‘Victims of alleged domestic abuse are seeing their cases dropped at a rapidly increasing rate, according to data obtained by the BBC.’
BBC News, 15th October 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The law of England and Wales – Scotland’s law is not in all respects the same – has come a long way in my 82 years. Absurdly and cruelly, until the 1961 Suicide Act was passed it was a crime to kill yourself. While those who succeeded were beyond the law’s reach, those who tried and failed could be sent to jail. In the 1920s the home secretary had to release a Middlesbrough woman with fourteen children who had been given three months in prison for trying to kill herself. There is a Pythonesque sketch waiting to be written about a judge passing a sentence of imprisonment for attempted suicide: “Let this be a lesson to you and to any others who may be thinking of killing themselves.” In fact, by the mid 19th century the law had got itself into such a tangle that a person injured in a failed attempt at suicide could be indicted for wounding with intent to kill, an offence for which Parliament had thoughtfully provided the death penalty.’
London Review of Books, 21st October 2021
Source: www.lrb.co.uk
‘Detectives will take no further action over Martin Bashir’s BBC interview with Diana, Princess of Wales. The Metropolitan Police looked at an independent review of the methods used to obtain the 1995 interview, but had “not identified evidence of activity that constituted a criminal offence”.’
BBC News, 15th September 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Following the release of the Government’s Rape Review, second-six pupil, Anthony James, looks at the Review itself and recent criticisms of the investigation and prosecution of sexual offences.’
Carmelite Chambers, 19th August 2021
Source: www.carmelitechambers.co.uk
‘Extinction Rebellion has demanded to know how its upcoming demonstrations will be policed after the Supreme Court ruled that protest can be a “lawful excuse” to block roads under human rights law.’
The Independent, 22nd August 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Daisy, 45, overcame years of police inaction after persuading her mother to testify against Carvel Bennett.’
The Guardian, 2nd August 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The Crown Prosecution Service must be held to account for its continued “betrayal” of rape victims, the victims’ commissioner of England and Wales has said, as new figures revealed rape prosecutions had fallen to another record low.’
The Guardian, 22nd July 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Police and the Crown Prosecution Service are involved in a blame game over a drop in rape prosecutions, a watchdogs’ report has said.’
BBC News, 16th July 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Prosecutors and law enforcement agencies have agreed a consistent approach to the handling of cases involving illegal entry to the UK via small boats and lorries.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 8th July 2021
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
‘Migrants who steer dinghies across the English Channel with the sole intention of claiming asylum in port will no longer be prosecuted, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.’
The Independent, 8th July 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Proposals for England and Wales mean people who claim to have been raped will still face pressure to hand over their phones to police and prosecutors, says the victims’ commissioner.’
BBC News, 17th July 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The backlog of crown court cases in England and Wales has hit a record number of almost 60,000 as waiting times rocket for victims and defendants.’
The Independent, 24th June 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A jury has been discharged following its failure to reach a verdict on allegations that a police officer assaulted the former footballer Dalian Atkinson with a baton after he was felled by a stun gun on the night he died.’
The Guardian, 24th June 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Three in four domestic abuse offences reported to the police are closed without a perpetrator being charged, a watchdog has said, amid fears the figures have worsened during the pandemic.’
The Guardian, 23rd June 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Labour accuses Robert Buckland of U-turn after he says he will not use his political position to urge more prosecutions and convictions.’
The Independent, 20th June 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Ministers are facing demands to explain why thousands of convicted sexual offenders across England and Wales have avoided prison. An Observer investigation found that adults convicted of sexually assaulting children under 13, or of engaging in sexual activity with underage teenagers, are among those who have not been jailed.’
The Guardian, 19th June 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The past decade has seen the emergence of ‘drill music’ content increasingly used by the prosecution in criminal trials involving young, black, male defendants accused of gang-related offences.’
6KBW College Hill, 13th June 2021
Source: blog.6kbw.com
‘Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has apologised to rape victims for low conviction rates in England and Wales and promised to “do a lot better”.’
BBC News 18th June 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘UK police forces have received more than 800 allegations of domestic abuse against officers and staff over the last five years, BBC research has revealed.’
BBC News, 15th June 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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