Crime victims ‘hesitant’ to report them over court delays – BBC News

Posted July 13th, 2021 in crime, criminal justice, delay, news, victims by sally

‘A victim of crime says some people are put off reporting incidents because of delays in getting justice. More than 57,000 trials are yet to be heard in crown courts across England and Wales due to a backlog made worse by the coronavirus pandemic.’

Full Story

BBC News, 13th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police bill risks criminalising homeless people, warn UK charities – The Guardian

‘Leading homelessness charities have made an unprecedented joint plea to UK ministers to reconsider the police and crime bill, warning it could in effect criminalise large numbers of people simply for being homeless.’

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The Guardian, 8th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Epidemic of violence against women under way in England and Wales – report – The Guardian

‘Women and girls are being subjected to an epidemic of violence that requires a “radical and bold” shift in how authorities in England and Wales tackle crimes that disproportionately affect female victims, a police watchdog has warned.’

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The Guardian, 7th July 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘Probation officers are the forgotten part of the criminal justice system’ – BBC News

Posted July 7th, 2021 in criminal justice, news, probation by sally

It’s a job that you don’t often see in police dramas and documentaries. Sam Gildersleeve wants to show you what it’s like being a probation officer in Chelmsford, Essex.

Full Story

BBC News, 6th July 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

36 Crime Criminal Updates – The 36 Group

‘We are grateful to the contributors to this Newsletter. Sam Skinner’s case note on the recent decision in R -v- Brecani addresses the consequence of this important shift away from accepting as expert evidence the conclusive decisions made by civil servants within the Home Office on referrals for human trafficking and modern slavery. Kate Kelleher provides a timely reminder that the provisions of the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021 is in force from 29th June 2021 and provides a commentary on the most notable recent developments in the prosecutions of animal welfare offences. In April and May Catherine Rose and Tom Parker ran a 2-part webinar session on Open-Source Evidence with contributions from a panel of leading experts from the US and UK. Their article is just a taster of the material covered in greater depth in the sessions. A timely warning to apply the basic critical analysis we use in relation to evidence from many scientific fields to all such evidence before relying on it at face value. Mary Prior Q.C. has provided a comprehensive round up in the Crime Bulletin of all the recent decisions of importance in a broad spectrum of procedural and offence-based areas.’

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The 36 Group, 28th June 2021

Source: 36group.co.uk

Crown court backlog hits record high of 60,000 cases as victims wait years for justice – The Independent

‘The backlog of crown court cases in England and Wales has hit a record number of almost 60,000 as waiting times rocket for victims and defendants.’

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The Independent, 24th June 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Legal experts worldwide draw up ‘historic’ definition of ecocide – The Guardian

‘Legal experts from across the globe have drawn up a “historic” definition of ecocide, intended to be adopted by the international criminal court to prosecute the most egregious offences against the environment.’

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The Guardian, 22nd June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Drill music as bad character evidence – 6KBW College Hill

‘The past decade has seen the emergence of ‘drill music’ content increasingly used by the prosecution in criminal trials involving young, black, male defendants accused of gang-related offences.’

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6KBW College Hill, 13th June 2021

Source: blog.6kbw.com

New minimum standards for rape and sexual assault victim support – Crown Prosecution Service

‘We know that when victims have good emotional and practical support from our excellent ISVA partners, and close liaison with police and prosecutors, the criminal justice process becomes more manageable for them and justice outcomes improve. Currently there is a gap on setting out what best practice looks like – this framework aims to close that gap. New minimum standards for the support of rape and sexual violence victims have today (Friday 18 June) been published by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).’

Full Story

Crown Prosecution Service, 17th June 2021

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Law Commission seek views on corporate criminal liability – Law Commission

‘The Law Commission is seeking views on whether, and how, the law relating to corporate criminal liability can be improved so that they appropriately capture and punish criminal offences committed by corporations, and their directors or senior management.’

Full press release

Law Commission, 9th June 2021

Source: www.lawcom.gov.uk/

Why The Government Needs To Halt The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill – Each Other

Posted June 8th, 2021 in bills, criminal justice, minorities, news, stop and search, young offenders by sally

‘Even if you are not a keen follower of new government legislation, chances are you have already heard of The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.’

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Each Other, 7th June 2021

Source: eachother.org.uk

Lord Chancellor outlines his plans to recover the justice system from COVID-19 – Ministry of Justice

‘The Lord Chancellor spoke at the Law Society to thank the hidden heroes who kept justice moving during the COVID-19 pandemic and outlined his plans for recovering the system, as well as propelling it towards a better future.’

Full speech

Ministry of Justice, 4th June 2021

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

Rape cases in England and Wales will be hit hard by backlog, says police chief – The Guardian

‘Rape and domestic violence cases in England and Wales will be among the worst hit from the growing backlog in the judicial system, and trials could soon start collapsing because of severe delays, the new crime commissioner for England’s second biggest force has warned.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 6th June 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Rape victims in England and Wales to give video evidence to boost convictions – The Guardian

‘Rape victims in England and Wales will be able to provide their evidence on video prior to a trial to help improve conviction rates, it is understood.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 17th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

CPS review findings for first year of coronavirus prosecutions – Crown Prosecution Service

‘The CPS has now reviewed a full year’s worth of cases charged under the coronavirus legislation, as part of our commitment to ensuring the laws are being applied consistently and correctly. Prosecutors checked 1,821 finalised cases under the Coronavirus Act and Health Protection Regulations between 26 March 2020 and 31 March 2021.’

Full Story

Crown Prosecution Service, 13th May 2021

Source: www.cps.gov.uk

Court case delays left assault victim waiting over a year – BBC News

Posted April 23rd, 2021 in assault, budgets, coronavirus, criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, news, trials, victims by sally

‘The government has announced emergency funding to help tackle huge delays in court trials.’

Full Story

BBC News, 23rd April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Police ‘decided not to investigate’ more crimes during coronavirus pandemic, watchdog says – The Independent

Posted April 21st, 2021 in coronavirus, criminal justice, news, ombudsmen, police, statistics, victims by sally

‘Police in some areas of Britain have “increased the number of crimes they decided not to investigate” during the coronavirus pandemic, a watchdog has revealed.’

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The Independent, 20th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Ep 140: Harriet Wistrich on Criminal Justice for Women – Law Pod UK

Posted April 13th, 2021 in criminal justice, news, podcasts, women by sally

‘Following International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, Emma-Louise Fenelon spoke to Harriet Wistrich, founder of the Centre for Women’s Justice about the many ways in which the UK criminal justice system is failing women.’

Full Story

Law Pod UK, 12th April 2021

Source: audioboom.com

Police cannot tackle all Covid breaches as crime returns to pre-pandemic levels, senior officer warns – The Independent

Posted April 12th, 2021 in burglary, coronavirus, criminal justice, news, police, theft, violence by sally

‘Police will not be able to respond to all breaches of coronavirus restrictions as crime rises towards pre-pandemic levels, a senior officer has warned.’

Full Story

The Independent, 12th April 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

I’ve seen how the UK justice system is crumbling. Why doesn’t the government take action? – Dominic Grieve – The Guardian

Posted April 6th, 2021 in budgets, civil justice, courts, criminal justice, legal aid, news, prisons by sally

‘From decrepit court buildings to legal aid cuts, the service has been brought to its knees. And there’s little hope of change.’

Full Story

The Guardian, 5th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com