Category: Latest News

The Howard League for Penal Reform launched The Commission on Crime and Problem Gambling in 2019, and it is scheduled to end next year. The Commission seeks to answer three questions: What are the links between problem gambling and crime? What impact do these links have on communities and society? What should be done? A… Continue reading Problem Gambling and Crime

As fireworks are explosives, there are strict laws governing the sale, possession and use of them. The House of Commons Library has published a briefing paper, providing a detailed overview of the current provisions.   In brief Since January 2005, the sale of fireworks to the public has been prohibited, except from licensed traders. There… Continue reading Regulation of Fireworks

Even before the pandemic, there was a backlog in the criminal courts, which has worsened. The National Audit Office (NAO) has now produced a report on reducing that backlog. The NAO is the independent public spending watchdog; they produce reports examining government expenditure to judge whether value for money has been achieved. They also make… Continue reading Backlog in Criminal Courts

George Floyd dying in the USA in 2020 resulted in mass protests worldwide and marked a watershed in the fight against racism. In the aftermath of his death, the United Nations has produced a report analysing racial justice. The report found that the police use of racial profiling and excessive force was systemic in much… Continue reading Racial Discrimination – UN Report

The Sentencing Academy has produced a report reviewing ethnicity and custodial sentencing trends from 2009 to 2019. Over the years, several official reports have addressed the role of race and ethnicity in sentencing decisions. The current report looked at sentencing patterns for different offender profiles with two key issues that emerged. The first was ethnic… Continue reading Sentencing And Ethnicity

A former premier league footballer, Shayne Bradley, pleaded guilty to stalking a former girlfriend. It was said he followed her, watched her house, sent mails and made abusive phone calls. He hid in hedges near her home and set up a fake dating profile to make contact. The conduct was over a four-month period, but… Continue reading Stalking and Stalking Protection Orders

In Israel and some 16 European countries, there is a specific offence of Holocaust denial. Holocaust denial is denying that the genocide of Jews took place by the Nazis in the Holocaust. Deniers will, for example, say that significantly less than the accepted number of Jews died, that the camps were not used for murder… Continue reading Holocaust Denial

HMRC seized £35,000 cash in plastic carrier bags from a Mr Mann as it was suspected he was fraudulently evading excise duty. Boxes of vodka worth around £220,000 had also been found on the premises. Once cash is seized, it can be held for up to 48 hours, after which time an application must be… Continue reading Detention of Seized Cash

A new draft sentencing guideline for the offence of importing prohibited or restricted firearms has been published for consultation. There are no current guidelines in respect of these offences, although there are eight current guidelines for offences under the Firearms Act 1968. Sentencing guidelines set the range for sentences and are intended to reflect current… Continue reading Unlawful Importation of Firearms Offences