Australian Capital Territory Current Acts Australian Capital Territory Current Acts(1) A person shall not, without reasonable excuse, have a knife in his or her possession in a public place or school.
Maximum penalty: 10 penalty units, imprisonment for 6 months or both.
(2) Without limiting what may constitute a reasonable excuse, it is a reasonable excuse for a person to have a knife in his or her possession in a public place or school if—
(a) the possession is necessary or reasonable for, or for a purpose incidental to—
(i) the lawful pursuit of the person's occupation; or
(ii) the preparation or consumption of food; or
(iii) participation in a lawful entertainment, recreation or sport; or
(iv) the exhibition of knives for retail or other trade purposes; or
(v) an organised exhibition by knife collectors; or
(vi) the wearing of an official uniform; or
(vii) religious purposes; or
(b) the possession is of a prescribed kind.
(3) It is not a reasonable excuse for a person to have a knife in his or her possession in a public place or school solely for the purpose of self-defence or the defence of another person.