Number of criminals given immediate custodial sentences at lowest level for a decade – Daily Telegraph

Posted November 15th, 2019 in criminal justice, fines, imprisonment, Ministry of Justice, news, sentencing, statistics by tracey

‘The number of convicted criminals who are sent straight to jail is at its lowest level for a decade, despite crime rising steadily over the same period, the latest figures have revealed.’

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Daily Telegraph, 14th November 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

New Judgment: R v TRA [2019] UKSC 52 – UKSC Blog

‘The appellant was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2017 and charged with one count of conspiracy to commit torture and seven counts of torture, contrary to the Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 134. The charges relate to events in the early stages of the first Liberian civil war in 1990 when an armed group, the National Patriotic Front of Liberia took control of parts of Liberia. Its leader, Charles Taylor, subsequently became President of Liberia in 1997. The point of law raised in the appeal related to the correct interpretation of the term “person acting in an official capacity” in the CJA, section 134(1). The Court of Appeal held that CJA, section 134 is not confined to individuals acting on behalf of a State.’

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UKSC Blog, 13th November 2019

Source: ukscblog.com

Justice system ‘will break down’ and criminals go unpunished unless next government spends hundreds of millions, union warns – The Independent

‘The justice system “will break down” and allow crimes to go unpunished if the next government does not provide hundreds of millions of pounds in investment, it has been warned.’

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The Independent, 11th November 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Half of rape victims drop out of cases even after suspect is identified – The Guardian

‘Almost half of rape victims are dropping out of investigations, as a growing proportion do not want to pursue a prosecution even when a suspect has been identified, according to a Cabinet Office report leaked to the Guardian.’

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The Guardian, 10th November 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

George Swift 2019 Lecture – Henderson Chambers

‘Kenneth Hamer gave the George Swift 2019 Lecture at the University of Southampton to the Royal College of General Practitioners, Wessex Faculty, on “The Implications of Bawa-Garba and the Boundaries of Professional Conduct”.’

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Henderson Chambers, 11th October 2019

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

The 39 people who died in the lorry were victims. Why does the law treat them as criminals? – The Guardian

‘As long as the justice system is focused on immigration status, not on ending modern-day slavery, desperate people will suffer.’

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The Guardian, 29th October 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

New review will enhance response to serious and organised crime – Home Office

‘The review announced by the Government will look to identify ways of bolstering the response to threats such as county lines, people trafficking and drugs.’

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Home Office, 29th October 2019

Source: www.gov.uk

Rape victims face ‘culture of disbelief’ despite #MeToo movement, says commissioner – The Independent

‘People who are raped face a “culture of disbelief” when trying to obtain justice, the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales has said. Dame Vera Baird QC said a combination of myths surrounding rape and a drop in the number of prosecutions, despite record volumes of cases being reported to police, meant many victims feel like they were unsupported by the criminal justice system.’

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The Independent, 27th October 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Hot courting’ is causing havoc, says criminal bar – Law Society’s Gazette

‘So-called “hot courting” is delaying trials and fuelling job insecurity for barristers, the criminal bar has warned. Caroline Goodwin QC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, said that the practice of different judges using the same courtroom back-to-back has caused backlogs of cases – just for the sake of “saving electric”.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 22nd October 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Drugs: UK should consider legalising possession, MPs say – BBC News

‘The government should investigate decriminalising the possession of all illegal drugs in a bid to prevent the rising number of related deaths, a group of MPs has said.’

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BBC News, 23rd October 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Dog thieves are not being pursued by police as £500 rule leaves pets languishing as low priority, say campaigners – Daily Telegraph

Posted October 17th, 2019 in animal cruelty, animals, criminal justice, dogs, gangs, news, police, sentencing, statistics, theft by sally

‘Dogs may be our best friends and their unwavering loyalty priceless but thefts of them are not being pursued by police because most are worth under £500 and so rated a minor low level crime, say campaigners.’

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Daily Telegraph, 16th October 2019

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Howard League for Penal Reform: Parmoor Lecture – Crown Prosecution Service

‘I aim to be clear this evening about my role as the nation’s chief prosecutor, on behalf of the CPS which I lead. At a time of national upheaval and some political uncertainty, the role of a properly-funded and fully independent prosecution authority is absolutely pivotal.’

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Crown Prosecution Service 14th October 2019

Source: www.cps.gov.ukwww.cps.gov.ukwww.cps.gov.uk

Release under investigation gives criminals ‘carte blanche’, says CBA – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 15th, 2019 in criminal justice, news, recidivists, statistics by tracey

‘Too many suspects are being released under investigation, giving violent offenders ‘carte blanche to reoffend’, the Criminal Bar Association has warned.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 15th October 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

‘Incomprehensible’ MoJ guides airbrush barristers out, says Bar Council – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted October 14th, 2019 in barristers, courts, criminal justice, Crown Court, news, solicitors by tracey

‘Guides explaining the workings of criminal courts should be corrected “as a matter of urgency” according to the Bar Council, which claims they “effectively airbrush out of history the role of barristers”.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 11th October 2019

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Too many children in care end up in the criminal justice system – we need to do better – Family Law

Posted October 10th, 2019 in children, criminal justice, news, young offenders, youth courts by tracey

‘Laura Cooper writes about the crucial role that youth justice lawyers have to play in reducing the criminalisation of looked after children at the police station.’

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Family Law, 9th October 2019

Source: www.familylaw.co.uk

Criminal cases delayed across England and Wales as courts lie idle – The Guardian

Posted August 20th, 2019 in courts, criminal justice, delay, news by sally

‘Nearly half of all crown courts across England and Wales were left empty on Monday, a survey suggests, even though lawyers say they have never known the backlog of criminal cases to be so bad.’

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The Guardian, 19th August 2019

Source: www.theguardian.com

High Court: Silence in disciplinary proceedings can lead to adverse inferences – Legal Futures

‘Disciplinary proceedings are not a “criminal/civil hybrid” and tribunals may draw adverse inferences from respondents staying silent, the High Court has made clear.’

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Legal Futures, 19th August 2019

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Number of people dealt with by criminal justice system falls to lowest level since records began – The Independent

‘The number of people prosecuted or handed penalties for crimes in England and Wales has fallen to a record low as offences rise. Statistics released by the Ministry of Justice showed the figure dropped by 2 per cent to 1.59 million people in the year to March.’

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The Independent, 15th August 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal system ‘beyond the point of collapse’ as three men avoid jail – BBC News

‘The legal system in England and Wales is “beyond the point of collapse”, according to a Crown Court judge. Judge Simon Carr gave three men suspended sentences instead of sending them to jail because of how long it had taken for the case to get to court.’

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BBC News, 31st July 2019

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sex assault suspects should be granted anonymity, new justice secretary says – The Independent

Posted August 1st, 2019 in anonymity, criminal justice, news, sexual offences by tracey

‘Sex crime suspects and others accused of serious offences should remain anonymous until charged if they have a reputation to protect, the new justice secretary has said.’

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The Independent, 1st August 2019

Source: www.independent.co.uk