‘Basic lack of decency’ driving self-harm in women’s prisons, report says – The Guardian

Posted February 5th, 2025 in criminal justice, news, prisons, statistics, women by sally

‘Women in prison are resorting to self-harm because of “astonishing gaps” in basic services including strict time limits when contacting their children and bans from using washing machines for dirty underwear, according to a watchdog’s report.’

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The Guardian, 5th February 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Creators of AI child sex abuse images face up to five years in prison under crackdown – The Independent

‘Creators of AI-generated images of child sexual abuse will face up to five years in prison in a new government crackdown. Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced that the UK will be the first country in the world to make it illegal to own artificial intelligence tools designed to make images of child sexual abuse.’

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The Independent, 2nd February 2025

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Coercive control to be put on par with other types of domestic abuse in England and Wales – The Guardian

‘Coercive control is to be put on a par with other forms of domestic abuse in England and Wales with police and other enforcement agencies working together to tackle it.’

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The Guardian, 3rd February 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Planned UK people-smuggling laws risk ‘criminalising’ asylum seekers, charities say – The Guardian

‘Keir Starmer’s planned people-smuggling laws risk “criminalising” hundreds of asylum seekers, refugee charities have said, after it emerged that people who refuse to be rescued by the French authorities could be jailed for five years.’

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The Guardian, 30th January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

New crime of endangering lives to target small boat crossings – BBC News

‘Endangering lives at sea is to be a new criminal offence carrying a jail term of up to five years as part of plans to tackle people smuggling, the Home Office says.’

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BBC News, 30th January 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Counter terror-style powers to strengthen ability to smash smuggling gangs – Home Office

‘New counter terror-style powers to identify, disrupt and smash people smuggling gangs will be introduced as part of landmark legislation to protect our borders.’

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Home Office, 30th January 2025

Source: www.gov.uk

Law reform charity proposes rights-based framework for AI use in justice system – Local Government Lawyer

‘Law reform charity JUSTICE has proposed the first rights-based framework to guide AI use across the UK justice system in a report that has urged the deployment of the technology be guided by a “clear purpose and responsibility”.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 30th January 2025

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Sir Brian Leveson’s review of the courts – Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog

Posted January 30th, 2025 in criminal justice, Crown Court, delay, news by sally

‘Whatever its cause, a backlog of over 73,000 Crown court cases is not acceptable. Delays for complainants, defendants and witnesses all impede justice. In the third quarter of 2024, the Crown court received over 31,683 new cases and disposed of 29,502. The passage of time will not solve the problem. Change is inevitable.’

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Kingsley Napley Criminal Law Blog, 27th January 2025

Source: www.kingsleynapley.co.uk

In depth: Gauke’s sentencing review – what he should recommend – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted January 29th, 2025 in courts, criminal justice, delay, government departments, news, prisons, sentencing by tracey

‘David Gauke’s sentencing review must complement Sir Brian Leveson’s review of the courts if the government is going to come up with a holistic prescription for criminal justice.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 28th January 2025

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Asbo for adults: Doubts cast over respect orders – BBC News

Posted January 29th, 2025 in anti-social behaviour, ASBOs, bills, criminal justice, news by tracey

‘Doubts have been cast over government plans to introduce a version of the Anti-social Behaviour Order (Asbo) for adults.’

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BBC News, 29th January 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Wimbledon school crash driver arrested in reopened investigation – The Guardian

‘The driver of a Land Rover that crashed into a school in Wimbledon, killing two children, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, the Metropolitan police have said.’

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The Guardian, 28th January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Southport murders: No 10 rejects calls to change law on whole-life sentences – The Guardian

‘Downing Street has rejected calls for sentencing changes, saying it does not have the power to extend whole-life sentences to killers aged under 18 because of international law.’

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The Guardian, 24th February 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Just Stop Oil protester has prison sentence extended – BBC News

‘A 78-year-old climate protester has had her prison sentence extended by 20 days for being “unlawfully at large”, after the authorities failed to find a tracking bracelet that fitted her.’

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BBC News, 26th January 2025

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Southport attack: why is so much information being published only now? – The Guardian

‘Axel Rudakubana, 18, on Monday pleaded guilty to the murders of three young girls – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine – and the attempted murder of eight other children and two adults at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last summer. He also admitted producing the biological toxin ricin, and possessing a terrorist handbook about al-Qaida. The guilty pleas have triggered a deluge of new information about the teenage attacker and how he had been known to the authorities before the atrocity on 29 July last year. It has also prompted searching questions about how the state failed to stop the attack – and whether there has been a cover-up. Here we answer some of the key questions about the Southport attack.’

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The Guardian, 21st January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

PM statement on the Southport public inquiry: 21 January 2025 – Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street

‘Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a statement on the Southport public inquiry today.’

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Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, 21st January 2025

Source: www.gov.uk

Prosecutors to press on with manslaughter cases despite Kiena Dawes verdict – The Guardian

‘The not guilty verdict in the trial of a man accused of driving a young mother to suicide will not deter future manslaughter charges, with more such prosecutions already in the pipeline, a senior prosecutor has said.’

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The Guardian, 19th January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Barristers call for radical rethink on ‘tough’ sentencing – The Bar Council

Posted January 20th, 2025 in barristers, criminal justice, news, sentencing by tracey

‘Successive governments’ “tough on crime” pledges will not be met through longer prison sentences, the Bar Council argues in a new submission to the sentencing review.
In response to the Gauke review’s call for evidence, the Bar Council’s submission – written by a working group of criminal barristers – points to the fact that while sentences have been getting longer, the latest data from the ONS shows an increase in almost every area of crime.’

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The Bar Council, 19th January 2025

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Private conversations and standards of propriety: DPP v Cobban – Journal of Media Law

‘This comment considers the decision of the Divisional Court in DPP v Cobban, looking at the application of s 127 of the Communications Act 2003 and the compatibility with Articles 8 and 10 of the ECHR. The comment argues that the decision is significant in imposing a criminal restriction to uphold standards of propriety in relation to a closed conversation between consenting adults. The comment also questions whether the reach of the decision can be limited to a context that involves police officers. The decision points to the limited protection of expression rights and highlights the ongoing problems of s 127 in applying a standard of gross offence in a speech crime.’

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Journal of Media Law, 10th January 2025

Source: www.tandfonline.com

Andrew Malkinson calls miscarriage of justice watchdog’s ex-head ‘shameless’ – The Guardian

‘Andrew Malkinson has called the former head of the miscarriage of justice watchdog “shameless” as she resigned from the job saying she had been “scapegoated for entirely legitimate decisions” taken over his case.’

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The Guardian, 14th January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com

Most violent or sexual offences went unsolved in crime hotspots in England and Wales last year – The Guardian

Posted January 13th, 2025 in criminal justice, news, police, sexual offences, victims, violence by sally

‘Victims are being “let down time and time again” by police, a minister has said, as almost every violent or sexual offence went unsolved in hundreds of crime hotspots last year.’

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The Guardian, 13th January 2025

Source: www.theguardian.com