Legal giants pour scorn on Labour’s record – The Times

Posted July 28th, 2007 in criminal justice, judiciary, legal aid, Ministry of Justice, news by sally

“A group of the UK’s most influential barristers has severely criticised the Labour Government’s treatment of the UK legal system over the past ten years.”

Full story

The Times, 27th July 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Youth crime targets missed – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 25th, 2007 in criminal justice, news, young offenders by sally

“Increases in arrests of young people for petty crimes and anti-social behaviour have undermined Government efforts to reduce the number of youths entering the criminal justice system, according to a report.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 25th July 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Women and justice report – The Fawcett Society

Posted July 25th, 2007 in criminal justice, reports, women by sally

“This report, published on Wednesday 25 July, examines the work that has been done in the last year to improve the criminal justice system for women, as offenders, victims and staff … ”

Women and justice: the third annual review of the Commission on Women and the Criminal Justice System (PDF)

The Fawcett Society, 25th July 2007

Source: www.fawcettsociety.org.uk

More than half of offenders not taken to court – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 18th, 2007 in criminal justice, news by sally

“The number of criminals dealt with by fines and “slap on the wrist” cautions in England and Wales has overtaken the total taken to court, it was disclosed yesterday.”

Full story 

Daily Telegraph, 18th July 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Half of criminals are never prosecuted – The Times

Posted July 17th, 2007 in criminal justice, news by sally

“Fewer than half of the criminals brought to justice by authorities in England and Wales are taken to court, it was revealed today.”

Full story

The Times, 17th July 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Protest over prosecutions without lawyers – The Times

Posted July 16th, 2007 in criminal justice, Crown Prosecution Service, news, prosecutions by sally

“Thousands of trials a year could be prosecuted by non-lawyers under plans for an extension of the powers of the Crown Prosecution Service’s lay staff.”

Full story

The Times, 16th July 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill – Ministry of Justice

Posted June 27th, 2007 in bills, criminal justice, immigration, press releases by sally

“Tougher offences to tackle crime and strong, new measures to cut re-offending were announced today (26 June) by David Hanson MP, Minister of Justice and Baroness Scotland, Home Office Minister for Crime Reduction.”

Full story

Ministry of Justice press release, 26th June 2007

Source: www.justice.gov.uk

More prisoners to be freed early – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 27th, 2007 in criminal justice, news, sentencing by sally

“Thousands more convicts are to spend less time in jail as a result of law and order measures published by the Government yesterday.”

Full story

Daily Telegraph, 27th June 2007

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Justice reforms focus on prostitution and jail numbers – The Guardian

Posted June 27th, 2007 in criminal justice, news, prostitution by sally

“After nearly 200 years the stigmatising legal term “common prostitute” which dates back to the 1824 Vagrancy Act is to be removed from the statute book, under a package of criminal justice reforms unveiled yesterday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 27th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

3m crimes a year ‘left out of official figures’ – The Guardian

Posted June 26th, 2007 in corporate manslaughter, criminal justice, news, statistics by sally

“A fresh row over the government’s crime statistics broke out last night after two criminologists said the authoritative British Crime Survey excludes 3 million offences a year.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th June 2007

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New law will see 3,000 more being sent to jail – Sunday Times

Posted June 25th, 2007 in criminal justice, news, violent offenders by sally

“Thousands more criminals will be sent to prison as a result of laws expected to be announced this week, Whitehall officials have privately admitted.”

Full story

Sunday Times, 24th June 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Crime Bill may add to prison overcrowding – The Times

Posted May 29th, 2007 in criminal justice, news, prisons by sally

“Tony Blair’s final measures to tackle law and order are being threatened by a Cabinet dispute over fears that the Bill will fuel a further 3,000 rise in prison numbers.”

Full story

The Times, 26th May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Crimes backlog four times worse – BBC News

Posted May 23rd, 2007 in criminal justice, criminal records, news by traceydennis

“The number of serious offences committed by Britons abroad which the Home Office failed to record was four times higher than first thought”

Full story

BBC news,  23rd May 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Regina v. M; Regina v. Z; Regina v. I; Regina v. R; Regina v. B (No 2) – Times Law Reports

Posted May 17th, 2007 in appeals, criminal justice, law reports by sally

Later appeal decision prevails

Regina v. M; Regina v. Z; Regina v. I; Regina v. R; Regina v. B (No. 2)

Court of Appeal (Criminal Division)

“Where a judge at a preparatory hearing made a ruling which was overturned on appeal and a differently constituted Court of Appeal in a subsequent case held that the earlier case had been decided per incuriam, the judge was bound to follow the later decision in the interests of justice as a whole and because any rulings of law made at preparatory hearings had correctly to reflect the law which would govern the trial The Court of Appeal, Criminal Division, so held when giving reserved reasons for dismissing on April 19 an interlocutory appeal by M, Z, I, R and B against a ruling made on April 4, 2007 by Judge Beaumont, QC, at the Central Criminal Court at a preparatory hearing under Part III of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 when he held that he was bound by the decision in R v Rowe ( The Times March 26, 2007) rather than another Court of Appeal’s decision in the first appeal of R v M and Others (unreported [2007] EWCA Crim 218) which was decided earlier.”

The Times, 17th May 2007

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk

Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.

Judge criticises 21/7 trial delay – BBC News

Posted April 16th, 2007 in criminal justice, delay, news by sally

“The judge in the 21 July trial has said a further delay has shown the criminal justice system in a ‘very poor light’.” 

Full story

BBC News, 13th April 2007

Source: www.bbc.co.uk