Possession of a knife and private defence: Dilemmas in the pursuit of personal security in England and Wales

This is the second in a series of three papers about knife crime in England and Wales. It deals with the resort to self-protection generally and via the use of knives in particular, in the context of presumptions about protection afforded by agents of the state. The ‘uneasy synergy’ in the relationship between possession of a weapon and lawful private defence is examined, together with a discussion of the dilemmas raised by the pursuit of personal security.

► Examines background to knife crime in England and Wales. ► Analyses legal situation on knife possession. ► Analyses dilemmas of precautionary action.