Category: Latest News

It’s funny how things change as the years pass by. Perhaps only ten years ago, if we were thinking about particular spikes in alleged criminal offending over the Christmas period, the one that would jump out would always be drunk driving.  These days it is common to come across drug driving due to advances in… Continue reading Excess….As Night Follows Day

The old rule was that once a jury had retired to consider its verdict, no further evidence could be adduced.  The rule was stated in these terms: “… The jury may not when they have once retired to consider their verdict be given any additional evidence, any additional matter or material to assist them. They… Continue reading Jury in Retirement – Is Further Evidence Permissible?

Public sexual harassment (‘PSH’) will be made a specific offence through government-backed legislation. It is believed that creating an offence would contribute to cultural change and send a clear message that this behaviour is unacceptable. PSH can, when it happens, lead to adverse emotional effects on the victims, including impacts on their mental health. It… Continue reading Government Supports a New Public Sexual Harassment Offence

What impact might the serious ill health of counsel have on the safety of a conviction? The Appellant asked the Court of Appeal to resolve this question, which had been formulated in these terms: “Where after a trial in which the defendant was convicted it becomes known that defence counsel was suffering from a serious… Continue reading Health of Counsel as A Ground of Appeal

The Ministry of Justice has announced emergency measures that will see some people who ought to be in prison instead placed in police cells. The capacity pressure is specific to the adult male estate, and there is ample capacity in the women’s and youth estates. There are currently about 83,000 people in prison At the… Continue reading Police Cells For Prisoners

It is now commonplace for us to be asked to deal with cases where a person is accused of a crime, most commonly of a sexual nature, which is said to have occurred many decades earlier. Not surprisingly, those accused will wonder how they can be expected to properly defend themselves after such a passage… Continue reading Delay & Alleged Historic Offending

It is an offence for a person, with the intention to (a) of cause public alarm or anxiety, or (b) cause injury to members of the public consuming or using the goods, or (c) cause economic loss to any person by reason of the goods being shunned by members of the public, or (d) cause… Continue reading Contamination of or Interference with Goods

Any avid fan of American courtroom drama will be familiar with the idea of lawyers using ingenious methods to try and select a favourable jury panel. In England and Wales, the scope for objection is minimal, and in most cases, the jurors chosen to sit will remain on the case. Many clients question the potential… Continue reading Juror Bias?

The Attorney General has the power to refer to the Court of Appeal sentences for certain offences which they believe to be unduly lenient. This is sometimes called the unduly lenient sentence scheme.  The scheme was established in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and came into force in 1989. The purpose of the scheme is… Continue reading Review of Unduly Lenient Sentences – Latest Figures Published