Which prisoners will be released from jail early? – BBC News
‘The government has announced emergency measures to deal with prison overcrowding in England and Wales.’
BBC News, 12th July 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: statistics
Multiple homicide: a descriptive study of serial homicide and mass murder in England and Wales – The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology
‘Homicide involving multiple victims is relatively rare in England and Wales. When it does occur, mental illness is assumed to have played a significant role. However, reliable evidence to support this is often lacking. We aimed to describe the prevalence of multiple homicide and its subgroups: serial murder, mass murder and familicide and the presence of mental disorder. Data were obtained from the Home Office, HM Court Service, the Police National Computer and NHS Trusts. In England and Wales 470 killed multiple victims between 1997 and 2018. Most did not have evidence of mental health symptoms at the time of offence (85%) or a recorded history of mental disorder (69%). Mental disorder was also not found in most serial homicides (90%), mass murders (94%), or familicides (70%). A tenth of all multiple homicide perpetrators had been under the care of mental health services a year before the incident. This finding challenges commonly held views about mental disorders and the stigma that is perpetuated when multiple-victim homicides occur. Low prevalence and low levels of contact with mental health services make preventing multiple homicide difficult. Reducing violence across society by adopting a multi-agency public health approach is recommended.’
The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 5th July 2024
Source: www.tandfonline.com
Workplace fatalities rise in the UK -OUT-LAW.com
‘Construction companies have been urged to review their health and safety policies after new data showed most workplace fatalities in the UK occur in the sector.’
OUT-LAW.com, 9th July 2024
Source: www.pinsentmasons.com
Thousands of children “fallen victim” to record backlogs in family courts, Law Society President warns – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Law Society President, Nick Emmerson, has called on the next government to protect children “trapped” in a family court crisis due to record backlogs.’
Local Government Lawyer, 2nd July 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Violence and self-harm in women’s jails hits record high as prisons crisis deepens – The Independent
‘The number of assaults and self-harm incidents in women’s prisons in England and Wales has hit record highs, new figures show.’
The Independent, 27th June 2024
Source: www.independent.co.uk
Murder and manslaughter charges under joint enterprise rise despite concern – The Guardian
‘The number of people facing murder and manslaughter charges despite not being the principal offender has risen significantly, amid official warnings about the use of joint enterprise laws.’
The Guardian, 26th June 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Thousands of cleared asylum claims to be returned to Home Office after errors – The Guardian
‘Thousands of asylum cases that Rishi Sunak claimed had been cleared are on course to be returned to the Home Office because of soaring appeals blamed on “rushed” decisions and processing errors.’
The Guardian, 22nd June 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
DWP algorithm wrongly flags 200,000 people for possible fraud and error – The Guardian
‘More than 200,000 people have wrongly faced investigation for housing benefit fraud and error after the performance of a government algorithm fell far short of expectations, the Guardian can reveal.’
The Guardian, 23rd June 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Acid offences up 75% in UK but only 8% go to court, data suggests – The Guardian
‘Acid attacks and other offences involving corrosive substances in the UK have risen by 75% in a year but only 8% of cases led to criminal charges or a summons, figures suggest.’
The Guardian, 20th June 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Joe Tomlinson: Why Has There Been a 264% Increase in Asylum Appeals? – UK Constitutional Law Association
‘If an application for asylum is refused, the applicant can appeal to the First-tier Tribunal. The latest tribunal statistics show a sharp increase in the number of asylum appeals lodged in the tribunal.’
UK Constitutional Law Association, 19th June 2024
Source: ukconstitutionallaw.org
Met police accused of failing to address toxic culture in firearms unit – The Guardian
‘Action has been taken in only a tiny percentage of internal misconduct claims against officers since review by peer Louise Casey.’
The Guardian, 16th June 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Home Office’s failure to collect and monitor data on asylum accommodation for pregnant and new mothers held to be unlawful – Landmark Chambers
‘The High Court’s decision in DXK v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2024] EWHC 579 (Admin) is a welcome addition to the growing body of case law concerning the ambit and application of asylum support duties. The Court’s findings on academic claims, standing, systemic challenges, and the public sector equality duty (“PSED”) will be of wider practical application in other public law contexts.’
Landmark Chambers, 13th May 2024
Source: www.landmarkchambers.co.uk
One in three parents in care proceedings cases involving babies have learning disabilities or difficulties, researchers find – Local Government Lawyer
‘A study by the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory (NFJO) has found that 34% of parents who are at risk of having their babies removed from their care have learning disabilities or difficulties, which are often not identified until court.’
Local Government Lawyer, 13th June 2024
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
The racialised harm of police strip searches – Runnymede Trust
‘Runnymede Trust analysis of new Home Office strip search data shows that Black people are disproportionately strip searched by nearly all police forces in England and Wales. Black children are 6.5 times more likely than white children, and Black adults 4.7 times more likely than white adults, to be strip searched by police.’
Runnymede Trust, June 2024
Source: cdn.prod.website-files.com
The struggle for justice in one English town – BBC News
‘The backlog of Crown Court cases in England and Wales is close to a record high – more than a quarter have now been open for over a year. In West Mercia, which covers a large part of the West Midlands and the counties bordering Wales, on average nearly 18 months pass between an incident occurring and a jury reaching a verdict. But many people have been waiting a lot longer for justice.’
BBC news, 10th June 2024
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Hundreds of children under 10 subject to stop and search in England and Wales – The Guardian
‘Hundreds of children under 10 faced stop and search by police last year, including some who were strip-searched, the Observer can reveal.’
The Guardian, 25th May 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
Court backlog target in England and Wales no longer achievable, says NAO – The Guardian
‘The Ministry of Justice’s ambition to reduce the backlog in crown courts in England and Wales to 53,000 by March next year is no longer achievable, a parliamentary watchdog has said.’
The Guardian, 24th May 2024
Source: www.theguardian.com
