and public order offences.

The Home Affairs Minister is bringing updated legislation to the States for approval.

Under Deputy Helen Miles' proposals, serious threats could be punishable by up to ten years in prison and an unlimited fine.

She also want to change the law around carrying an offensive weapon. It current falls under the Firearms Act.

'Bladed articles' would be added to the definition, and 'school premises' would be added to the definition of a public place.

The deputy's report explaining the proposed revised legislation says that, since 2020, seventeen knife-crime incidents have been recorded in Jersey schools.

“Our public order laws are outdated and have needed to be updated for some time.

Statistics from the States of Jersey Police show that between 2019 and 2023 to date, a quarter of logged incidents that refer to a knife happened in a public place and, of those, around 6% relate to school premises.

This is a relatively small number and not a cause for alarm, but it is important that we have legislation in place in the event it is needed.

The offence of affray - or fighting- would be updated so that it would not be necessary to have ' upset bystanders' to constitute an offence - and can be applied where the fight has occurred in a private place.

A new offence of rioting would be created, defining it as 'an occasion when 12 or more people are present and use or threaten to use unlawful violence for a common purpose'.