News & Advice

The government is consulting on legislative measures to provide the police with more tools to disrupt knife possession and tackle knife crime.  It has identified certain types of machetes and large outdoor knives that do not seem to have a practical use and appear to be designed to look menacing and be favoured by those… Continue reading Government Consults on New Knife Crime Laws

The advice here concerns ‘lethal barrelled’ air weapons – those with muzzle energy of more than 1 joule. Guns below this threshold, and qualifying ‘airsoft’ guns, are not regarded as firearms. Air weapons with muzzle energy greater than 12 foot-pounds may only be held on a firearm certificate issued by local police forces. Air pistols… Continue reading Air Weapons – Safety Tips to Keep You Out Of Court

When a court bails a person, they will often be given a precise future date on which they should attend again. In the Crown Court, this is only sometimes the case, and a client will rely upon their solicitor to inform them of any future dates on which the case is listed, and attendance is… Continue reading Failing to Surrender – It’s My Solicitor’s Fault!

During the life of a criminal case, it is common for a defendant to face a different judge each hearing. In more complex cases, hearings are reserved wherever possible to the same judge to save duplication of judicial resources and more effectively manage the case, but there is no rule that the same judge must… Continue reading The Importance of Judicial Continuity

Most motorists are alert to law enforcement when driving, taking notice of speed limits, speed camera warnings, and generally being alert to the fact that a police car may be waiting just around the corner.  But how often do you look up? Sure, if you are being pursued at high speed by a police car,… Continue reading Eye In The Sky

The government says that: “The bill will introduce measures to better serve victims and the public through improving victims’ experiences of the Criminal Justice System, establishing an Independent Advocate to support victims of major incidents, strengthening the parole system and restricting marriage in prisons for those under whole life orders to ensure that the public… Continue reading The Government Has Introduced the Victims and Prisoners Bill into Parliament

During the Coronavirus Pandemic, the courts resorted to hearings via video link in many cases (‘remote hearings’), and that trend has continued to a lesser extent since. A remote hearing is defined as one where any participant joins the hearing remotely via telephone or video call. Many people have questioned whether such hearings are fair,… Continue reading Is Remote Justice Fair?

In a recent case, a Transport Commissioner removed an Operator’s License from a driver who had engaged in a “road rage” incident following what was otherwise a minor traffic incident. The driver, Kevin Griggs, was involved in a slight collision with another vehicle at the roundabout.  Griggs then forced that other vehicle off the road… Continue reading Haulage Operators & “Road Rage”

The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Miscarriages of Justice has announced the launch of the Westminster Commission on Forensic Science. Over the next 18 months, a Westminster Commission inquiry, co-chaired by Baroness Sue Black and Professor Angela Gallop, will be taking evidence over a series of sessions conducted in Westminster and online. It will be seeking… Continue reading Forensic Science Under the Microscope