Category: Latest News

Although there is a general principle of open justice, that those who appear in court can be reported on, there are some exceptions. It is a contempt of court to publish anything to the public which creates a substantial risk that the course of justice in the proceedings will be seriously impeded or prejudiced, even… Continue reading Reporting Restrictions

On Sunday 7 June 2020 protesters in Bristol tore down the statue of Edward Colston and swiftly deposited it in the local harbour. The statue had been in situ for 125 years and had previously attracted a petition of over 10,000 names calling for its removal, due to Colston’s close connection to the slave trade. The… Continue reading Damage of Statues – Sentencing Implications

In cases where there is more than one defendant, it is a common scenario that one of more pleads guilty, perhaps at an early stage, but others continue their case to trial. A question then arises as to whether those who have pleaded guilty earlier should be sentenced immediately, or at some other point. The starting… Continue reading When Will I Be Sentenced?

As we slowly exit the Covid-19 ‘lockdown’, we have seen several protests in major cities. As life moves toward a more ‘normal’ footing, whatever that may be, and as we enter the Summer months, protest action may likely increase. In this article, we explore some of the legal powers that regulate processions and assemblies, found… Continue reading A Summer of Protest?

Speeding is one of the most common road traffic offences committed on UK roads, and it can have fatal consequences. Nobody is ever in that much of a rush to justify breaking the set national speed limits and put their, and other lives, in danger; it’s really not worth the consequences.   Driving at speed… Continue reading Road Traffic Offences During Lockdown

The recent case of Jay Davison acts as a stark reminder of the consequences that can flow if hate material is published. Davison was convicted of three offences of publishing material with intent to stir up racial hatred, for which he was subsequently sentenced to a period of four years’ imprisonment to run concurrently on each… Continue reading Publishing Hate Material: Tough Sentences Can Follow

There are several types of criminal appeals.   Appeals against conviction or sentence Cases start in the Magistrates Court. If you want to appeal against a conviction or sentence in that Court, you can appeal to the Crown Court. If you are dealt with in the Crown Court and want to appeal against a conviction or… Continue reading Appeals

In a startling announcement, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland admitted that the right to a jury trial is in his sights and might be curtailed in a few weeks time. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, the Crown Court case backlog was approximately 39,000 cases. Since lockdown, that number has grown considerably as only a trickle of cases have… Continue reading Jury Trials and Covid-19

When a judge makes a ruling at a crown court trial relating to one or more of the offences faced, the prosecution may have a right to appeal against that ruling. The right to appeal against a terminating ruling is strictly conditional upon certain procedures being followed.  The right to appeal requires the prosecution to… Continue reading Terminating Rulings

Defences are conditions that tend to negate elements of a crime, particularly the ‘intent’. In many jurisdictions, when proving a crime during prosecution, the lawyers must also prove that none of these defences were present when the crime was committed. If present, these criminal defences could provide partial or total refuge from punishment.   What… Continue reading What Are the Different Types of Criminal Defence?