Petition · past parliament
Add an exemption to the Ivory Bill for the Sikh Kirpan.
Closed
171 signatures
What the petition asks
Baptised Sikhs are permitted by UK law to carry the ceremonial knife called the Kirpan. Many Kirpans are inherited heirlooms & most historic, antique versions contain ivory handles. We want exemption for Sikhs to be able to carry previously, legally purchased antique Kirpans under the new ivory law.
We do not support the trade in ivory, we are only requesting protection & continued freedom of use of any antique Kirpan legally owned before the new ivory law comes into action. As mentioned, historic Kirpans could contain more than 10% ivory. As many practicing Sikhs will continue to travel abroad, we are very concerned that the Kirpan, if constructed of ivory may be confiscated or destroyed. We request that suitable exemptions are put in place to avoid disruption to the Sikh community.
Timeline
| 26 Nov 2018 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 26 May 2019 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
171
Status
Closed
Opened
26 Nov 2018
Closed
26 May 2019
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.