Posts By: pareekc
Compensation for Victims of Crime
The press has recently reported that children who were victims of crime, often serious sexual abuse have received tiny sums, sometimes £20 for example, as compensation from the courts as a result of a criminal compensation order? In any case where personal injury, loss, or damage has resulted from an offence, the court must consider… Read more »
Why hasn’t Michael Gove been arrested?
A question on many people’s lips since the former Justice Secretary Michael Gove admitted to using cocaine several times earlier in his career. So, could he face the legal consequences of this? Cocaine is a Class A drug, the most serious category. Drug offences are governed by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and whilst… Read more »
Women in the system – What needs to be done to prevent re-offending
Prison is supposed to be hard. It is, after all, a punishment. But it’s also designed to help people address their behaviour and stop them re-offending. When imprisonment leads to more offending, it isn’t working. The specific problems faced by women have been highlighted recently by the Farmer Review for Women. Lord Farmer hopes to… Read more »
Prosecuting Sexual Offences – Time for a rethink?
Justice – the renowned human rights organisation, has published a significant report that examines the prosecution of sexual offences, and in some areas calls for radical changes to be made. Among the authors of the report is Judge Peter Rook QC, a senior Judge at the Central Criminal Court (the ‘Old Bailey’) and considered an… Read more »
Sally Challen – An Issue of Coercive Control
In February 2019 the Court of Appeal quashed Sally Challen’s conviction for the murder of her husband and ordered a retrial. Last week the prosecution accepted a plea to the lesser offence of manslaughter and Challen received a sentence that meant she would serve no further time in custody. Why was the appeal allowed? Challen… Read more »
Finn’s Law – What It Means
With much fanfare, ‘Finn’s Law’ came in to force on 8th June 2019, following the implementation of the Animal Welfare (Service Animals) Act 2019. This new Act makes a straightforward amendment to a section of the Animal Welfare Act 2006. What was the problem? Section 4 of the Animal Welfare Act creates the criminal offence… Read more »
Costs awarded in secondary ticketing case
On 16 April 2019, we reported that Seamus Austin had successfully represented relating to the successful defence of businesses and individuals in appealing against the decisions of North Yorkshire County Council (which hosts the National Trading Standards eCrime Team) to impose maximum £5,000 penalties for breaching the secondary ticket re-sale provisions of the Consumer Rights… Read more »
Tuckers’ Partner Sarnjit Lal pursues review of conviction secured using disgraced expert
A £7 m carbon fraud trial collapsed at Southwark CC. In his closing observations HHJ Nicolas Loraine – Smith described the prosecution witness Andrew Ager as “not an expert of suitable calibre”. Sarnjit Lal a Partner at Tuckers, together with solicitor Simrit Sidhu are representing a client who was convicted of a single count of… Read more »
Kieron Locke to join Hastings office
We are delighted to welcome Kieron Locke to our team, based in Hastings, Sussex. Kieron will be trading as “Kieron Locke” and providing services in his local area, building on his personal recognition in the Hastings police station and courts. He will be using the back office services provided by Tuckers in order to focus… Read more »
Carbon Credit Investment Fraud – When is an expert not an expert?
On 29th May 2019 at Southwark Crown Court eight defendants walked free from court after a judge was forced to deliver not guilty verdicts on multiple fraud charges. The case collapsed following “chaotic” disclosure failures and after a key prosecution expert witness, Andrew Ager, was discredited as “wholly misleading”. Ager’s role in the case would… Read more »