Posts Categorized: News
The General Election & the Criminal Law
With a General Election coming up on 12 December 2019 and with there being some very polarised views on important issues of the day – it is worth remembering that there are a number of criminal offences relating to elections. The case law makes clear that offences arising from the General Election will be treated… Read more »
Getting tough on Health & Safety
Recent cases suggest there is a much tougher approach being taken against companies, but more importantly directors of those companies, when it comes to breaches of Health & Safety law. One company director, Robert Harvey, was imprisoned for ten months after a fellow worker was crushed to death by an excavator. The prosecution proved that… Read more »
Stop & Search – s60 powers used to prevent knife crime
Stop and search has always been controversial and now it is being used more due to rising public and political concern about knife crime. Increasingly the police are using a power under s60 Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. This allows for stop and search powers to be exercised across a particular area, for… Read more »
Public Order Offences – New Sentencing Guidelines
In the latest revision to the sentencing guidelines, new guidelines for public order offences come in to force for adults sentenced on or after 1 January 2020. Although most public order offences are not considered to be amongst the most serious crimes, they do occupy a lot of court time with 18,600 offenders sentenced for… Read more »
Conservatives Signal Tougher Sentencing Regime
The Conservatives have signalled that they want to increase the severity the current sentencing regime, particularly for offenders who commit some of the most serious offences. Automatic release at the half-way point of some sentences is likely to be removed. Government statistics for 2018 show that for serious sexual and violent offences the following sentence… Read more »
Sexual Violence and Technology
In recent years, the number and type of sexual offences facilitated by technology have increased. As our world becomes ever more reliant on technology, questions are arising about how to deal with these ‘new’ offences. As sexual offences defence lawyers, it is important that we remain up to date with the regulation of these crimes… Read more »
Wrongly Accused of Historic Sex Abuse? Critics Say Police Were Too Quick to Believe Allegations
Following the accusations made against Jimmy Savile, Operation Hydrant was set up to investigate claims of historic sex crimes. Of the 7,396 cases on the police database, only 29% ended in conviction. However, those who were wrongly accused of crimes are still facing the repercussions of the allegations. With such a massive influx of cases… Read more »
Witnesses – evidence in Court
In most cases it is necessary for witnesses to give live evidence in Court. However, there may be reasons as to why that is not possible. The prosecution will often use the rules relating to witnesses who cannot be available to give live evidence in the context of evidence of police officers. But the rules… Read more »
Be careful how you walk – gait analysis
Gait analysis is increasingly used in criminal proceedings. Where CCTV footage is not clear enough, forensic gait analysis compares and evaluates the features of how someone is walking to assist in the investigation of crime. Civilian or police witnesses may make an identification based on recognition of the way someone moves and walks. This is… Read more »
Aeroplanes & Alcohol – a good mix?
Recent reports suggest that that around 500 people have been arrested while drunk on aeroplanes in the last three years. For many people a holiday begins once cases have been checked in. But concerns have prompted the airline industry to ask the government to take steps to help reduce disruption on aeroplanes, by addressing licencing… Read more »