Does the Offences against the State Act prohibit historical re-enactment?

[MichaelR]

Offences Against the State Act, 1939, Section 15


=
15.—(1) Save as authorised by a Minister of State under this section, and subject to the exceptions hereinafter mentioned, it shall not be lawful for any assembly of persons to practise or to train or drill themselves in or be trained or drilled in the use of arms or the performance of military exercises, evolutions, or manoeuvres nor for any persons to meet together or assemble for the purpose of so practising or training or drilling or being trained or drilled.
=

This does not seem to be limited to cases when live dangerous arms are present. So this seems to cover things like training with unsharpened or wooden swords, as well as imitation firearms (airsoft, paintball). A broad range of recreation activities, like historical re-enactment, live action role playing games. and wargames (like your vanilla paintball) seem to be covered.

However, I did see paintball advertised widely. I also saw some re-enactors do Roman army demos - with (fake) swords.

So am I misreading the law? Is there some definition of "drill" so that paintball practice or Roman army marching does not come under it?

[USER1234]

Offences Against the State Act, 1939, Section 15


=
15.—(1) Save as authorised by a Minister of State under this section, and subject to the exceptions hereinafter mentioned, it shall not be lawful for any assembly of persons to practise or to train or drill themselves in or be trained or drilled in the use of arms or the performance of military exercises, evolutions, or manoeuvres nor for any persons to meet together or assemble for the purpose of so practising or training or drilling or being trained or drilled.
=

This does not seem to be limited to cases when live dangerous arms are present. So this seems to cover things like training with unsharpened or wooden swords, as well as imitation firearms (airsoft, paintball). A broad range of recreation activities, like historical re-enactment, live action role playing games. and wargames (like your vanilla paintball) seem to be covered.

However, I did see paintball advertised widely. I also saw some re-enactors do Roman army demos - with (fake) swords.

So am I misreading the law? Is there some definition of "drill" so that paintball practice or Roman army marching does not come under it?

I doubt this would apply to prohibit historical re-enactment as your not training an army to attack the state but doing a leisure activity which is in no way dangerous to the state!!!

[Simon.D]

15.—(1) Save as authorised by a Minister of State under this section, and subject to the exceptions hereinafter mentioned, it shall not be lawful for any assembly of persons to practise or to train or drill themselves in or be trained or drilled in the use of arms or the performance of military exercises, evolutions, or manoeuvres nor for any persons to meet together or assemble for the purpose of so practising or training or drilling or being trained or drilled.

How about online gaming? All these new modern warfare games.. The more adanced players often assemble in internet cafes and the like for the tactical training of their teams...