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A Summer of Protest?

As we slowly exit the Covid-19 ‘lockdown’, we have seen several protests in major cities. As life moves toward a more ‘normal’ footing, whatever that may be, and as we enter the Summer months, protest action may likely increase. In this article, we explore some of the legal powers that regulate processions and assemblies, found… Continue reading A Summer of Protest?

Road Traffic Offences During Lockdown

Speeding is one of the most common road traffic offences committed on UK roads, and it can have fatal consequences. Nobody is ever in that much of a rush to justify breaking the set national speed limits and put their, and other lives, in danger; it’s really not worth the consequences.   Driving at speed… Continue reading Road Traffic Offences During Lockdown

Publishing Hate Material: Tough Sentences Can Follow

The recent case of Jay Davison acts as a stark reminder of the consequences that can flow if hate material is published. Davison was convicted of three offences of publishing material with intent to stir up racial hatred, for which he was subsequently sentenced to a period of four years’ imprisonment to run concurrently on each… Continue reading Publishing Hate Material: Tough Sentences Can Follow

Appeals

There are several types of criminal appeals.   Appeals against conviction or sentence Cases start in the Magistrates Court. If you want to appeal against a conviction or sentence in that Court, you can appeal to the Crown Court. If you are dealt with in the Crown Court and want to appeal against a conviction or… Continue reading Appeals

Jury Trials and Covid-19

In a startling announcement, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland admitted that the right to a jury trial is in his sights and might be curtailed in a few weeks time. Before the Coronavirus pandemic, the Crown Court case backlog was approximately 39,000 cases. Since lockdown, that number has grown considerably as only a trickle of cases have… Continue reading Jury Trials and Covid-19

Terminating Rulings

When a judge makes a ruling at a crown court trial relating to one or more of the offences faced, the prosecution may have a right to appeal against that ruling. The right to appeal against a terminating ruling is strictly conditional upon certain procedures being followed.  The right to appeal requires the prosecution to… Continue reading Terminating Rulings

What Are the Different Types of Criminal Defence?

Defences are conditions that tend to negate elements of a crime, particularly the ‘intent’. In many jurisdictions, when proving a crime during prosecution, the lawyers must also prove that none of these defences were present when the crime was committed. If present, these criminal defences could provide partial or total refuge from punishment.   What… Continue reading What Are the Different Types of Criminal Defence?

End of Automatic Release for Some Persons Convicted of Terrorist Offences

On Sunday 1st February 2020, Sudesh Amman wore a fake suicide vest and stabbed two people in Streatham. Amman had only recently been released from a prison sentence imposed for spreading extremist material; he had been released after serving half of his sentence. Usman Khan, one of the London Bridge attackers, had also been released… Continue reading End of Automatic Release for Some Persons Convicted of Terrorist Offences

Do You Need a Speeding Solicitor?

Speeding is dangerous and in some cases, fatal, yet this type of offence is among the most common road traffic offences. Speed Limits Knowing the speed limits for the type of road you are on is vital. Whilst going too far can cause an accident, driving much too slowly for the road you are on… Continue reading Do You Need a Speeding Solicitor?

“Blackmail” – “…attempted murder of the soul.”

A new series on Netflix, ‘The Stranger’, is receiving rave reviews, with viewers keen to discover the secret being kept from lawyer Adam Price, as the search continues for his missing wife. There are many sub-plots along the way, including the blackmail of several individuals keen to suppress unsavoury stories making their way into the… Continue reading “Blackmail” – “…attempted murder of the soul.”