News & Advice

The Public Accounts Committee has published a report that raises concerns in relation to the level of support given to prisoners on their release. Reoffending causes harm to victims and costs the criminal justice system and wider society dearly. In 2019, the Ministry of Justice estimated that reoffending across all adult offenders identified in 2016… Continue reading Lack of Support for Prisoners upon Release

There is a long-established practice of reducing the sentence which would otherwise have been imposed on an offender to reflect the fact that he has provided information and assistance to the police. The justification for doing so is purely pragmatic.  A former Lord Chief Justice explained the reason for giving such sentencing discounts in these… Continue reading Police Informers – A Case of Risk and Reward

The Dangerous Dogs (Designated Types) (England and Wales) Order 2023 was laid before parliament on 31 October 2023, which has important implications for the owners of the dog breed “XL Bully”. This statutory instrument will be accompanied by other legislative changes that form a package of laws that will fundamentally change the ownership rules in… Continue reading “XL Bully” – Government Enacts Urgent Reforms

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 has received Royal Assent and, when in force, will implement a large number of changes aimed at fighting economic crime and other illegal activity. One major reform in the Act is in relation to Cryptoassets and how they can be seized under amendments to the Proceeds of… Continue reading Cryptoassets and Proceeds of Crime

On 28th October 2023 provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 came into effect, enacting changes to the laws in relation to the rehabilitation of offenders. These amendments extend the scope of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act as it applies to England and Wales so that certain custodial sentences of over four… Continue reading Rehabilitation of Offenders

A new study by Professor Carole McCartney of the University of Leicester has shone a light on police handling of materials gathered to support criminal prosecutions. Professor McCartney found: CPS data indicate the potential impact of lost materials on prosecutions, reporting that between October 2018 and August 2021, some 20,838 cases collapsed pre-trial due to… Continue reading Police Often Lose Vital Case Evidence – New Research

This week, the prison population rose to a record number of 88,225, a significant increase on the previous week and only around 500 places short of “operational capacity”, which is the maximum number of prisoners that can be held. Andrea Albutt, president of the Prison Governors Association, said: “If the government further overcrowd our prisons,… Continue reading Sentence Adjournments, Sentencing Reforms & Prisoner Release – What We Know So Far

More than 100,000 children have a parent in prison for the first time since records began, according to analysis of government figures. An official Ministry of Justice estimate says that each male prisoner has, on average, 1.14 children, meaning that an estimated 100,084 children have a parent in prison. Estimates for the number of children… Continue reading Over 100,000 Children in England and Wales Have Parents in Prison

Some people may be physically unable to use the current evidential breath analysis machines, relied upon by police to gather proof of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, new research from the University of Sheffield indicates. The new study challenges the norm that anyone failing to provide a sample of breath at a… Continue reading New Research Indicates Some People May Be Physically Unable to Use Police Breathalysers

The outgoing Chief Inspector of Probation has issued a damning report. He is calling for an independent review of whether the Probation Service should return to local control two years on from unification into a national service. The Chief Inspector reports, in an overall assessment that: ‘The Probation Service is struggling. It’s more than two… Continue reading Chief Inspector Calls for an Independent Review of the Probation Service