Knife Sentencing Doubles
Monday 12 November 07
A new law which sets out to reduce knife crime is about to be introduced in Northern Ireland. 
The new law will double the sentence from two to four years if someone is caught carrying a blade. The government is also looking into a licensing scheme to regulate the sale of knives according to BBC.
Criminal Justice Minister Paul Goggins said the powers "cover any implement that has a blade or point or that may be deemed as an offensive weapon".
Fifteen-year-old Thomas Devlin was stabbed to death near his home in north Belfast home in august 2005. His mother Penny Holloway says the increas in sentence is "a step in the right directions".
"You're not going to eliminate knife crime, but we have to do our level best to make sure as few people as possible suffer from the misuse of knives like Thomas did," she said.
What do you think about the new knife law, will it make Northern Ireland a safer place to live?
