Category: Latest News

In a truly tragic case, Samantha Ford drowned her 23-month-old twins in the bath. Appearing at the Old Bailey for sentence, the Judge, Mr Justice Edis, handed down a 10-year sentence, causing widespread outrage. Longer sentences are routinely handed down for drug dealing and other crimes. To understand more about this case, we need to… Continue reading Ten years for a double killing – look behind the headlines

In Chabloz v Crown Prosecution Service [2019] EWHC 3094 (Admin) the High Court dealt definitively with several highly technical legal challenges concerning Communications Act defences. On 25 May 2018 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, Alison Chabloz, was convicted of three offences under section 127(1)(a) and (b) of the Communications Act 2003. She appealed her convictions to… Continue reading Online Abuse: Courts Keep Up with Modern Techniques

There have been widespread reports in the press about spare courtroom capacity, with judicial sitting days at an all-time low. These reports correspond to our own experience. When court delay is combined with significant delays in investigating and charging defendants to court, this can mean a very long period between the commission of any crime… Continue reading Sentencing and Delay – Can it Work in Your Favour?

In some cases, a court must order a pre-sentence report (s 156 Criminal Justice Act 2003), and a report will be appropriate in many instances when it is not a legal requirement. Sometimes a court may not be receptive to the idea of ordering a report, so we are always alive to the necessity of… Continue reading Pre-sentence Reports

Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has published a new report in relation to the investigation and prosecution of rape cases. The significant findings are: • Since 2016, the number of cases prosecuted by the CPS has fallen by 52%. This is despite the fact that there has been a 43% rise in the number… Continue reading Investigating and Prosecuting Rape Cases

A District Judge sitting at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last week authorised that a summons be issued against the prominent conservative member of parliament, Boris Johnson. The allegations relate to alleged conduct during the Brexit referendum campaign and in particular the £350m per week for the NHS slogan that adorned the side of campaign buses. Unless… Continue reading Private Prosecutions – ‘Doing a Boris’

Most people know that a driving ban may follow for serious road traffic offences or a series of lower-level traffic crimes as a result of ‘totting up’. Few of our client’s know that disqualifications can follow in other cases if a vehicle is used to facilitate the commission of an offence. What is The Relevant… Continue reading Driving Bans – Not Just for Traffic Offences

Totting up refers to an accumulation of penalty points on your driving licence, which leads to a driving disqualification. Disqualification will occur if an individual accumulates 12 penalty points within a three year period. How Long Do Points Stay on my Licence? The time in which penalty points will stay on your record will be… Continue reading Totting up Driving Ban

In February 2019 the Court of Appeal quashed Sally Challen’s conviction for the murder of her husband and ordered a retrial. Last week the prosecution accepted a plea to the lesser offence of manslaughter and Challen received a sentence that meant she would serve no further time in custody. Why Was The Appeal Allowed? Challen… Continue reading Sally Challen – An Issue of Coercive Control