Jail terms of 20+ years ‘quadruple’ in England and Wales over past decade – The Guardian

‘The number of people sentenced to more than 20 years in prison has quadrupled over the last decade, figures have shown. Given the increase in average tariff lengths handed down by courts, this figure is expected to continue to rise substantially over coming years.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 3rd October 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

More rape trials to allow pre-recorded evidence – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Victims of alleged sexual violence in London and the north east will be spared live cross-examination from today, as part of a pilot scheme to make trials less traumatic for complainants.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 30th September 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Fear of more baby deaths as ministers stand firm on jailing pregnant women – The Guardian

‘Experts have warned that more babies could die in prison owing to the government’s expansion of female prison places and ministers’ refusal to grant multiple requests to end the incarceration of pregnant women.’

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The Guardian, 23rd September 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Violence against women and girls should be treated with same priority as terrorism, says watchdog – The Independent

‘“Radical” change is needed to stop an epidemic of violence against women and girls in Britain, a watchdog has found.
An inspection sparked by the killing of Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped, raped and murdered by a serving police officer, said police must prioritise protecting women as highly as counter-terrorism.’

Full Story

The Independent, 17th September 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Watchdog finds ‘staggering variation’ in police use of Clare’s Law – The Guardian

Posted September 17th, 2021 in criminal justice, domestic violence, news, ombudsmen, police, statistics, violence, women by tracey

‘Clare’s Law, a scheme designed to protect unsuspecting women from new partners with a history of violence, is not being used properly by police forces, putting some women at risk of harm, a policing watchdog has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 17th September 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Angry and despairing criminal Bar to “draw a line in the sand” – Legal Futures

Posted September 14th, 2021 in barristers, coronavirus, criminal justice, news by tracey

‘The “prevailing mood” among criminal defence barristers is one of “visceral anger and despair” and it is time to draw a line in the sand, the new chair of the Criminal Bar Association warned yesterday.’

Full Story

Legal Futures, 14th September 2021

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government says discrimination against black people and Travellers ‘objectively justified’ with new laws – The Independent

‘Discrimination against black people and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in a controversial suite of new laws is “objectively justified”, the government has claimed.’

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The Independent, 13th September 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Lord Chancellor addresses the Cambridge Economic Crime Symposium – Ministry of Justice

‘The Lord Chancellor spoke during the 38th annual Symposium held at Jesus College, University of Cambridge – to give an update on the government’s progress and plans in relation to economic crime.’

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 10th September 2021

Source: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice

Policing bill will deepen racial and gender disparities, say experts – The Guardian

‘A new policing bill that will be debated this week risks deepening racial and gender disparities in the justice system while forcing professionals to betray the trust of vulnerable people, hundreds of experts and a report have warned.’

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The Guardian, 13th September 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Possession of laughing gas could become a criminal offence, Priti Patel says – The Independent

‘Priti Patel has announced that the Home Office is seeking advice on whether to criminalise the possession of laughing gas.’

Full Story

The Independent, 3rd September 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Cressida Dick referred to police watchdog over ‘defence of officer facing criminal trial’ – The Independent

‘Dame Cressida Dick has been referred to the police watchdog after publicly supporting a senior officer who faces a criminal trial in relation to a bullying probe.’

Full Story

The Independent, 22nd August 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Sentences for violent and sexual crimes fall sharply in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘Average sentence lengths for violent and sexual offences in England and Wales fell steeply last year as the Covid pandemic also led to a huge slowdown in the number of people dealt with by the criminal justice system.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 19th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Man with right to British citizenship facing deportation to Jamaica – The Independent

‘A man who has been in the UK for nearly 30 years and is believed to have the right to British citizenship under the Windrush scheme is facing deportation to Jamaica in two days.’

Full Story

The Independent, 10th August 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Chaos as more than a dozen people taken off deportation flight from UK to Jamaica – The Guardian

‘The hours before a controversial Home Office charter flight to Jamaica was due to take off were mired in chaos and confusion as more than a dozen people were removed from the flight after legal challenges. The original Home Office “long list” for the flight is believed to have had 90 names on it. But the fate of the deportation flight hung in the balance on Tuesday evening as only about one tenth remained on the schedule. Tweets from a campaign group in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and flight tracker data, suggested the plane did eventually depart.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 11th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Outcry over plan to deport Jamaican nationals who came to UK as children – The Guardian

‘Preparations are being made for the deportation of a number of Jamaican nationals who came to the UK as children, in an apparent reversal of an earlier agreement not to deport people who arrived in this country as minors. A charter flight to Jamaica is scheduled for 11 August, returning several dozen people whose criminal convictions have triggered deportation orders. However, campaigners have protested that it is unreasonable to remove people who have spent a lifetime in the UK to a country where they have no ties.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Lawyers pledge to boycott extended court hours – Law Society’s Gazette

‘Almost 400 solicitors and barristers have signed an open letter to HM Courts & Tribunals Service, refusing to attend a ‘single court listing outside of regular court hours’. The Ministry of Justice responded today by denying the existence of any plan for weekend sittings.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 5th August 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Why Is Disability Hate Crime So Hard To Prove? – Each Other

‘Under UK law, something is deemed a hate incident if the victim or anyone else thinks it was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, gender identity or sexual orientation. It then becomes a hate crime if it crosses the boundary of criminality.’

Full Story

Each Other, 3rd August 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Black barrister to lead independent police oversight board – The Guardian

Posted August 3rd, 2021 in criminal justice, minorities, news, police, race discrimination by sally

‘Police chiefs hoping to pull themselves out of a race crisis have appointed a new tsar who has previously said black people fear calling on officers for help.’

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The Guardian, 3rd August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘The Mark Duggan case was a catalyst’: the 2011 UK riots 10 years on – The Guardian

Posted August 2nd, 2021 in criminal justice, news, police, public order, race discrimination, racism by sally

‘In 4 August 2011, Mark Duggan was shot and killed by police in Tottenham, north London, sparking the largest civil unrest the UK has seen for a generation. The disturbance quickly spread and for five nights, London, Birmingham, and other major cities in England were engulfed by fire and violence.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 30th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Courts failed people ‘caught up’ in UK riots in 2011, says ex-chief prosecutor – The Guardian

‘Pressures in the criminal justice system meant it failed to distinguish between repeat offenders and people “caught up” in the 2011 English riots, a former chief prosecutor has said.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 1st August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com