Introduction

Sections 52-55A of the Courts Act 2003 allow court security officers to exclude persons from court buildings and to require the surrender of various articles, including knives. Section 4(e) of the Security and Safety Operating Procedures Guidance issued by HM Courts & Tribunals Service provides that:

“Where a member of the Sikh community wishes to enter a court building, they can bring in a Kirpan that meets the following requirements:

• • Overall length is no more than six inches,
  • Blade is no more than four inches in length.

If the Kirpan exceeds these lengths, permission to enter may be refused but the senior person on site must be consulted before any decision is taken.”

The operation of the Guidance in relation to kirpans was challenged in Gulshan v Lord Chancellor [2023] EWCA Civ 306. Continue reading →