Shabana Mahmood considers banning Sikh daggers after Henry Nowak murder

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is considering whether to change the law allowing Sikhs to carry a kirpan in public, after 18-year-old Henry Nowak was murdered with a blade presented in court as a Sikh ceremonial dagger. The case has renewed debate about how to protect religious expression while ensuring knife laws are clear and applied consistently.

Vickrum Digwa’s life sentence for the killing was increased from a minimum of 21 years to 25 years by the Court of Appeal, which found the original term unduly lenient. Digwa said the eight-inch blade was a kirpan and also carried a 21-centimetre dagger; the Nowak family is calling for a clearer legal definition of the kirpan. Mahmood says she will examine the issue, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also called for ministers to review knife laws.