New law banning cyberflashing to be included in online safety bill – The Guardian

Posted March 14th, 2022 in bills, criminal justice, internet, news, sexual offences, voyeurism by tracey

‘Cyberflashing is to become a criminal offence, with perpetrators facing up to two years in jail under government plans to strengthen the upcoming online safety bill.’

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The Guardian, 13th March 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Watchdog tells police bosses to stop declaring thoughts are crimes – The Independent

Posted March 11th, 2022 in criminal justice, hate crime, news, ombudsmen, police by tracey

‘There is “no such thing as a thought crime”, the outgoing chief inspector of constabulary said as he told police bosses they “enforce the law, they do not make it”.’

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The Independent, 10th March 2022

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Bristol woman who hit officer with skateboard during protest jailed – The Guardian

Posted March 11th, 2022 in bills, criminal justice, imprisonment, news, police, sentencing, violent disorder by tracey

‘A woman who hit a police officer on the head with a skateboard during last year’s riot in Bristol has been jailed for five and a half years.’

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The Guardian, 10th March 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

MPs slate Ministry of Justice over Crown Court backlog and judges – Legal Futures

‘MPs today slated the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) “meagre ambition” to reduce the Crown Court case backlog and warned that efforts to recruit judges will ignore the need to improve diversity.’

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Legal Futures, 9th March 2022

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Manchester police pay £8,000 to woman urged to drop rape claim – The Guardian

‘Greater Manchester police (GMP) have paid out £8,000 to a woman who reported being drugged and raped, only to be pressed into dropping the case without a proper investigation “because nothing will come of it”.’

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The Guardian, 4th March 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Justice system in England and Wales ‘risks causing fresh trauma to girls’ – The Guardian

‘The vast majority of vulnerable young women and girls in the criminal justice system in England and Wales have previously suffered abuse and violence and are in danger of being retraumatised by the experience, charities say.’

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The Guardian, 4th March 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Greater Manchester Police pays £8,000 damages to rape complainant – BBC News

‘A woman who said “dismissive” police told her “nothing would come” out of reporting being raped after her drink was spiked has received £8,000 damages.’

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BBC News, 4th March 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Covid: Half of Nightingale Courts to close within weeks – BBC News

Posted March 3rd, 2022 in coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, news by sally

‘Almost half of the temporary Nightingale Courts set up at the start of the pandemic are to close, the Ministry of Justice has announced.’

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BBC News, 3rd March 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Case Comment: Bloomberg LP v ZXC [2022] UKSC 5 – UKSC Blog

‘In this post, Jessica Eaton, an associate in the litigation team at CMS, comments on the Supreme Court’s decision in the Bloomberg LP v ZXC [2022] UKSC 5, case which cojeet_lthumbncerned the right to privacy in the context of a criminal investigation.’

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UKSC Blog, 25th February 2022

Source: ukscblog.com

Rape victims ‘systematically failed’ in England and Wales, report finds – The Guardian

‘Rape survivors who report their attackers are being systematically failed by the criminal justice system resulting in an average wait of nearly two years before a trial begins, a damning official report has found.’

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The Guardian, 25th February 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Defendants waiting over six months for trial up 15% in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted February 24th, 2022 in criminal justice, delay, news, remand, statistics, trials by sally

‘The government has been urged to tackle “cruel and unjust” waits for defendants in England and Wales to stand trial after figures showed a 15% yearly rise in the number of people being held for longer than the custody time limit of six months.’

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The Guardian, 23rd February 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Bloombery v ZXC – the Supreme Court decides – Panopticon

‘The central question for the Supreme Court in Bloombery v ZXC [2022] UKSC 5 was, as Lords Hamblen and Stephens put it (with Lord Reeds, Lloyd-Jones and Sales agreeing): “whether, in general, a person under criminal investigation has, prior to being charged, a reasonable expectation of privacy in respect of information relating to that investigation”. The short answer was “yes”.’

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Panopticon, 21st February 2022

Source: panopticonblog.com

Breathing life into statistics: stories of racism within the criminal justice system – OUP Blog

‘You don’t need to look far to see how recent events have put the issue of racial inequality in the criminal justice system front and centre. The Black Lives Matter movement has brought the issue of institutional racism to the forefront of the public’s consciousness, kickstarting conversations and spurring communities into action to confront this inequality head on. This shift must be reflected in educational resources, and many textbooks in the field of criminology will be updated with statistics, news clippings, and quotes from prominent figures charged with reform in this area.’

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OUP Blog, 21st February 2022

Source: blog.oup.com

Ministers to reject making misogyny a hate crime in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘Ministers will reject making misogyny a hate crime in England and Wales and urge MPs to get behind controversial legislation that has been criticised for curbing the right to protest as the government seeks to push through major changes to the criminal justice system.’

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The Guardian, 21st February 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com

Criminal courts face possible lawyer strike – BBC New

Posted February 17th, 2022 in barristers, criminal justice, industrial action, legal aid, news, remuneration by sally

‘Criminal barristers in England and Wales may strike, in an action that could close down Crown Courts.’

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BBC News, 16th February 2022

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Greater Sentencing Power for Magistrates – A Solution to the Backlog? – Pump Court Chambers

‘It was confirmed on 18 January 2020 that Magistrates are to have their sentencing powers increased in the coming months, granting them broader power than ever before. The most significant change is that Magistrates’ will be able to impose a sentence of up to 12 months in custody which is double the previous maximum sentence. Effectively, this means that Magistrates will be able to accept jurisdiction for more serious either way offences, such as for Fraud, Theft or Assault, which would have originally been sent to the Crown Court without giving the Defendant the option to elect to remain in the Magistrates’.’

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Pump Court Chambers, 7th February 2022

Source: www.pumpcourtchambers.com

Research Briefing: Corporate criminal liability in England and Wales – House of Commons Library

Posted February 11th, 2022 in company law, criminal justice, news, parliament, vicarious liability by tracey

‘This briefing discusses the circumstances in which corporates can commit crimes in England and Wales, setting out recent developments and proposals for reform.’

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House of Commons Library, 9th February 2022

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

Raising a criminal case in the civil courts – St John’s Chambers

‘Allegations of criminal behaviour are normally tried in the criminal courts. But where a crime is either not prosecuted, or cannot be proved beyond reasonable doubt, the question may end up being tried in a civil court, even where the allegation is as serious as it could be, such as murder. This may cause difficulties where the evidence relied upon has been obtained by a third party, such as a police force whether in England or abroad, and the claimant is not in a position to give a detailed account of the allegation until that evidence is available.’

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St John's Chambers, 1st February 2022

Source: www.stjohnschambers.co.uk

Why are pregnant women in prison? – Coventry University

Posted January 31st, 2022 in criminal justice, imprisonment, news, pregnancy, prisons, women by sally

‘The aim of this study is to find out why pregnant women spend time in prison, on remand, on recall from licence conditions and on sentence. Research shows that women very rarely commit violent or serious crime, and very few women present any kind of danger to the public. Research also identifies that pregnant women are especially vulnerable and in need of extra care – so this raises critical questions about the incarceration of pregnant women. ‘

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Coventry University, November 2021

Source: www.coventry.ac.uk

Women’s groups seek end to UK courts’ powers to jail people for own protection – The Guardian

Posted January 31st, 2022 in criminal justice, equality, imprisonment, Ministry of Justice, news, racism, women by tracey

‘A coalition of women’s rights organisations has called on the UK government to abolish a law that gives courts the power to send people to prison for their own protection, as part of a 10-point plan to tackle inequalities in the criminal justice system.’

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The Guardian, 31st January 2022

Source: www.theguardian.com