News

‘Follow the money’; bitcoin makes fraud prosecution more difficult
‘Follow the money’ is a rather clichéd line from the film ‘All The President’s Men’ which charted the scandal that engulfed President Nixon in the 1970s. But even today, the money trail is very much the first line of investigation in serious fraud cases, and one that is increasingly difficult to follow. Not so long ago, the ways of committing fraud were somewhat...Read More
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Forensic Testing Scandal – Is Your Conviction Safe?
Forensic Testing Scandal – Is Your Conviction Safe? New details have emerged about forensic testing deficiencies at two of the country’s leading laboratories. Police are currently investigating the circumstances, and a number of people have been arrested. Randox Testing Services (RTS) and Trimega Laboratories handle samples for some of the most high-profile criminal and family law...Read More
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Failed 2016 coup; new extradition rules between the UK and Turkey?
The Guardian reported on Sunday that Turkish officials in London for meetings with the Prime Minister and other members of the Government are expected to raise the question of the extradition of a number of Turks wanted in connection with the failed 2016 coup. A number of wanted persons are now said to be in the UK. This includes members of a group known in Turkey as the Fethullah Terrorist...Read More
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Person ‘wanted’; Interpol Red Notice for extradition
An Interpol red notice is used to locate a person who is wanted for the purpose of extradition. There are in fact eight different coloured notices issued by Interpol, providing different information about people. A Red Notice is only issued when there is a valid national arrest warrant or other judicial warrant. It does not give the power to arrest someone, it simply informs other countries...Read More
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Released under investigation: Ben Stokes and The Ashes
The latest Ashes series between the cricket teams of England and Australia began today. There was a noticeable absentee from the England team: Ben Stokes. You may remember that Stokes was arrested in the early hours of 25th September on suspicion of ABH. Shortly after that, CCTV allegedly showing the incident was widely circulated in the media, and two key witnesses finally came forward...Read More
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Driving disqualification – get your licence back
In some instances, it is possible to apply to a court and ask that a driving disqualification is ended early. Therefore, if your circumstances have changed since being disqualified, it is worth discussing with one of our criminal law specialists whether or not you can take advantage of this legal provision. What are the rules? You can ask the court to reduce your disqualification period...Read More
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Festive drinking; none for the road
As we put Halloween and Bonfire Night behind us, easing into those dark wintry nights, it isn’t long before Christmas is in our sights and party season gets underway. As night follows day, this time also coincides with a national police initiative concerning drink driving, as forces across the country prepare for a spike in the numbers of those tested and arrested for drink and drug...Read More
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Name and address, date of birth, and nationality?
Since 13th November, it is now an offence to fail to tell a Magistrates Court or Crown Court your nationality. Anyone committing this offence can be sentenced to up to 6 months imprisonment; the same as for offences such as common assault, assaulting a police officer and driving whilst disqualified. The maximum sentence is twice as long as the maximum sentence for criminal damage with a value...Read More
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Catalonia vs Spain; is extradition the ultimate weapon?
The current crisis in Catalonia has produced an interesting extradition issue, involving the former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont and his colleagues, some of whom have left Spain and taken refuge in Belgium; are all of the offences they are charged with actually extradition offences? Puigdemont and his colleagues face a number of charges, including ‘rebellion’ and ‘sedition’, as well as...Read More
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Romanian prison conditions and the fallout from Grecu and others
The consequences of the High Court decision in Grecu and others earlier this year are now being seen in other cases relating to Romanian prison conditions. In that case, the High Court ruled that extradition to Romania could only go ahead if the Romanian authorities were able to show that a requested person would be held in a cell with at least 3 square meters of space. This week, a Romanian...Read More
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