Category: Latest News

Tough New Weapons Laws Hit the Statute Book On 16th May 2019 the controversial Offensive Weapons bill received Royal Assent, bringing into law the Offensive Weapons Act 2019. Why Was this Law Passed? This legislation has been passed in order to assist in stemming the current problems in relation to knife crime and other serious… Continue reading Tough New Weapons Laws Hit the Statute Book

In criminal law, we use two different standards of proof, the most well known is ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ (although these days expressed as ‘so that you are sure’), and the balance of probabilities. The latter standard of proof gets less attention but is nonetheless of critical importance in criminal cases. Whilst we hear the term… Continue reading On the Balance of Probabilities – But What Does That Mean?

Few people would disagree with the suggestion that sentencing law in England and Wales is a complete mess. The provisions that govern how a defendant is to be sentenced are both complex and disparate and to be found across a significant number of statutes. Why Does This Matter? Research has shown that thousands of sentencing… Continue reading Sentencing – Breaking the Code

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

Driving above the drink drive limit can have serious consequences and impact not only the drink diver but other motorists and pedestrians. At Broadbents Solicitors, we have a wealth of experience in handling drink drive cases and discuss this topic further in our latest post. What is The Drink Drive Limit? Whilst some people believe… Continue reading Key Facts on the Drink Drive Limit

Many people have an image of a typical drink driver: overweight man, staggering from the pub after an all-day session and getting into his car. A few minutes later that car being pulled over by police officers due to erratic driving. That is sometimes the story, but not the most common one that we see.… Continue reading Drink Driving – The Reality

The Court of Appeal has handed down judgment in the case of R v Max Clifford, the disgraced celebrity PR guru who was convicted in 2014 of a number of sexual offences and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. Clifford Died in 2017, So Why Did the Appeal Proceed? Section 44A of The Criminal Appeal Act… Continue reading Appeals from Beyond the Grave

It is a nightmare scenario that potentially any parent could face. A child returns home, late at night in an agitated state. He hurriedly tells you that he has been in a fight, it wasn’t his fault, but someone has been hurt, badly. Further details are not forthcoming, but he thinks the police will be… Continue reading Parental Dilemmas That Could Land You in Prison