News & Advice

Current legislation to manage protests provides predominantly for powers to counter behaviours at protests which are violent or distressing to the public. These powers include those under the Public Order Act 1986 (the “1986 Act”) which provides the police with powers to manage public processions and assemblies, including protests.  Sections 12 and 14 of the… Continue reading New Public Order Laws

A blood test to measure whether a driver who has caused an accident was impaired by lack of sleep could be available within two years, making it easier to legislate against drowsy drivers or their employers. Globally, more than 1.35 million people are fatally injured in road traffic crashes, with an additional 20–50 million people… Continue reading Blood Test for Sleepy Drivers Could Pave Way for Prosecutions

Updated sentencing guidelines for animal cruelty offences that reflect changes introduced by the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, were published on the 10th of May by the Sentencing Council following consultation.  For the first time, a new ‘Animal cruelty’ guideline gives judges and magistrates in England and Wales guidance for sentencing the most serious animal… Continue reading Animal Cruelty – New Sentencing Guidelines

The government has set out proposals to reduce women’s offending over the period of the 2022–25. This Delivery Plan sets out how the Government will deliver four key priorities to reduce women’s offending over the next three years.        These are:  Fewer women entering the justice system and reoffending  Fewer women serving short… Continue reading Female Offender Strategy

It has been reported that Police in England and Wales are to be given new powers to tackle “disruptive” slow walking used by protesters to block roads. The new legislation would give officers more leeway to intervene when protesters attempt to block roads with slow marching. Just Stop Oil, Insulate Britain and Extinction Rebellion are… Continue reading An Offence of “Slow Walking”?

An offence of non-fatal strangulation or suffocation was created by the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 and came in to force on 7 June 2022. CPS guidance on this offence states: “Some dictionary definitions of the word “strangle” link the word to an intention to kill or the causing of death. The statute however does not… Continue reading Non-fatal Strangulation – Sentencing Guidance

The government is consulting on legislative measures to provide the police with more tools to disrupt knife possession and tackle knife crime.  It has identified certain types of machetes and large outdoor knives that do not seem to have a practical use and appear to be designed to look menacing and be favoured by those… Continue reading Government Consults on New Knife Crime Laws

The advice here concerns ‘lethal barrelled’ air weapons – those with muzzle energy of more than 1 joule. Guns below this threshold, and qualifying ‘airsoft’ guns, are not regarded as firearms. Air weapons with muzzle energy greater than 12 foot-pounds may only be held on a firearm certificate issued by local police forces. Air pistols… Continue reading Air Weapons – Safety Tips to Keep You Out Of Court

When a court bails a person, they will often be given a precise future date on which they should attend again. In the Crown Court, this is only sometimes the case, and a client will rely upon their solicitor to inform them of any future dates on which the case is listed, and attendance is… Continue reading Failing to Surrender – It’s My Solicitor’s Fault!

During the life of a criminal case, it is common for a defendant to face a different judge each hearing. In more complex cases, hearings are reserved wherever possible to the same judge to save duplication of judicial resources and more effectively manage the case, but there is no rule that the same judge must… Continue reading The Importance of Judicial Continuity