‘Revenge porn’ laws must be clearer, say Lords – The Guardian
‘Clarification is needed on the law around “revenge porn” and when it could lead to a prosecution, a committee of peers has said.’
The Guardian, 29th July 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Category: crime
Parents who allow female genital mutilation will be prosecuted – The Guardian
‘Parents will be prosecuted if they fail to prevent their daughter being cut, and all victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) will get lifelong anonymity, David Cameron will say on Tuesday.’
The Guardian, 22nd July 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Female genital mutilation: Prosecute health professionals who fail to report signs of FGM, MPs say – The Independent
‘Doctors and nurses who fail to report that girls in their care have suffered female genital mutilation (FGM) should be prosecuted in an effort to tackle the scandal of “this horrific abuse”, MPs say in a report published today.’
Full story
The Independent, 3rd July 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Serious Crime Bill: “Cinderella clause” and “Paedophile Manual” – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
‘Here is a summary of the various minor provisions of the Serious Crime Bill. This is partly a tinkering exercise, but creates two new offences that are far from uncontroversial.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 2nd July 2014
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
Criminalising Forced Marriage – The Deterrent Effect – Family Law Week
‘Danish Ameen, barrister of 18 St John Street Chambers, considers the impact of the criminalisation of forced marriage which came into effect on the 16th June 2014.’
Family Law Week, 26th June 2014
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
Regina v Langley – WLR Daily
Regina v Langley [2014] WLR (D) 238
‘Older authorities on sentencing had to be considered in the light of the requirement in section 125 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 that definitive sentencing guidelines had to be followed. Further, the power in section 147 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 to impose a disqualification from driving was exercisable in relation to a conspiracy to rob where the defendant was the getaway driver.’
WLR Daily, 12th June 2014
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Currency market rigging could become criminal offence – The Guardian
‘Rigging the foreign exchange, bond and commodity markets could become a criminal offence, the government will warn the City on Thursday as part of its latest effort to clean up the financial markets after a wave of scandals and allegations relating to key benchmarks.’
The Guardian, 11th June 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Why are special courts that can help drug users at risk of being scrapped? – The Guardian
‘Launched as a pilot programme a decade ago, dedicated drug courts were widely promoted as one of the best hopes of halting addiction-fuelled crime. According to supporters, however, specialist courts are now in danger of being disbanded through lack of official support. The West London drugs court, in Hammersmith, sits only half a day a week and is no longer staffed exclusively by specially trained magistrates.’
The Guardian, 10th June 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Regina (Best) v Chief Land Registrar – WLR Daily
Regina (Best) v Chief Land Registrar [2014] EWHC 1370 (Admin); [2014] WLR (D) 211
‘The criminalisation of people who were trespassers through living in a relevant residential building by pursuant to section 144(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 had not prevented time running for applications for registration of title by adverse possession.’
WLR Daily, 7th May 2014
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Hate crime: Report finds significant progress in reducing hate crime – Home Office
‘The Hate Crime Action Plan documents the government’s work to tackle hate crime.
A report on the progress made in the past 2 years has been published. Achievements include: better education of secondary school pupils, improved recording by police and work with major internet service providers in the UK and USA to reduce the harm caused by hate material on the internet. The report also discusses the spike in anti-Muslim sentiment following the murder of Lee Rigby.’
Home Office, 7th May 2014
Source: www.gov.uk/home-office
Top police officer blames £11,000 crime spree on brain injury – Daily Telegraph
‘A senior police officer who carried out a series of frauds on high street stores and travel companies blamed her crime spree on a brain injury as she was jailed for two and a half years.’
Daily Telegraph, 6th May 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Dhooharika v Director of Public Prosecutions (Commonwealth Lawyers Association intervening) – WLR Daily
‘The common law offence of scandalising the court, a species of contempt of court which although abolished by statute in England and Wales continued to exist in many parts of the common law world, was “reasonably justifiable in a democratic society” within the meaning of section 12 of the Constitution of Mauritius.’
WLR Daily, 16th April 2014
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
The Nanny State – legislating on health and morality – Halsbury’s Law Exchange
‘“The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant… Over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.”
The above principle laid down by John Stuart Mill is a cornerstone of liberal political and jurisprudential thought. Mill argued that, provided you cause no harm to others, you should be free to do what you like with your own body and life. This is what the right to personal autonomy and self-determination means; and it is a right which is being steadily, and quietly, eroded. If liberty, as Mill said, consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else, then we are already not free – and if the current trend of legislating on public health and morals continues the residual liberty we do enjoy will be diminished.’
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 30th April 2014
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
900,000 crimes, including rape, not pursued by police in 2013 – The Independent
‘Nearly a million criminal offences including rape have gone unrecorded by police in a single year, according to a damning report that could see the 20-year decline in recorded crime reversed when accurate statistics are calculated.’
The Independent, 1st May 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
What is Crime?: The Limits Of Criminalisation Conference – Speech by Senior Presiding Judge, Lord Justice Gross
What is Crime?: The Limits Of Criminalisation Conference (PDF)
Speech by Senior Presiding Judge, Lord Justice Gross
Judiciary of England and Wales, 31st March 2014
Source: www.judiciary.gov.uk
Fiddled crime figures lead to under-reporting of rapes and other serious offences, says report – The Independent
‘The culture of fiddling crime statistics is ingrained within the upper echelons of the police service where target-chasing has led to the under-reporting of serious crimes including rape, according to a report by MPs out today.’
The Independent, 9th April 2014
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Gardener took £200,000 from woman of 89 – Daily Telegraph
‘A handyman who took hundreds of thousands of pounds from a wealthy widow with dementia after gaining power of attorney must not be named, a court rules.’
Daily Telegraph, 17th March 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
