‘Four members of a girl gang who inflicted a “sustained and horrific” bus stop attack on a frightened Egyptian student who later died have been given non-custodial sentences.’
The Guardian, 19th June 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Violent criminals, burglars and sex offenders are among more than 100,000 people escaping prosecutions each year by opting for community resolutions, according to new figures.’
Daily Telegraph, 17th June 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘A new report by Lord Michael Farmer on the value of prisoners’ family ties has found that healthy relationships are a “must have” when it comes to preventing women from reoffending. Prisoners who receive family visits are 39% less likely to reoffend, and research suggests that these relationships are even more important for women than they are for men.’
Ministry of Justice, 18th June 2019
Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice
‘Prison sentences of less than eight weeks should no longer be imposed by the courts, the Magistrates’ Association is urging, in defiance of more radical government proposals.’
The Guardian, 4th June 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A single offender has been sentenced to almost 200 jail terms of less than six months in their lifetime, new figures reveal, renewing calls for an overhaul of the justice system to curb the use of ineffective short sentences. The highest number of previous immediate prison sentences of under six months given to an offender sentenced in 2018 in England and Wales was 198, according to a response to a freedom of information request submitted by the charity Revolving Doors.’
The Guardian, 23rd May 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A police force has defended its decision to prosecute two mentally ill women who were charged after they caused traffic jams when trying to kill themselves.’
The Guardian, 22nd May 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A man who has been convicted of coercive control has been spared prison after a judge told him to leave his ex-girlfriend alone because there are “lots more fish in the sea”.’
The Independent, 8th May 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A solicitor has been suspended from practice after being convicted of allowing a small cannabis farm to grow in her house.’
Legal Futures, 23rd April 2019
Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk
‘Ministers’ calls for short prison sentences to be abolished would see thousands of hardened criminals avoid jail, a report has claimed.’
The Independent, 25th February 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The justice secretary has said he wants to end short prison sentences because they do not work and hopes that technology and more community sentences will provide better alternatives to jail.’
The Guardian, 18th February 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Taken from our recent seminar, ‘Erasure, Remediation and Rights of Appeal in Disciplinary Proceedings’, Mathew Barnes asks the question in his talk about remediation – Can you teach an old dog new tricks?’
Law Pod UK, 18th February 2019
Source: audioboom.com
‘Fifteen activists convicted of a terrorism-related offence for chaining themselves around an immigration removal flight at Stansted airport have received suspended sentences or community orders.’
The Guardian, 6th February 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A “dirty” swimming pool led to dozens of young children contracting a stomach bug causing diarrhoea, a council said. Inspectors who visited Dolphins Swim School in York saw “brown and green” pool water, with 165 children and parents contracting giardiasis.At York Magistrates’ Court, the swim school’s owner Ryan Griffin admitted health and safety breaches.’
BBC News, 16th January 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A student who sparked a bomb scare by attaching piece of art to a bridge has been sentenced to 90 hours of community service.’
The Independent, 15th January 2019
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Fewer pre-sentence reports (PSR) may be linked to the worrying decline in community sentences in England and Wales, according to interim analysis conducted by a justice thinktank. The Centre for Justice Innovation says community sentences are significantly more effective than short-term custodial sentences to reduce reoffending – a key priority for justice secretary David Gauke. However, community sentences have fallen in England, in contrast to other UK jurisdictions.’
Law Society's Gazette, 19th July 2018
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘A pensioner who sent a racially abusive letter to MP Diane Abbott has been given a 12-month community order.’
BBC News, 2nd May 2018
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Earlier this month, the Chairman of the Sentencing Council, Lord Justice Treacy, wrote to all sentencers to remind them of the requirement to follow the Council’s Imposition of Community and Custodial Sentences Definitive Guideline, which has been in force since February 2017. Courts are statutorily bound to follow sentencing guidelines unless it is in the interests of justice not to do so.’
Sentencing Council, 24th April 2018
‘A lorry driver has been given a 24-week suspended jail sentence for knocking a Labour peer off his mobility scooter and killing him.’
BBC News, 9th April 2018
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘An ex-Army sergeant major who carried out a “terrifying” sex attack on a 14-year-old girl has avoided prison.’
The Independent, 22nd March 2018
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A man and a woman who fraudulently claimed they fell ill while on holiday in Turkey, but were “rumbled” by images they posted on social media, have been given suspended jail sentences.’
The Guardian, 5th March 2018
Source: www.theguardian.com
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