The case of Tommy Robinson, or to give him his real name, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has brought this issue into the public eye, but what is it all about? What is contempt of court? The interesting thing about contempt of court is the many ways in which it can be committed. It can be civil or … Continued
You may have heard about ‘texts’ or a ‘Brown envelope to the Judge’, some of the names for the old system. If you helped the police a ‘text’ may be handed to the sentencing judge explaining that you had assisted and a reduction in sentence may have followed. It was a murky world, clouded in … Continued
Prosecuting those who publish obscene articles (an offence under section 2 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959), is a reminder that free-speech and expression is subject to lawful limitations. The maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment will frequently be warranted for activities which have disturbing and harmful knock-on effects. Legislation According to section 1 of … Continued
The 2015 documentary series Making a Murderer follows the story of two men from Wisconsin who were convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering a woman. One of the convicted was an impressionable teenager called Brendan Dassey. Dassey’s conviction was overturned in 2016 (confirmed on appeal in 2017) on the basis that his ‘confession’ to the … Continued
After a recent spate of assaults involving the use of acids and other corrosive substances, the government has acted to try and curb their use. At the present time around 15 offences per week involve the use of acid and other like substances. In January 2018, the Home Office announced a voluntary agreement with a … Continued
On 29th January 2017, Christine Sullivan and her housemate were found murdered in Farmington, New Hampshire. Their bodies were discovered by the house owner, Dean Smoronk, who was Sullivan’s boyfriend. Timothy Verrill, an associate of Smornok, was later charged with second-degree murder and has pleaded not guilty. Although the evidence against Verrill is said to … Continued
