‘A child killer who brutally murdered a “bright and sparky” seven-year-old girl and managed to escape justice for more than 30 years has been sentenced to life in prison.’
The Guardian, 23rd May 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘In 2022, the Criminal Bar Association voted to undertake industrial action, bringing the dire state of much of the criminal justice system into the public eye. Following successive cuts by the government, among the issues were unusable court buildings, including broken toilets, leaking ceilings and malfunctioning heating systems, and the dismal remuneration received by barristers – barristers who are tasked with working on the most serious cases across the Crown Courts.’
Each Other, 19th May 2023
Source: eachother.org.uk
‘Two of Britain’s most senior police chiefs have accused prosecutors of “cherrypicking” cases to prosecute in court and warned that victims were being let down.’
The Guardian, 18th May 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Conviction rates play no part in CPS decision making – so we know a story this week “CPS failing victims by cherry-picking cases” may have caused concern.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 19th May 2023
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
‘Encouraging abuse victims to come forward without a specialist support system in place is “totally irresponsible”, campaigners have said.’
BBC News, 15th May 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A mother who was subjected to an attack by her violent ex-partner said charging and trial delays left him free to attack a second woman. Speaking to the BBC, Elizabeth Hudson said the backlog of crown court cases was causing misery and distress for many victims.’
BBC News, 20th April 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The current Justice Secretary Dominic Raab thinks so. The recent, tragic murders of Sabina Nessa and Zara Aleena have prompted Mr Raab to consider new legislation which will see those convicted of serious offences compelled to attend court and face the families of those they have harmed. Both convicted murderers Jordan McSweeney and Koci Selamaj refused to attend their sentencing hearings which meant the families of Sabina and Zara were unable to put their Victim Personal Statements to them. Mr Raab says he wants to “make sure courts have the power to compel someone who’s been convicted of a serious crime to come and face the sentence… is the very least the victims deserve… and is a basic principle of British justice”[1] but what are the implications of this proposal?’
Pump Court Chambers, 9th March 2023
Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com
‘A climate activist who allegedly held a sign outside court telling jurors they were entitled to find protesters not guilty based on their conscience may still face a criminal charge.’
The Guardian, 4th April 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Judges and lawyers can be reassured that holding Crown Court hearings and trials remotely makes no difference to the outcome, a major analysis has concluded.’
Legal Futures, 31st March 2023
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Sexual Risk Orders (‘SRO’) under section 122A of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (‘the 2003 Act’) were introduced in 2015 by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Unlike the similar Sexual Harm Prevention Orders introduced at the same time, SROs may be obtained without a criminal conviction for a sexual offence. Being civil orders obtained in the Magistrates’ Court the applicant authority (a police force or the National Crime Agency) is able to rely on the admissibility of hearsay evidence under the Civil Evidence Act 1995 (‘the 1995 Act’) and the Magistrates’ Courts (Hearsay Evidence in Civil Proceedings) Rules 1999. However, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 significantly altered the process by amending section 122A(6) to state that the court need only be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that a defendant has done at least one act of a sexual nature as alleged. Previously, the standard of proof had been held to be the criminal standard, though the statute was silent as to the standard required. This amendment took effect on 29 November 2022 and there has already been a noticeable upsurge in the number of applications for these Draconian orders.’
Doughty Street Chambers, 12th March 2023
Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk
‘Ministers will be able to block the release of some prisoners and stop others getting married under new plans to overhaul the parole system.’
BBC News, 29th March 2023
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) must publish data on the backlogs of individual criminal courts, a group that campaigns to improve public data has said.’
Legal Futures, 28th March 2023
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘A British man convicted of murder is launching a legal action against the Home Office after he was wrongly deported to Jamaica.’
The Guardian, 19th March 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Prisoners serving whole life sentences would be prevented from marrying under new Government plans.’
The Independent, 18th March 2023
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Ministers could face a legal battle over their refusal to increase legal aid rates for criminal defence solicitors in England and Wales by the minimum recommended in an independent review. The Law Society, the professional body for solicitors, claims there has been an “unlawful and irrational” failure to implement the 15% minimum increase recommended by Christopher Bellamy as necessary to sustain the future of the criminal justice system.’
The Guardian, 1st March 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Shocking figures obtained by the Observer show roughly one in 100 police officers in England and Wales faced criminal charges, including for sexual offences, last year alone.’
The Guardian, 25th February 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘“Our justice system is years behind other public services like health and education in collecting and using data to understand performance and impact” says Natalie Byrom, director of research at the Legal Education Foundation (TLEF). “We need a fundamental shift in attitude and culture to ensure that changes are underpinned by solid evidence and that decision-makers are accountable to those who need the law most.”’
Transparency Project, 24th February 2023
Source: transparencyproject.org.uk
‘The police, rather than independent prosecution lawyers, should have the power to charge suspects in most cases, three senior police chiefs have said, as they warned of a deepening crisis in the justice system.’
The Guardian, 27th February 2023
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Senior government officials and lawtech specialists accept there is “meaningful” public concern about the use of data from the justice system, but often suggest the public does not “really understand the system”, a report has found.’
Legal Futures, 22nd February 2023
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
© Inner Temple Library 2023