The government has announced the recruitment of more than 500 staff to work in Community Payback. The aim is to be able to enable offenders to serve an extra 3 million hours of payback each year. The announcement isn’t clear on the reasoning behind the recruitment, whether there is a backlog that needs clearing, … Continued
At the time of publishing, Friday 21st January 2021, our client who was arrested in April 2020 for an offence alleged before the lock down in Feb 2020 saw his two day Crown Court trial delayed until October 2022, some thirty months after the incident .This is far from being the worse example of … Continued
The government has introduced a “new world-leading law” to ensure consumers are better protected from hackers on their phones, smart TVs, fitness trackers, tablets and other devices that connect to the internet. Why? Research has shown that as many as four in five manufacturers in the UK do not put in place appropriate security measures. … Continued
The Government has this week announced further proposed changes to criminal law and procedure. The taking of non-consensual photographs or video recordings of breastfeeding mothers will be made a specific offence punishable by up to two years in prison. It covers situations where the motive is to obtain sexual gratification, or to cause humiliation, distress … Continued
This week four people were acquitted of criminal damage after admitting to pulling down the Colston Statue in Bristol and throwing it into the Quay. A number of commentators have expressed their outrage at the juries decision and have called for the Attorney General to appeal the acquittal. In this article, we discuss … Continued
A consultation has been launched into a new ‘Victims’ Law’ that the Justice Secretary says would guarantee greater consultation with victims during the criminal justice process. The Crown Prosecution Service, police and courts would have to properly account for the service they provide to victims and make sure their voices are properly heard. Who or … Continued
DNA and biometric evidence The Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material, Fraser Sampson, has published his annual report for 2020. What are biometrics? The report provides a working definition of biometrics that is based on the four features that researchers say are essential for a biometric p ersonal identifier to be … Continued
Tony’s law Tony Hudgell was left severely disabled after he was abused by his birth parents who were sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment. His adoptive parents, Paula and Mark Hudgell, campaigned for longer sentences for these crimes and “Tony’s law” is now to be introduced. The current law Under the current law, the maximum sentence … Continued
The government recently introduced a package of measures aimed at keeping the public safe from terrorists by imposing longer prison terms. The Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act came into force in April and introduced a new “serious terrorism sentence” and provides a minimum term of 14 years and monitoring for up to 25 years after release. … Continued
An announcement from the Department for Transport says that the government will be strengthening road traffic laws to make it illegal to use a mobile phone in most circumstances while driving. Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, made the announcement and said the government aimed to make it easier to prosecute those using their phone while … Continued
Spiking – its not new There have been many headlines recently relating to women and their safety, particularly at night. From murders to assaults and cases of spiking, there are real issues that need to be addressed. The most recent government announcement on the issue is funding for new projects focusing on improving the safety … Continued
With COP26 taking place, the environment and how we care for it is all over the news. New legislation designed to protect and enhance the environment has now passed into UK law. The Environment Act provides legally binding targets to be enforced by a new Independent Office for Environmental Protection, which will hold government and … Continued
