Discount for early guilty pleas ‘could be abolished’ – report – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted August 10th, 2020 in criminal justice, guilty pleas, imprisonment, lord chancellor, news, sentencing by sally

‘Automatically discounted prison sentences for criminals who plead guilty at the earliest opportunity may be abolished in a bid to secure public confidence, it has been reported today.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 7th August 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Government rejects calls to make ‘spiralling’ pet theft a crime – BBC News

Posted July 31st, 2020 in animals, coronavirus, criminal justice, news, theft by sally

‘Calls to make pet theft a specific criminal offence have been rejected by ministers, who say it is covered by existing laws.’

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BBC News, 30th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New survey reveals justice system hanging by a thread – Bar Council

Posted July 30th, 2020 in barristers, coronavirus, criminal justice, diversity, news, reports by sally

‘The Bar Council’s latest survey of the barristers’ profession has revealed the profound impact of Covid-19 on justice. It finds a criminal justice system pushed to breaking point and a huge reduction in work and income, forecasting an exodus that could drain the Bar of diversity and diminish access to justice in the future.’

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Bar Council, 27th July 2020

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Justice committee launches inquiry into court backlog – Legal Futures

‘MPs have today launched an inquiry to investigate delays in the court system and what should be done to clear the backlog of cases.’

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Legal Futures, 30th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘Radical’ reform needed for police to cope with modern crime and security threats, report finds – The Independent

Posted July 29th, 2020 in criminal justice, news, police, reports, statistics by sally

‘“Radical” reform is needed for police to be able to cope with modern crime and security threats, a report has said.’

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The Independent, 29th August 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Youth Justice Board chair aims to tackle racial disparities in criminal justice system in England and Wales – The Guardian

Posted July 27th, 2020 in children, criminal justice, news, race discrimination, racism, statistics by sally

‘Keith Fraser says all agencies working with BAME children need to examine their practices, and that children should not be treated the same as adults in the justice system.’

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The Guardian, 27th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Justice secretary drops plan to replace jury trials – Legal Futures

‘Lord Chancellor Robert Buckland has dropped a widely criticised plan to replace juries in some criminal trials with a judge and two magistrates.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

“Our goodwill has run dry” – hundreds to refuse out-of-hours hearings – Legal Futures

‘Hundreds of crime lawyers have issued public refusals to attend hearings in evenings or at weekends as new figures show that backlogs in courts and tribunals were growing even before the coronavirus.’

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Legal Futures, 24th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Christopher Kapessa river death: No prosecution decision upheld – BBC News

‘A 14-year-old boy who pushed a boy, 13, into a river before he died will not be prosecuted, a review has concluded.’

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BBC News, 20th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Clearer guidelines issued in UK for sentencing offenders with mental health disorders – The Guardian

‘Clearer guidelines have been published for courts sentencing offenders who have schizophrenia, depression or other mental disorders.’

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The Guardian, 22nd July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Legal aid minister under fire from practitioners – Legal Futures

Posted July 21st, 2020 in coronavirus, criminal justice, legal aid, legal profession, news by sally

‘Criminal lawyers took their fight for government support direct to the legal aid minister yesterday, haranguing him mercilessly during an online meeting and complaining that barristers were operating on “petrol fumes” due to the absence of jury trials.’

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Legal Futures, 21st July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Location of ‘Nightingale courts’ to tackle case backlog in England and Wales revealed – The Guardian

Posted July 21st, 2020 in civil justice, coronavirus, courts, criminal justice, delay, news by sally

‘The locations of 10 emergency “Nightingale courts” created by the Ministry of Justice for socially distanced trials to tackle the massive backlog in cases in England and Wales have been announced.’

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The Guardian, 19th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Knife crime in England and Wales at record high, figures show – BBC News

Posted July 20th, 2020 in criminal justice, homicide, murder, news, offensive weapons, statistics, violence by sally

‘The number of knife crimes In England and Wales has risen to a new record high, says the Office for National Statistics.’

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BBC News, 17th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Criminal justice commission may not report until 2022 – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 16th, 2020 in criminal justice, inquiries, news, reports by sally

‘A Royal Commission announced in the Queen’s speech at the start of the year to review and improve efficiency in the criminal justice system will not start work until the autumn and may not report until 2022, it has emerged.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 16th July 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

EU citizens will be deported for minor offences under Priti Patel’s post-Brexit immigration crackdown, lawyer warns – The Independent

‘EU citizens will be deported for minor offences under Priti Patel’s post-Brexit immigration crackdown, despite having permission to stay, a leading lawyer has warned.’

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The Independent, 14th July 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Angry Bar Council mocks Buckland over profession’s support – Legal Futures

‘The Bar Council has come out fighting after the Lord Chancellor told the Today programme that there was “a lot of support” from the legal profession for extending court sitting hours to help recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.’

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Legal Futures, 14th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

We are facing the ‘decriminalisation of rape’, warns victims’ commissioner – The Guardian

Posted July 14th, 2020 in criminal justice, news, prosecutions, rape, victims by sally

‘Rape has effectively been decriminalised as a result of a collapse in prosecutions that has allowed many offenders to escape justice, according to the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales.’

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The Guardian, 14th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

‘More and more’ victims dropping out of prosecutions as court backlog mounts during coronavirus – The Independent

Posted July 14th, 2020 in coronavirus, criminal justice, delay, news, prosecutions, victims by sally

‘“More and more” victims are dropping out of court cases as delays mount amid an increasing backlog, a leading expert has warned. Dame Vera Baird, the victims’ commissioner for England and Wales, told The Independent changes to hearings caused by the coronavirus pandemic were partly to blame.’

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The Independent, 14th April 2020

Source: www.independent.co.uk

The impact of COVID-19 on sentencing – Park Square Barristers

‘This article reviews two Court of Appeal cases which have considered the effect that COVID-19 can have in sentencing in cases where the custody threshold has been passed. In summary, the cases make clear that the adverse effects the pandemic has had on prison life is a relevant factor a sentencing court can take into consideration in deciding: 1) whether to impose a suspend a sentence; and 2) the length of any immediate custodial sentence.’

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Park Square Barristers, 3rd July 2020

Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk

Barristers plead with peers for government Covid support – Legal Futures

‘Criminal defence barristers have made a desperate plea to peers for government support to survive the Covid-19 crisis, with solicitors agreeing that the profession was in dire straits.’

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Legal Futures, 13th July 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk