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 sally

‘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 sally

‘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 sally

‘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

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 sally

‘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