News & Advice

The sentencing regime in the magistrates’ court is notoriously complex and about to change again following a government U-Turn. In May 2022, the government allowed magistrates to imprison an adult for up to 12 months for a single either-way offence; the previous maximum for a single offence was 6 months. This change was designed to… Continue reading Change to Magistrates’ Sentencing Powers & Early Release

Sometimes clients contact us because they are unhappy with the way that a judge, or other judicial office-holder, has behaved towards them. These are what are known as complaints about personal conduct of judges.  They are distinct from complaints about points of law, which are about the procedural decisions or the substantive outcome of a legal dispute. Complaints… Continue reading Judicial Complaints

Updates to sentencing guidelines for offenders convicted of child cruelty offences including causing or allowing death or serious injury in England and Wales, were published this week by the Sentencing Council following consultation. Why have the guidelines been revised? Under the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act 2022, for offences committed on or after… Continue reading Child Cruelty – Sentencing Changes

In April 2023, Serious Violence Reduction Orders (SVROs) are due to come into force in certain pilot areas (Section 342A to 342K of the Sentencing Code). The conviction must be for an offence which was committed on or after the first day appointed by regulations for the commencement to any extent of the orders. That… Continue reading Serious Violence Reduction Orders

In 2016, HMCTS launched an ambitious portfolio of reforms later brought together to form the courts and tribunals reform programme. It aims to modernise the justice system by reducing complexity and providing new ways for people to engage. HMCTS intends to achieve this by introducing new technology and working practices, moving activity out of the… Continue reading Courts Reform – Progress Report

In 2022 the Law Commission was asked to clarify the current legal status of remote driving and consider possible reforms. The request came from the UK Government’s Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) and the International Vehicle Standards team at the Department for Transport. This work built on the Law Commission’s work in the… Continue reading Driverless Cars and Legal Reforms – One Step Closer?

The current Justice Secretary has long been on record as no fan of the Parole Board. A string of high-profile interventions, primarily unsuccessful, has led to new changes being announced, intending to make it more difficult for many offenders to secure release. In his latest move, Dominic Raab proposes increasing the number of Parole Board… Continue reading Parole Board Reforms – Stacking the odds?

The Court of Appeal has issued guidance on whether it is ever appropriate to disqualify someone from driving a motor vehicle for the rest of their life. The Court was considering a case where a Judge made the following remarks when imposing such a ban: “… you are an absolute menace to other road users.… Continue reading Driving Disqualifications – Lifetime Ban?

IPP sentences were introduced to prevent serious offenders being released when still a danger to the public. They were scrapped in 2012, but nearly 3000 people remain in prison under the legislation, with almost half of these having been recalled to prison after earlier being released. The Justice Committee said in a report published in… Continue reading IPP Prisoners Refused Get Out of Jail Card

This will be a concise article because the answer to the question, at least for most of us, is that we don’t know much! What we know is that a complaint was made to the police that led to Greenwood being charged in October 2022 with one count of attempted rape, one count of controlling… Continue reading The Mason Greenwood Case – What do we know?