The issue of when a prosecution could lawfully commence for a person issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) was considered recently in the case of R (Michli) v Westminster Magistrates Court [2024] EWHC 559 (Admin) The Court was asked to consider when the Crown Prosecution Service were time barred from beginning a prosecution after […]
Fixed Penalty Notices Read More »
There has been for some time now, a lack of clarity in the criminal justice system to the statutory definition of what is a Zombie Knife for the purposes of illegal possession? (paragraph 1(s) of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 (Offensive Weapons) Order 1988 (“the 1988 Order”)The Courts have now ruled in Thompson v Crime Prosecution
The prison population is projected to increase, with a central estimate of 94,400 by March 2025 and a range of 93,100 to 106,300 by March 2027. This projected long-term increase is predicated on several factors, including increasing police officer numbers (which could increase charge volumes and in turn prison demand), and changes in sentencing policy
Prison Population Projected to Increase Read More »
A major investigation has been launched by the Home Office after faulty mobile phone data is believed to have been used as evidence in criminal cases for over a year. O2 informed police chiefs about concerns regarding the accuracy of information it was providing to forces, potentially leading to challenged convictions and delayed trials. The
Faulty mobile phone data raises concerns over convictions and trials Read More »
Experts in mental health, human rights, and criminal justice have called on parliament to put an end to indefinite jail terms, which have left thousands of prisoners languishing in jail beyond their minimum tariff. The imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences, abolished over a decade ago, have been described as a “living nightmare” by campaigners.
Experts call for end to indefinite jail terms Read More »
Details of deaths in Britain’s prisons will now be published weekly in a “truly momentous” improvement in openness and transparency. The prisons and probation ombudsman (PPO) will post weekly updates identifying those who have died, the prison where they were being held and the date of their death. Previously, details of those who have died inside prisons have not been released until an
List of prison deaths to be published in move ‘from secrecy to openness’ Read More »
The Law Society, the agency that governs solicitors in England and Wales, has issued a report on the demise of criminal defence solicitors, specifically duty solicitor across the country. Analysis of the number of criminal defence solicitors in England and Wales has shown an alarming 37% fall in duty solicitors. In the past ten years,
Collapse in Access to Criminal Defence Solicitors Read More »
Prisoners are being held on remand for years, while victims of crime are waiting up similar periods for their cases to be heard in court, the Telegraph reports. A record 16,200 people are presently imprisoned on remand without being tried or convicted. This is 16% of the total prison population – a 50-year high. The backlog of pending
Prisoners serving years on remand Read More »
The new director of the Serious Fraud Office is pushing to pay whistleblowers, a reversal from the agency’s past resistance to the tactic, as he tries to revive the fortunes of the beleaguered prosecutor. The move to reward informants for information is among Nick Ephgrave’s plans to reform how the SFO investigates major fraud and
Serious Fraud Office Director pushes to pay whistleblowers and use covert tactics Read More »
Prisons are on course to run out of space by spring despite the early release of hundreds of offenders, ministers have been warned. Figures seen by The Telegraph show that only 550 spaces remain in male prisons, with 99.35 per cent of jail cells full to capacity, while 113 spaces are left in the women’s estate at 97 per
Prisons to run out of space by Spring Read More »
