‘Julian Assange has been released from a British prison and is expected to plead guilty to violating US espionage law, in a deal that would allow him to return home to his native Australia.’
The Guardian, 25th June 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Young prisoners in England and Wales are being rushed into guilty pleas under US-style bargaining arrangements, with some defendants said to be given just 30 minutes to decide, it is claimed.’
The Guardian, 6th October 2022
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘On 4 October 2021, Petrofac Limited (“Petrofac”) was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court following guilty pleas to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery contrary to section 7 of the Bribery Act 2010. This followed a four-year corruption and money laundering investigation conducted by the Serious Fraud Office (“the SFO”) and the earlier guilty pleas of David Lufkin, former Global Head of Sales, who was sentenced on the same occasion. This followed pre-charge plea discussions between the parties with agreement being reached as to scope of the indictment and approach to sentencing.’
5SAH, 19th October 2021
Source: www.5sah.co.uk
‘The victims’ commissioner for England and Wales is to call for increased support for domestic abuse victims after a woman went into hiding when her violent ex-partner was released from prison early.’
The Guardian, 4th August 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The sons of a woman who killed her husband in a hammer attack have launched a public appeal for her murder charge to be downgraded and have accused the CPS of “discrimination against women”.’
Daily Telegraph, 7th March 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘New guidelines on sentence reductions for early guilty pleas must allow defendants to obtain legal advice before deciding to plead guilty, an influential group of MPs says today.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 14th June 2016
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘More people than ever seem to be defending themselves. If you do it, make sure you understand the law, know the lingo and how to play the system.’
The Guardian, 26th April 2016
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘New guidelines incentivising people accused of criminal offences in England and Wales to plead guilty as early as possible were proposed last week. While existing rules allow for a maximum one-third reduction in the sentence to those who plead guilty at the ‘first reasonable opportunity’, this benefit is now only available to those who plead guilty at their very first court hearing, with the available reduction falling on a steeper sliding scale thereafter.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 15th February 2016
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘Companies which face prosecution for health and safety, environmental and other regulatory breaches would have to plead guilty at an earlier stage or risk higher fines under new proposals put forward by the Sentencing Council, an expert has said.’
OUT-LAW.com, 12th February 2016
Source: www.out-law.com
‘The government’s criminal court charge could be introducing plea-bargaining through the back door, a leading thinktank has warned.’
Law Society’s Gazette, 1st October 2015
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘Yes, Tom Hayes was given a bigger sentence than a rapist might get – but it seems to be in keeping with sentencing guidelines and the principle of deterrence.’
The Guardian, 4th August 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“Last month marked the fourth anniversary of the Attorney-General’s Guidelines on Plea Discussions in Cases of Serious or Complex Fraud (‘the Guidelines’)[1]. They set out the process by which a prosecutor in cases of serious or complex fraud can discuss and agree a basis of plea and joint sentencing submissions with a defendant. When they were promulgated, Baroness Scotland, the then AG said that the Guidelines were designed to help prosecutors resolve fraud cases more effectively to the benefit of the public.”
CrimeLine, 18th June 2013
Source: www.crimeline.info
“An SAS soldier who was ordered to spend 18 months in a military jail for firearms offences could be freed on Thursday when his lawyers contest the sentence in a hearing at the court of appeal.”
The Guardian, 29th November 2012
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The government is expected today to give a cautious go ahead to US-style deferred prosecution agreements (DPAs) for corporate crime. A government response to a Ministry of Justice consultation held last summer is likely to to recommend changing the law to allow such deals to be struck between offending companies and the Serious Fraud Office.”
Law Society’s Gazette, 23rd October 2012
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
“In 2009, Zoe Pemberton, then aged ten, put her grandmother up for auction on eBay ostensibly as a joke. As part of the description she described her grandmother as ‘annoying and moaning a lot’. She also said that she was ‘cuddly’ and ‘likes word searches’. The public bid up to £20,000 until the lot was taken down. If you believe that our criminal justice system is the grandma of every common law system of the world then it seems that she is about to be auctioned off. News is that the Government intends to consult on a new plea bargaining system after big business suggested that the UK should copy the US. At the same time, amongst lawyers and commentators, opinion of the US plea bargaining system is at an all time low.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 3rd May 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
“Ali Naseem Bajwa QC considers the arguments for and against sentence discounts in terrorist cases.”
Garden Court Chambers Blog, 24th April 2012
Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com
“On 29 February 2005, Saajid Badat pleaded guilty to a terrorist conspiracy to destroy, damage or endanger the safety of an aircraft. Badat admitted that in 2001 he had conspired with ‘the shoe bomber’ Richard Reid and a Tunisian, Nizar Trabelsi, in a plot simultaneously to act as suicide bombers in order to blow up two airliners bound for the US. For two months following his plea, Badat assisted UK investigators; however, he held back on a good deal of information.”
Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 23rd April 2012
Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk
“Legislation to set out a framework that would allow businesses and prosecutors to negotiate punishments for criminal activity is being drafted and will be consulted on in June, according to a Sunday newspaper.”
OUT-LAW.com, 23rd April 2012
Source: www.out-law.com
“The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has backed plans to introduce plea bargaining in fraud cases in a bid to reduce the cost of investigations and encourage businesses to self-report. It has said that it supports the passing of new laws to make that process possible.”
OUT-LAW.com, 6th December 2011
Source: www.out-law.com
“After years of debate – and despite a hostile judiciary – pressure is building to bring plea bargaining into UK fraud prosecution. But don’t expect an easy ride, says Kingsley Napley’s Michael Caplan QC.”
Legal Week, 27th October 2011
Source: www.legalweek.com
