Category: Latest News

It has been reported in the press that 500 people have been arrested while drunk on a plane at British airports in the last three years. For many people a holiday begins once cases have been checked in, and what is the harm in that? It is clear that drunkenness has become an issue. The… Continue reading Airports, Planes and Alcohol

A cut-throat defence is where one defendant gives evidence that is damaging to a co-defendant’s case, sometimes going as far as directly accusing the other person of the crime, while typically seeking to exonerate themselves. Such evidence may be given directly by a defendant (or more than one in some cases) as a positive aspect… Continue reading The Cut-Throat Defence

It is a common feature of American courtroom drama that a defence attorney moves to remove a juror that they do not like the look of. Many clients wonder whether the same type of challenge can take place in an English courtroom. The Jury Pool In some circumstances there can be a challenge to the… Continue reading Jury Challenge

The prosecution, via the Attorney General, has the right to ask the Court of Appeal to consider whether sentences for certain offences are unduly lenient. How does the scheme work? Anyone can ask the Attorney General to consider whether a sentence is unduly lenient. If the Attorney agrees an appeal will be lodged within 28… Continue reading More Sentences at Risk of Prosecution Appeal

In some instances, it is not convenient for a witness to be present in court to give evidence, generally because they live or work some distance away from the court, or some other good reason. There are legal provisions that cater for this scenario, and while the prosecution widely uses them (notably for police officers),… Continue reading The Absent Witness

Legal aid is there to help individuals meet the cost of seeking professional advice, family mediation and representation in court or a tribunal. There are various cases and circumstances surrounding the eligibility for legal aid, and in our latest post, we discuss this topic in further detail. In order to qualify for legal aid, you… Continue reading Can I Get Legal Aid?

The police, with the support of the Home Office, are making more extensive use of stop and search powers. This new approach is partly due to rising public and political concern about knife crime. A hitherto little-used power to extend the use of stop and search is now being widely used by police forces. Section… Continue reading Stop and Search

The press has recently reported that children who were victims of serious sexual abuse have received paltry sums, £20 for example, as compensation from the courts. The court has a duty to consider making a compensation order in any case where personal injury, loss, or damage has resulted from the offence. If it does not… Continue reading What is a Criminal Compensation Order?

Forensic evidence has dominated some of the news agenda this week, with outrage over the interrogation of complainant’s phones in sexual offence and other cases. In reality of course, if a police officer is to investigate a criminal offence fairly, the interrogation of phones, computers and other devices may well be necessary, despite the potential… Continue reading Focus On Forensics

Today the Sentencing Council published new guidelines covering arson and criminal damage of all kinds, as well as threats to destroy property. There were existing guidelines, but they were thought to be very limited and only covered the Magistrates Court, there were no guidelines for the Crown Court, which deals with the more serious offences.… Continue reading Sentencing Council Guidlines