LEGAL ASPECTS

This type of game, taking place in London, has its disadvantages and dangers. It is important that players do not break the law! The game was created for one purpose: to have fun, and is not intended to get people arrested.

Firstly,

DISCLAIMER: The London Guild of Assassins is a GAME. It does not endorse or condone real-life violence. Its intentions are ENTIRELY innocent. It accepts NO RESPONSIBILITY for the actions of its players, who are DISCOURAGED from all incriminating activities, in particular brandishing replica firearms in public. Players participate at their OWN RISK.

1. Carrying a Nerf gun in a public place.

It is not, and has never been, illegal to carry a child's toy in a public place. However, it is illegal to carry an imitation firearm in a public place, and it's definitely illegal to carry a dangerous weapon in a public place. For these reasons, the rules are very clear that real-life weapons, and fake weapons that look like real-life weapons, must not be used!

The Metropolitan Police have the following to say about carrying Nerf guns and Super Soakers in public.

"Section 37 of the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003 added unloaded air weapons and imitation firearms to the list of firearms already covered by the offence in Section 19 of the Firearms Act 1968 (as amended) of carrying a firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. The maximum penalty for the offence is six months imprisonment.

"An imitation firearm is defined in Section 57(4) of the 1968 Act and covers anything which has the appearance of being a firearm, regardless of whether or not it is capable of discharging a shot, bullet or other missile.

"There is no statutory definition of reasonable excuse. From the information supplied it is difficult to gauge whether this gentleman or his colleagues might risk being reported to police for a Section 19 offence.

"Other branches may be able to advise regarding the possible commission of other offences (e.g. public order) during the course of the 'role playing'."

Our weapons will not "have the appearance of being a firearm", so we should be OK in that respect. It is against the rules and against the law to carry a realistic-looking weapon in public, and it is not the responsibility of the Guild if you choose to do so. You will be arrested, and you will deserve to be arrested!

If you pull out a Nerf un, rubber band gun, or so on in public and point it at someone, then you're in danger of being apprehended by the police. Whether or not they will waste everyone's time arresting you is up to them, but it will be your fault!! Basically, it's a good idea to avoid public confrontations entirely. A shootout on Oxford Street is likely to have the police called and the plug pulled on the Guild, even though it does not endorse such behaviour.

The Gun Control network (GCN) said the following in 2002:

" The Firearms Consultative Committee’s suggestion to ban the possession of imitation weapons in a public place is insufficient since it is already an offence under the Prevention of Crime Act 1953 to carry an article adapted or intended to cause injury (which may include shock).

"Much has been made of the difficulty of defining an 'imitation firearm' but this is clearly set out in section 57 of the 1968 Firearms Act which says that an imitation firearm is 'anything which has the appearance of being a firearm… whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet or other missile'.

"Courts and juries are well able to decide what distinguishes a child's toy and if they cannot then the item they are considering should rightly be proscribed."

"Proscribed" means "banned", for those who were wondering. This was before the Anti Social Behaviour Act 2003, hence some information may be redundant (i.e. the law has become more strict since then). The relevant piece of information is the third paragraph, stating that if it's obviously a child's toy then the court or jury will notice that. If it can be bought at John Lewis' toys department, or equivalent toy shop, you should be fine, PROVIDED it isn't the same shape and size as, and is of sufficiently different colouring to, a real gun.

2. Loitering.

DON'T LOITER.

3. Looking suspicious.

DON'T LOOK SUSPICIOUS.

4. Damaging anything.

DON'T DAMAGE OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY! Do NOT break into any houses or rooms, and DON'T HURT ANYONE!

DISCLAIMER: The London Guild of Assassins is a GAME. It does not endorse or condone real-life violence. Its intentions are ENTIRELY innocent. It accepts NO RESPONSIBILITY for the actions of its players, who are DISCOURAGED from all incriminating activities, in particular brandishing replica firearms in public. Players participate at their OWN RISK.