‘Investigative interviews are crucial for gathering evidence within the criminal justice system, yet they are also socially and cognitively demanding encounters for autistic interviewees. In this exploratory study, we used a novel qualitative methodology to examine factors that potentially impact police suspect interviews with autistic people, as well as how adaptations could be made to current practice. Autistic participants (n = 5) were interviewed as a mock-suspect (implicated in a mock-crime) in a real-life active police custody suite by a police officer (n = 5), whilst accompanied by an appropriate adult (n = 5). Autistic adults, police officers and appropriate adults were interviewed about this experience and their broader perspectives on police interviewing practice. Using thematic analysis, three main themes and eleven sub-themes were produced: (1) Challenges for effective participation during interview; (2) Questions of suspect credibility; and (3) Assisting communication and understanding during interview. Findings were synthesised with broader literature to present a working model – the Individual Interpersonal Environmental (IIE) Vulnerability Model – which outlines how a series of interconnected individual, interpersonal and environmental factors may impact police suspect interviews with autistic people.’

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Psychology, Crime & Law. 2nd April 2025

Source: doi.org

‘C was employed by Impact Recruitment Services (“Impact”), an agency, which supplied her services to Howden Joinery Limited (“Howdens”). C was placed with Howdens as a warehouse operative. Following the national lockdown in March 2020, the majority of agency staff were told that Howdens would be shutting down. C was ‘laid off’ by Howdens. This caused confusion in C’s mind as to her employment status.’

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3PB, 30th March 2025

Source: www.3pb.co.uk

‘Following concerns about the police response to stalking, the government has announced changes to stalking protection orders.’

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House of Commons Library, 4th April 2025

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

‘Over the course of four days in November 2024 the High Court heard the application brought by Diane Culligan, a significant figure in women’s football, against her ex-husband Anthony Culligan to determine how their substantial financial assets should be divided between them following their divorce.’

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5SAH, 2nd April 2025

Source: www.5sah.co.uk

‘Efforts by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to ensure it allocates work more equitably between the sexes are slowly bearing fruit, a new analysis has shown.

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Legal Futures, 7th April 2025

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Consumers will now see more transparent pricing, as businesses are required to incorporate administration and booking fees into the upfront cost of goods and services. However, the law stops short of including optional extras, such as airline seat selection or baggage upgrades, in the initial price display.’

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The Independent, 6th April 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘The BBC recently published an article about the experiences of a young woman who had spent time in a range of placements including children’s homes and what sound like unregulated placements. The article suggests that it was the use of a Deprivation of Liberty (DoL) order which meant that these frequent moves took place, causing trauma to the young woman: it says for example that the DoL order ‘caused ‘more trauma and more damage’ and saw her moved to seven children’s homes, a secure adult hospital and an activity centre as a child’, and that as a result of the increasing use of DoL orders, child are losing their freedom.’

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Transparency Project, 6th April 2025

Source: transparencyproject.org.uk

‘Whilst historically, climate-related litigation has been focused on governments, a report published last year by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment showcased how, in recent years, climate litigation is being initiated more frequently against corporations for alleged Environment, Social and Governance (“ESG”) failings.’

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Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog, 4th April 2025

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

‘In Re Exhumation Of A Baby [2024] ECC Exe 1 the mother, ‘M’, of a baby girl, ‘X’, who died at or shortly after her birth in 2022, sought a faculty to exhume and reinter the remains of her baby, who was survived by a twin sister.’

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Law & Religion UK, 7th April 2025

Source: lawandreligionuk.com

‘A woman who killed her newborn baby 27 years ago while she had severe postnatal depression has been handed a suspended prison sentence, as a judge said the case “calls for compassion”.’

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The Guardian, 4th April 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

In this one-hour session for DG Legal, barrister Adam Pipe breaks down the most important UK immigration law cases of 2025 to date.

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EIN Blog, 4th April 2025

Source: www.ein.org.uk

‘The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as “Martyn’s Law”, has this week received Royal Assent and become law.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘An activist whose case had prompted concern by the US state department over “freedom of expression” in the UK has been convicted of breaching a buffer zone outside an abortion clinic.’

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The Guardian, 4th April 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘A mother who suffocated her newborn baby and left his body in woodland in a secret she kept for 25 years has avoided jail.’

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The Independent, 4th April 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

‘A man from Cornwall whose dogs killed 22 sheep while roaming free has received a 10-year ban from keeping or owning dogs, after the local authority successfully applied for a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO).’

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Local Government Lawyer, 4th April 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

‘The term ‘metaverse’ refers to a varied collection of internet-based virtual reality worlds in which, amongst other things, users across the globe can collaborate, socialise, trade, play games, access entertainment, or even work. Increasingly, technological innovations, such as high-resolution headsets and sensory (or ‘haptic’) clothing, are closing the experiential gap between such virtual environments and the ‘actual’ world, and broadening the scope of daily activities that the former can accommodate. Whilst this clearly presents opportunities, it also raises questions about the suitability and efficacy of existing legal rules for regulating user conduct within these platforms. Using English law as a case study, this paper specifically considers the various torts commonly referred to under the umbrella term of ‘trespass to the person’, evaluating the extent of their applicability within this novel context, and thereby illuminating issues that might, in time, require intervention from law and policy makers both within the case study context and beyond. It is argued that, as the qualitative difference between physical contact in the actual world and virtual contact in the metaverse becomes smaller, it will become increasingly difficult to justify applying the torts of trespass to the person differently in each context.’

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International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, 26th March 2025

Source: www.tandfonline.com

‘We all may remember the childhood rhyme, and console ourselves that names will never harm us, but the law has long provided punishment for threatening words and behaviour. Threats to kill, threats to cause criminal damage, blackmail, public order offences, harassment/stalking and controlling and coercive behaviour can all be committed without any physical contact between perpetrator and victim and yet can contain words which constitute a threat.’

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St Philips Barristers, 1st April 2025

Source: st-philips.com

‘This article investigates the role of pre-emptive policies and practices aiming to eliminate female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/M) in England and Wales. We argue that the Serious Crime Act 2015, with its focus on pre-empting, uncovering and punishing FGC/M, represents a milestone in the development of a pre-crime society. By combining data collected from focus groups with migrant-heritage families living in Bristol in 2018 and data on state practices obtained via Freedom of Information requests in 2022, we provide unique insights into the nature and unfolding harmful impacts of hyper-vigilance and over-surveillance associated with the pre-emptive justice elements of the 2015 Act. In doing so, we expose the role played by the central government in ‘institutionalising racism’ within the police and social work. Facilitating an effective challenge to these issues requires social work professionals to engage reflexively in anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice and to drive new discussions about decolonialism within the profession.’

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Critical and Radical Social Work, 24th February 2025

Source: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com

‘The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (‘the FOI Act’) gives everyone the right to request recorded information from UK public authorities. This right applies to UK citizens, people who are not UK citizens, people living in the UK and people living abroad, journalists, political parties, lobby groups and commercial organisations. The act covers public authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while Scotland has its own legislation.’

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House of Commons Library, 2nd April 2025

Source: commonslibrary.parliament.uk

‘All too often, arrangements between family members arise informally and without the benefit of legal advice. It is often assumed that everyone involved understands what is expected of them, and that any differences or disputes will be sorted out within the family. But certain seismic events – deaths, divorces, bankruptcies and so on – bring these sorts of arrangements inevitably into contact with the legal system.’

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Wilberforce Chambers, 31st March 2025

Source: www.wilberforce.co.uk