‘Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s sentence was not unduly lenient and will not be referred to the Court of Appeal, the attorney general has said.’
The Independent, 14th February 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The defendant, an 18-year-old with no previous convictions or contact with the police, was charged after being stopped and searched at Notting Hill Carnival in August 2023, where he was found in possession of a lock knife. The defendant, who was preparing to begin university in September 2023, was remorseful and had admitted to carrying the knife following discussions about receiving a caution as a form of out of court disposal.’
Drystone Chambers, 13th February 2025
Source: www.drystone.com
‘The Council has published two new guidelines for sentencing offenders convicted of: blackmail, and kidnap or false imprisonment. The new guidelines are the first for these serious offences. They have been developed through consultation to help judges sentence the wide range of offending covered by cases of blackmail, kidnap or false imprisonment. The new guidelines apply to adults sentenced in England and Wales and will come into effect on 1 April 2025.’
Sentencing Council, 12th February 2025
Source: www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk
‘Andrew Malkinson is to be given a payout by the Ministry of Justice, more than a year and a half after the court of appeal declared his innocence.’
The Guardian, 12th February 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A United Nations torture tsar has said British prisoners trapped on indefinite jail terms are probably “being detained arbitrarily” after The Independent revealed six in 10 are being blocked from moving to open jails.’
The Independent, 8th February 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A former scout leader who assaulted children as young as seven over almost three decades has been jailed.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 7th February 2025
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
‘Women in prison are resorting to self-harm because of “astonishing gaps” in basic services including strict time limits when contacting their children and bans from using washing machines for dirty underwear, according to a watchdog’s report.’
The Guardian, 5th February 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Creators of AI-generated images of child sexual abuse will face up to five years in prison in a new government crackdown. Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced that the UK will be the first country in the world to make it illegal to own artificial intelligence tools designed to make images of child sexual abuse.’
The Independent, 2nd February 2025
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Coercive control is to be put on a par with other forms of domestic abuse in England and Wales with police and other enforcement agencies working together to tackle it.’
The Guardian, 3rd February 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Keir Starmer’s planned people-smuggling laws risk “criminalising” hundreds of asylum seekers, refugee charities have said, after it emerged that people who refuse to be rescued by the French authorities could be jailed for five years.’
The Guardian, 30th January 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Endangering lives at sea is to be a new criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to five years as part of plans to tackle people smuggling, the Home Office says.’
BBC News, 30th January 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘New counter terror-style powers to identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs will be introduced as part of landmark legislation to protect our borders.’
Home Office, 30th January 2025
Source: www.gov.uk
‘Law reform charity JUSTICE has proposed the first rights-based framework to guide AI use across the UK justice system in a report that has urged the deployment of the technology be guided by a “clear purpose and responsibility”.’
Local Government Lawyer, 30th January 2025
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Whatever its cause, a backlog of over 73,000 Crown court cases is not acceptable. Delays for complainants, defendants and witnesses all impede justice. In the third quarter of 2024, the Crown court received over 31,683 new cases and disposed of 29,502. The passage of time will not solve the problem. Change is inevitable.’
Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog, 27th January 2025
Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk
‘David Gauke’s sentencing review must complement Sir Brian Leveson’s review of the courts if the government is going to come up with a holistic prescription for criminal justice.’
Law Society's Gazette, 28th January 2025
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Doubts have been cast over government plans to introduce a version of the Anti-social Behaviour Order (Asbo) for adults.’
BBC News, 29th January 2025
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The driver of a Land Rover that crashed into a school in Wimbledon, killing two children, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, the Metropolitan police have said.’
The Guardian, 28th January 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Downing Street has rejected calls for sentencing changes, saying it does not have the power to extend whole-life sentences to killers aged under 18 because of international law.’
The Guardian, 24th February 2025
Source: www.theguardian.com
© Inner Temple Library 2025