Legislation has been laid in Parliament to ban xylazine and 21 other dangerous drugs as part of the government’s action to prevent drug deaths and crack down on drug dealing gangs. Xylazine, often known as ‘tranq’, is a high-strength veterinary sedative, which has increasingly been used in combination with opioids such as heroin as a … Continued
The Knock Following widespread public disturbances over the last few days, the police will likely seek to arrest many hundreds of suspects in the coming weeks. Some people may be expecting that early morning knock, but others may well be surprised to learn that they are thought to have done anything wrong. Is mere … Continued
On 18th July 2024, Judge Christopher Hehir sentenced five defendants convicted of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance for coordinating direct action protests on the M25 over four days in November 2022. One defendant received a sentence of 5 years; the other four defendants received sentences of 4 years imprisonment. The case sparked immediate commentary … Continued
Between 24 and 28 June 2024, Europol hosted an investigation targeting buyers of live distant child abuse material. The initiative brought together representatives from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. 32 investigators processed and developed leads generated from investigations of United States Homeland Security … Continued
A man walks into a betting shop or uses a gambling website and places a £100 bet on the date of the general election. Three days later, the Prime Minister names the day, and the man wins his bet. On the face of it, this is unremarkable. People bet on all kinds of things: … Continued
Most people will have encountered people who sell streaming devices that allow them to access paywalled content, often for a one-off fee as low as £100. Given that many people pay in excess of that for a single month of SKY TV access, it is no wonder that the sale of such devices is a … Continued
The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 25 April 2024. The government has described the Act as: ‘New laws to protect our citizens from threats such as terrorism and child sexual abuse.’ Which will: ‘…ensure the intelligence services and law enforcement have the powers they need to keep pace with a range … Continued
The recent case of HM Solicitor General v Trudi Warner has shone a light on a little-known but now increasingly prominent issue of “jury equity”. The issue is neatly summarised in this part of the judgment: The trial of a number of defendants affiliated with the environmental group Insulate Britain was due to begin at Inner London Crown … Continued
Many people ask this question, either because they know they are not eligible for legal aid or perhaps think they are not eligible, even though they have not checked this with a solicitor. A recent study by Dr Charlotte Walker of York St John University revealed the following: “In this study, in Court … Continued
Under current legislation, it is illegal for anyone under 18 to purchase or possess a crossbow, and anyone who carries a crossbow in public without reasonable excuse faces up to four years behind bars. The government is considering going further, launching a call for evidence to ask whether these rules are tough enough. … Continued
This week Nicholas Hawkes become the first person to be convicted for the new offence of “Cyber Flashing”. Hawkes sent unsolicited photos of his erect penis to a 15-year-old girl and a woman. The woman took screenshots of the image on WhatsApp and reported Hawkes to Essex Police the same day. Sefer Mani, of … Continued
There are lots of different offences that might be categorised as “anti-social behaviour”, and these are routinely prosecuted in the criminal courts. In many cases, the individual instances of criminality are towards the lower end of the scale. They are often met with punishment, such as a fine or low-level community order. If … Continued
