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In legislative terms, 2019 was a pretty quiet year, with parliament being so heavily occupied with Brexit, there was little time for anything else. 2020 promises to be somewhat different, the government has a substantial parliamentary majority, and being ‘tough on crime’ seems once again to be a popular political topic. The recent Queen’s Speech… Continue reading Criminal Law in 2020 – What Can We Expect?

Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has published a new report in relation to the investigation and prosecution of rape cases. The significant findings are: • Since 2016, the number of cases prosecuted by the CPS has fallen by 52%. This is despite the fact that there has been a 43% rise in the number… Continue reading Investigating and Prosecuting Rape Cases

In some cases, a court must order a pre-sentence report (s 156 Criminal Justice Act 2003), and a report will be appropriate in many instances when it is not a legal requirement. Sometimes a court may not be receptive to the idea of ordering a report, so we are always alive to the necessity of… Continue reading Pre-sentence Reports

In Chabloz v Crown Prosecution Service [2019] EWHC 3094 (Admin) the High Court dealt definitively with several highly technical legal challenges concerning Communications Act defences. On 25 May 2018 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Alison Chabloz, was convicted of three offences under section 127(1)(a) and (b) of the Communications Act 2003. She appealed her convictions to… Continue reading Online Abuse: Courts Keep Up with Modern Techniques

A strange case at the Old Bailey drew to a close this week, resulting in a Metropolitan Police Officer, Robyn Williams, being sentenced to a community order with 200 hours of unpaid work, concerning the possession of an indecent video of a child. On the face of it, the sentence is not at all surprising,… Continue reading Divided Loyalty Can Exact a High Price

Every year, the police launch a drink driving campaign, aiming to reduce the number of people drink driving over Christmas and the New Year. How Many People are Caught Drink Driving at Christmas? In 2016, new legislation meant that the police could randomly stop vehicles at authorised vehicle checkpoints, and carry out a breathalyser test… Continue reading Drink Driving at Christmas 2019

There are fundamental differences between the magistrates’ court and the Crown Court. We discuss these differences in further detail and explain what happens if you are charged with a crime. What Happens When you are Charged with a Crime? Upon being charged with a crime, you will be given a ‘charge sheet’. This document will… Continue reading Being Charged with a Crime: Magistrates and Crown Court

Transferring ownership of a property does not have to be a complicated process. We take a look at the various situations that can require the transfer of property ownership and the process involved. Reasons to Transfer Property Ownership Whilst you can remove names from the deeds of a property, you can also add them. Some… Continue reading Transferring Ownership of a Property

You must go through the conveyancing process when purchasing a property, no matter whether it is your first property purchase or you 100th. Conveyancing refers to the legal process of the transfer of property ownership titles from one person to another. We take a look at the conveyancing process in further detail. When Does Conveyancing… Continue reading Buying Property: What is Conveyancing?

Your solicitor or legal advisor is there to offer guidance and advice in the time leading up to your court hearing and on the day. They will inform you what documents you need to bring with you and advise you on your case as a whole. There are, however, a few practical pieces of advice… Continue reading Preparing for a Family Court Hearing