Prisons to introduce tests for legal highs in bid to reduce violence – The Guardian

‘Ministers claim the introduction of new drug tests able to detect legal highs such as spice and black mamba will prove a “gamechanger” in curbing the rising tide of violence in jails across England and Wales.’

Full story

The Guardian, 1st December 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Proposed blanket ban on legal highs criticised by MPs – The Guardian

Posted October 26th, 2015 in bills, drug offences, health & safety, inquiries, news, select committees by sally

‘A proposed blanket ban on legal highs is too broad and fails to adequately define what a psychoactive substance actually is, an influential committee of MPs has said.’

Full story

The Guardian, 24th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legal highs: Psychoactive drugs policy ‘rushed’, say MPs – BBC News

Posted October 23rd, 2015 in bills, drug offences, news by michael

‘Legislation to ban new psychoactive substances in the UK is being rushed, MPs have warned.’

Full story

BBC News, 22nd October 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK appeal court backs ‘deport first, appeal later’ policy for foreign prisoners – The Guardian

‘The Home Office won a key legal challenge on Tuesday over the “deport first, appeal later” policy, which removes the right of foreign prisoners to appeal against deportation from within the UK.’

Full story

The Guardian, 13th October 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Legalising cannabis in the UK ‘would raise hundreds of millions’ – The Independent

Posted October 13th, 2015 in crime, criminal justice, drug offences, news, reports, taxation by tracey

‘Legalising cannabis would raise taxes worth hundreds of millions of pounds and produce large savings for the criminal justice system, a private analysis for the Treasury has concluded.’

Full story

The Independent, 13th October 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Woman who grew cannabis to help dying husband gets community order – The Guardian

Posted September 25th, 2015 in cancer, community service, drug offences, medical treatment, news, sentencing by sally

‘A woman who grew cannabis worth £34,000 to extract hemp oil to act as a painkiller for her dying husband has been sentenced to an 18-month community order after a judge accepted she was not embroiled in a commercial enterprise.’

Full story

The Guardian, 23rd September 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Police should visit burglary victims, crime minister says – BBC News

Posted September 16th, 2015 in budgets, burglary, consultations, drug offences, news, police, statistics, victims by tracey

‘Police officers should always attend the homes of burglary victims, the crime minister has said. Mike Penning said he disagreed with comments by the head of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, who said the public should not expect to see an officer after a break-in.’

Full story

BBC News, 15th September 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Despite petition, government has no plans to legalise cannabis – The Guardian

Posted August 26th, 2015 in drug offences, news by sally

‘The government has responded to a 200,000-strong petition calling for the legalisation of cannabis in the UK by saying it has no plans to change the law.’

Full story

The Guardian, 25th August 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Is taking drugs a human right? A cross-party group of MPs and peers think so – The Independent

‘Taking drugs is a human right, according to a cross-party group of MPs and peers who want to legalise the possession, purchase and growing of drugs.’

Full story

The Independent, 19th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Urban criminal gangs setting up drug hotlines to expand operations into deprived seaside resorts, says National Crime Agency – The Independent

Posted August 13th, 2015 in drug offences, gangs, news, reports, young persons by sally

‘Urban criminal gangs are setting up dedicated drugs hotlines and using sophisticated marketing campaigns for a rapid expansion of their operations into deprived seaside resorts, the National Crime Agency have said.’
Full story

The Independent, 12th August 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘Breaking Bad’ drugs gang jailed – BBC News

Posted July 28th, 2015 in conspiracy, drug offences, elderly, news, sentencing by sally

‘A 78 year-old who plotted to set up a crystal meth production line likened to the TV series Breaking Bad has been jailed for 18 years.’

Full story

BBC News, 27th July 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Cannabis growers should not face prosecution, says police chief who has stopped targeting ‘small-scale’ producers – The Independent

Posted July 22nd, 2015 in drug abuse, drug offences, drug trafficking, news, police by sally

‘Police throughout England and Wales are being urged to end the blanket criminal prosecution of all cannabis growers by a north-east police commissioner who says his force is already by-passing Home Office guidelines on cultivating the banned drug and no longer targets small-scale production.’

Full story

The Independent, 22nd July 2015

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Theresa May’s legal highs ban is unenforceable, say government advisers – The Guardian

Posted July 6th, 2015 in bills, drug offences, news by sally

‘The home secretary’s own expert drug advisers have said her bill introducing a blanket ban on “legal highs” risks “serious unintended consequences” and is unenforceable unless it is completely rewritten.

Full story

The Guardian, 5th July 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

The Round-up: 21/7 bombers in Strasbourg and other news – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted June 9th, 2015 in bills, courts, drug offences, freedom of expression, human rights, news by tracey

‘Three high profile cases concerning the UK government have been granted hearings in the European Court of Human Rights grand chamber, putting the relationship between the government and the ECHR “in the spotlight”.’

Full story

UK Human Rights Blog, 7th June 0215

Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com

Changes in legislation reflected in new gang definition – Home Office

Posted June 9th, 2015 in crime prevention, drug offences, gangs, injunctions, press releases by tracey

‘The Home Office has today (8 June) published revised statutory guidance to reflect changes to the legislation on gang injunctions.’

Full press release

Home Office, 8th June 2015

Source: www.gov.uk/home-office

Laughing gas sales to be outlawed in government’s legal highs clampdown – The Guardian

Posted May 29th, 2015 in bills, drug abuse, drug offences, news by sally

‘The sale of laughing gas, or nitrous oxide, the second most popular recreational drug in Britain, is to be banned in the government’s clampdown on legal highs, Home Office ministers have announced.’

Full story

The Guardian, 29th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Ban on legal highs would technically cover alcohol, cigarettes and coffee – The Guardian

Posted May 28th, 2015 in alcohol abuse, bills, drug offences, news, smoking by sally

‘A new blanket ban on legal highs is to be so widely drawn that its provisions could be used to outlaw alcohol, tobacco, coffee and many other widely-used items, ministers have acknowledged.’

Full story

The Guardian, 27th May 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Drug minister bans five legal highs from midnight – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2015 in drug abuse, drug offences, news by tracey

‘Five legal highs, including an alternative to cocaine that is one of the most common in Britain, are to be banned from midnight on Thursday, ministers have announced.’

Full story

The Guardian, 9th April 2015

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Benefit figures arising from cannabis plant confiscation – Park Square Barristers

Posted April 2nd, 2015 in benefits, confiscation, drug offences, news, proceeds of crime by sally

‘Ascribing benefit figures to immature plants is an increasingly common feature of cannabis plant confiscation proceedings.’

Full story

Park Square Barristers, 19th March 2015

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Man jailed over ‘ferocious’ Brixton stabbing murder – BBC News

‘A man who killed his ex-wife and seriously injured two other women, including his ex-girlfriend, in a “ferocious stabbing spree”, has been jailed for life.’

Full story

BBC News, 24th March 2015

Source: www.bbc.co.uk