Category: Latest News

In 1998 a 22-year-old insurance clerk called Helen McCourt was murdered and Ian Simms was convicted of that murder. The Parole Board recently directed Simms’s release saying that they were satisfied that imprisonment was no longer required for the protection of the public. Helen’s family are objecting to the release as Simms has never revealed… Continue reading Helen’s Law

A child or young person under the age of 18 will be treated differently by the Criminal Justice System if they commit a crime. In such cases, significant weight must be given to the age of the child. Responsibility The age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales is 10, this means that a child… Continue reading Committing Crimes Underage

Driving without due care and attention (careless driving) and dangerous driving are separate offences and are dealt with differently in a court of law. What Court Are These Offences Seen in? Careless driving offences are typically held in the magistrate’s court, but both offences may be held in either court, depending on how serious they… Continue reading The Difference Between Careless and Dangerous Driving

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

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?

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.”

We often get asked how prosecutions can proceed in the absence of cooperation from the victim or chief witness. The starting point is that no prosecution can go ahead unless there is a realistic prospect of conviction, but how the prosecution case is formulated remains a matter for the Crown Prosecution to decide. These are… Continue reading Prosecuting Without A ‘Victim’

Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, has written to NHS staff voicing his concern in relation to the use of violence against emergency workers. Hancock’s approach mirrors that taken last year by police chiefs worried about the rise in violence used towards police officers. Last year’s NHS Staff Survey revealed that… Continue reading Tougher Approach to Assaults on NHS Staff

If you ask most people how many people are selected to sit on a jury hearing a criminal case, the answer from most if not all will be 12. It can, therefore, come as something of a surprise to people facing trial at a crown court (and sometimes lawyers not well versed in crown court… Continue reading Jury Trial – Is 14 too many?

By law, every parent must ensure that any child under 14 wears a seatbelt when being a passenger in their car. Those older than 14 are responsible for wearing a seatbelt themselves. Any passenger over 14 and not wearing a seatbelt in a moving vehicle could receive up to a £500 fine The Law and… Continue reading Child Car Seats and The Law