Category: Latest News

Eight new guidelines have been published for Firearms offences following an earlier consultation. The guidelines will come into force on 1 January 2021.   What are the new sentencing guidelines? These are guidelines that must be followed by sentencers. The guidelines must be followed unless the Judge or Magistrates’ consider it is not in the… Continue reading Firearms – New Sentencing Guidelines

The Law Commission is considering proposals to reform hate crime laws. Hate crime is where a victim is targeted, perhaps for an assault, criminal damage or harassment, based on a protected characteristic.    What are protected characteristics? Currently, the protected characteristics are race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender identity.    Why are reforms needed?… Continue reading Hate Crime – A Change of Emphasis

Section 7 Road Traffic Act 1988 states that a person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to provide a specimen when required to do so is guilty of an offence. The offence can be punished by up to six months imprisonment and in some cases, also carries mandatory disqualification from driving. In legal terms, the offence… Continue reading Failure to Provide a Specimen of Breath

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Self-Isolation) (England) Regulations 2020 came into effect on 28 September 2020. The regulations: prohibits an employer from allowing a worker to attend any place (except the place where they are required to self-isolate) for any purpose connected to the worker’s employment; sets out the prohibition on knowingly allowing a self-isolating… Continue reading Covid, Self-Isolation and Employer Duties

The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill passed its second reading in the House of Commons. The MP who is Minister for Security, James Brokenshire, set out the purposes of the Bill during the Second Reading debate.  “…the Bill deals with participation in criminal conduct by covert human intelligence sources – so-called CHIS. These… Continue reading Covert Human Intelligence Sources

It is quite common for a police officer to view CCTV footage and purport to identify a suspect. Many unresolved cases are distributed to police forces nationally on the off-chance that an officer may recognise someone who is wanted for questioning (Smith [2008] EWCA Crim 1342).  In other cases, an officer may compare a photograph… Continue reading Identification by Police Officers

What is collaborative divorce? A collaborative divorce involves both parties and their respective solicitors working on a collaborative process. This means that they agree to work together to come to a solution without going to court.   What’s the difference between collaborative divorce and mediation? The main difference between collaborative divorce and mediation is that… Continue reading Guide to Collaborative Divorce

Newspapers regularly report that the number of rape prosecutions are low or falling. The Crown Prosecution Service has now published new draft legal guidance for prosecutors on “rape myths and stereotypes” as part of the revision of guidance on rape and serious sexual offences. In July this year, the CPS published a five-year strategy to… Continue reading Rape Prosecutions

It can be quite tempting to ignore planning laws in the hope that changes you make to buildings and environment will not be noticed. In our experience, it is quite surprising just how often these breaches come to the attention of the authorities, suggesting that many in society take a very close interest indeed to… Continue reading Planning Law – An Expensive Business

In a recent case, an appellant (referred to only as “V”) pleaded guilty to producing cannabis and was sentenced to 26 months’ detention. He appealed against his conviction. The first issue you may think of is that he pleaded guilty, so how could he appeal against conviction? V put forward several arguments; he said his decision… Continue reading Human Trafficking as a Defence