Category: Latest News

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

A new lockdown is in force across England from midnight on 5th November 2020 for 28 days. The new laws are intended to dampen down the spread of Covid19 and ensure that the National Health Service is not overwhelmed due to demand breaching its operational capacity.   What can I still do? You can leave… Continue reading Lockdown 2

In the usual run of events, a witness will give their evidence, be subject to cross-examination, and in some cases re-examination. But, things do not always go to plan, and the Court of Appeal has had to deal with several such cases. In Stretton and McCallion (1988) 86 Cr. App. R. 7, CA a witness (‘Vera’)… Continue reading Witness Evidence – Unfinished Business

It is often the case that a defendant does not dispute that a crime has been committed but denies any participation. In such cases, it will be not only essential to challenge any evidence that points to the defendant as being guilty but also look for evidence that may point the finger elsewhere. It might be… Continue reading It Wasn’t Me!

In March, nearly 50% of courts were closed, and jury trials were halted to reduce interaction between court users dramatically. Although 90% of courts have reopened, there is a backlog of cases.   The government has announced a series of new measures to address the current delays in criminal courts. Although some lawyers would argue that… Continue reading Recovery Plan for the Criminal Courts