Category: Latest News

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

Gavin Williamson MP has been sacked from the Cabinet for leaking confidential information from the National Security Council regarding Huawei. Theresa May considers that the matter is closed and won’t refer him to the police. However, they can investigate anyway, but would need the cooperation of the Cabinet Office. There are some sensitivities when it… Continue reading Listen, do You Want to Know a Secret?

We have all read newspaper articles reporting that a drug dealer or fraudster made hundreds of thousands from their offending but was ordered to pay back a much smaller amount. That is not always the end of the matter. What are the proceeds of crime? If a defendant is determined to have had a ‘criminal… Continue reading Proceeds of Crime – when does it all end?

If a relationship breaks down, it can often be the case that the grandparents also suffer, with little or no contact with their grandchildren. Whilst there is no automatic right for grandparents to have access to their grandchildren, the court does recognise the often poignant role grandparents play. In the latest post from Broadbents Solicitors,… Continue reading Grandparents’ Rights

Registering a lasting power of attorney means that you give someone you trust the power to make decisions related to money, finances and property or health and care on your behalf. If you wish to make a lasting power of attorney that can handle both aspects related to your finances and health and care, you… Continue reading Your Guide To Lasting Powers of Attorney

The government has published proposals to punish individuals who mishandle pension scheme management. Two new offences are proposed. The first will target individuals who wilfully or recklessly mishandle pension schemes, endangering workers’ pensions, by such things as chronic mismanagement of a business; or allowing huge unsustainable deficits to build up; or taking huge investment risks;… Continue reading Pensions – Time to Rethink Corporate Responsibility

Whilst in an ideal world, we would all have positive family relationships, family ties are often complicated and can sometimes break down. Family solicitors can help with a wide variety of legal matters and in our latest post, we discuss the areas that a family law solicitor can help with. Children If a relationship breaks… Continue reading The Role of a Family Solicitor

The short answer is: maybe. Section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 provides a defence to specific criminal charges where it is shown that they were committed under a compulsion due to slavery or exploitation (for over-18s) or as a direct consequence of slavery or exploitation (for under-18s). The latter test, for children, is… Continue reading Modern Slavery – A Defence to Drug Dealing and other offences?

Whilst some individuals purchase counterfeit money in order to profit from this illegal activity, others feel they are put into this position through straitened financial times. While the price of such ‘currency’ fluctuates widely, it is often as low as 25% of the face value, making it a tempting proposition. State currency producers spend millions… Continue reading Counterfeit Currency – You May Pay a Very High Price

The Home Secretary will this week hold an urgent meeting with police chiefs to discuss the recent rise in knife crime. This follows another week of senseless killings and the publication of figures that show the number of people aged 16 and under being stabbed rose by 93% between 2016 and 2018. Channel 4 found,… Continue reading Knife Crime – Searching for Solutions