Thomas on Wales – Counsel

Posted February 20th, 2020 in civil justice, criminal justice, devolution, legal profession, news, reports, Wales by sally

‘With radical recommendations for ‘fair, distinct and devolved’ justice, the Thomas Report should be required reading for anyone interested in Wales and the state of its justice system – writes David Hughes.’

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Counsel, February 2020

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

TV licence convictions hard to justify, says MP scrutinising BBC – The Guardian

Posted February 17th, 2020 in BBC, civil justice, criminal justice, enforcement, fines, licensing, news, select committees by sally

‘The Conservative MP tasked with scrutinising the BBC has said it is hard to justify enforcing the licence fee through the criminal courts, suggesting the corporation is losing support in its battle to prevent the decriminalisation of the £154.50 charge.’

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The Guardian, 15th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Barristers warn of strain on defendants after Caroline Flack death – The Guardian

‘The death of the Love Island presenter Caroline Flack has prompted questions about the way the justice system deals with allegations of domestic abuse and the strains imposed on defendants.’

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The Guardian, 16th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Crimes unreported as public lose faith in police – BBC News

‘Victims are no longer reporting some crimes to police because so many offenders are never brought to justice. A new report said the public are losing faith in the criminal justice system and have “rumbled” that police do not have the capacity to investigate.’

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BBC News, 7th February 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Crown court sitting days increase ‘nowhere near enough’ – criminal bar – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted February 5th, 2020 in barristers, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, news, statistics by tracey

‘The criminal bar has welcomed the thousands of extra Crown court sitting days announced by the government this week but says it is not even close to what is needed.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 5th February 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

“Secret Justice”: An Oxymoron and the Overdue Review – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted January 30th, 2020 in closed material, criminal justice, immigration, news by tracey

‘The Government has still not implemented the review of Closed Procedures that Parliament had dictated should take place when passing the Justice and Security Act 2013. A review is required to cover the first five years after the Act came into force, and should have been completed “as soon as reasonably practicable” thereafter. That period expired in June 2018, and there are still no signs of a reviewer being appointed.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 28th January 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Filming partner without their consent during sex ruled a criminal offence – The Guardian

‘Anyone who films a partner during sex without their consent is committing the criminal offence of voyeurism, the court of appeal has ruled in a case that may affect the Crown Prosecution Service’s apparent reluctance to bring charges.’

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The Guardian, 28th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Call for new law to protect victims in the justice system – The Guardian

Posted January 27th, 2020 in courts, criminal justice, news, prosecutions, statistics, victims by sally

‘Ministers have been urged to introduce a “victims’ law” to stop people losing faith in the criminal justice system. The move comes after new data revealed that the number of crime victims who decline to press charges has more than doubled in five years.’

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The Guardian, 25th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Fraud victims ‘failed’ as criminals ‘operate with impunity’ – report – BBC News

Posted January 27th, 2020 in criminal justice, fraud, news, police, statistics, telecommunications, victims by sally

‘Fraudsters “operate with impunity” as a surge in cases has left police struggling to cope, a report has found.’

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BBC News, 25th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Longer sentences will not cut crime, say prison experts – The Guardian

‘Boris Johnson’s hardline approach to justice will not cut crime and will only pile pressure on overstretched prisons, expert campaigners have said, as research reveals life sentences have already risen sharply.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Crime: Number of suspects charged by police hits new low – BBC News

‘Only about one in 14 crimes reported to police lead to a suspect being charged, official statistics have shown.’

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BBC News, 23rd January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

This Doesn’t Look Like Justice – Western Circuit

Posted January 23rd, 2020 in barristers, criminal justice, reports by tracey

‘The Leader of the Western Circuit, Kate Brunner QC, has, alongside Anna Midgley and Holly Rust compiled a report, This Doesn’t Look Like Justice, showing how justice is being denied to victims and their families, as well as all other users of the criminal justice system.’

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Western Circuit, 22nd January 2020

Source: www.westerncircuit.co.uk

Criminalising the possession of “terrorist propaganda”: a human rights analysis – UK Human Rights Blog

‘The Home Office is proposing to legislate for a new criminal offence relating to the “possession of the most serious material glorifying or encouraging terrorism”.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 21st January 2020

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Stalking: New order for stalker investigations has ‘teeth’ – BBC News

Posted January 20th, 2020 in criminal justice, harassment, murder, news, police, stalking, victims by sally

‘A court order to stop suspected stalkers under police investigation contacting victims could have made a “critical difference” to a woman killed by her ex-boyfriend, her father says.’

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BBC News, 19th January 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Victims waiting up to three years for justice amid cuts – Daily Telegraph

Posted January 14th, 2020 in criminal justice, delay, news, sentencing by sally

‘Victims of crime are having to wait up to three years for offenders to be sentenced as the length of time it takes to bring a criminal to justice has soared by more than a third in the past decade.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th January 2020

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Government accused of ignoring ‘calamitous failings’ caused by its own budget cuts with justice review – The Independent

‘Legal campaigners have attacked the government’s announcement of a royal commission on the criminal justice system for “ignoring” the impact of its own budget cuts.’

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The Independent, 19th December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rape convictions: Justice system near ‘breaking point’, says watchdog – BBC News

Posted December 17th, 2019 in budgets, criminal justice, Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions, rape, reports by tracey

‘A review of record low rape conviction rates has found a justice system “close to breaking point” because of cuts. The Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (CPSI) said a “damning” number of cases are lost during “under-resourced” police investigations. But it rejected claims that prosecutors are unfairly selective about cases they charge.’

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BBC News, 17th December 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Consider decriminalisation to tackle drug death ‘crisis’, say treatment providers in unprecedented plea – The Independent

‘The future government has been urged to consider every available measure to curb the current drug death “crisis”, including decriminalisation, in an unprecedented plea from the UK’s major drug treatment providers.’

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The Independent, 2nd December 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Urgent Action Required: The Bar Council’s 2019 Manifesto for the Justice System – The Bar Council

Posted November 26th, 2019 in barristers, civil justice, criminal justice, elections, legal aid, news by tracey

‘Today, at the Annual Bar and Young Bar Conference, Richard Atkins QC, Chair of the Bar, has announced the launch of the Bar Council’s general election manifesto – Urgent Action Required.’

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The Bar Council , 23rd November 2019

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Jump in unrepresented defendants as legal aid cuts continue to bite – The Guardian

‘The number of unrepresented defendants in crown courts is rising sharply, the head of the Criminal Bar Association has warned, as cuts to legal aid increasingly affect the criminal justice system.’

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The Guardian, 24th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com